TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS DIGITAL INCLUSION IN THREE RURAL SCHOOLS IN THE ALMATY REGION

Abstract

Guaranteeing equal access for children to education, as a pedagogical problem, is connected with the idea of «inclusive education.» The legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan guarantees equal access to quality education. Nevertheless, this policy remains raw in Kazakhstan. There is a growing gap in access to quality education between children in urban and rural areas, and the pandemic has given an additional boost to this process. This qualitative research explores secondary school teachers' perspectives, attitudes, and concerns about digital inclusion in three rural schools in the Almaty region. The current study will employ a qualitative research design to identify factors that public school teachers determine as obstacles to digital inclusion in the rural classroom. One-on-one semi-structured interviews allow respondents to share perspectives in narrative detail. This research aims to address the following questions: (1) How do secondary school teachers in rural schools use digital technology for teaching and learning? (2) How do secondary school teachers in Kazakhstani rural schools understand the concept of digital inclusion? How can digital technology be used to promote equity and inclusion? (3) What do secondary teachers believe are some of the challenges they face in using digital technology in rural schools? How do rural school teachers believe they can positively influence opinions and practices to create digital inclusion? Ten school teachers in the Almaty region took part. The researcher plans to analyze qualitative data, which will involve a preliminary review of the data and the development of cluster codes, allowing for the emergence of common patterns and themes. Findings from the research will fill the existing gap in the literature and add to the knowledge base. Keywords: inclusive education, digital inclusion, teachers in rural schools, attitudes, digital divide, equality