Motivational Access to the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Teaching Economics

Abstract

This paper focuses on motivational access to information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching economics at Tribhuvan University of Nepal. ICT integration has become an integral part of the contemporary educational landscape. It is emerging as a transformative force in teaching and learning activities. Motivational access refers to the individual's interest, desire, and intention to engage with ICTs. The use of ICTs by educators to increase their sense of achievement and success in teaching and learning is known as motivation. The theoretical lens of this study is Van Dijk’s resource and appropriation theory. For this purpose, a cross-sectional research design and structured Google Form questionnaires were administered to 404 economics teachers. The methods involve a rigorous statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, one-sample t-tests, and ANOVA, to explore differences in motivational access based on socio-demographic characteristics. This paper develops some key indicators to analyze teachers' perceptions of the usefulness of ICT, such as ICT as an effective teaching tool, its support for diverse teaching and learning styles, and its ability to solve educational problems. The findings reveal that most economics teachers perceived a higher level of usefulness of ICT in their teaching. They believed that ICT support would enhance creativity, facilitate communication, and increase access to knowledge. However, motivation is determined by additional income, gender, teaching faculty, teaching level, qualification, job nature, and computer availability for using ICT. To bridge gaps in motivational access and enhance ICT integration, this study recommends targeted professional development programs, equitable access to ICT resources, and the inclusion of motivational incentives in educational policies to encourage sustained use of ICT in teaching.