INTERNET FOR CAMBODIAN STUDENTS:USES, ATTITUDES AND ACADEMIC UTILIZATION

PI: Chivoin PeouMentor: May O. Lwin

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Cambodian Internet (2008-10) Internet users: <1% (pop. 14 million) Broadband subscription: 0.2 per 100 inhabitants Number of ISPs: 34 Home access: 0.43% (urban households) &

0.11% (households countrywide) Outside-home access: 3.64% (urban households)

& 0.85% (households countrywide) Internet cafés: 320 PC ownership: 15.7% (urban households) & 3.7%

(countrywide)

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Internet and Education

Digital divide: Benefits vs. Exclusion Learning resources More positive perceptions of learning and job prospects

(Cheung & Huang, 2005) Access, uses and academic utilization

Perceptions: toy, technology, tool & tour (Taiwan, Tsai & Line, 2004)

Communicative more than academic usage (U.K., Marriott et al., 2004; Selwyn, 2008; Walmsley et al., 2003)

Chatting > games > information > pornography (China, Hong & Huang, 2005)

Online plagiarism (Selwyn, 2008; Underwood & Szabo, 2004)

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Objective

Exploratory – among university and high school students in the capital city

Research questions:1. How do the students access and use the

Internet?2. What do they use the Internet for?3. What are their attitudes toward the Internet?4. How much of the Internet is utilized for

academic purpose?

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The Study

Survey in mid-2009 (end of academic year) at two high schools and four universities (overall typical of the several dozens in Phnom Penh in terms of resources, qualities, specializations and tuition)

Participants: 2,074 students (uni.=75% & high sch.=25%) Male=54% & Female=46% Grades (high sch.): G10=32%; G11=37%; G12=31% Year levels (uni.): 1=33%; 2=27%; 3=22%; 4=18% Specialism areas (uni.): Arts & humanities=39%;

Social sciences=22%; Business & related=21%; Sciences=13%; Law=5%

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Access & Usage Internet use experience = 85% (uni.=90% vs. high

sch.=70%) Male = 91% vs. female = 79% Regular access points (≥1 per week)

Internet café = 46% Mobile phone = 32% On-campus = 25% Home = 19%

Length of Internet experience: <1 year = 36% 1-2 years = 32% 3-4 years = 21% >4 years = 11%

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Internet Uses

3 main types of common uses (from most to least common): (1) Information seeking, (2) entertainment, and (3) socialization

Longer usage experience more information seeking, entertainment and socialization uses

Information seeking: (1) more uni. students than high sch. students; (2) more males than females

Entertainment: (1) more high sch. students than uni. students; (2) more males than females

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Attitude toward the Internet

Overall positive attitude toward the Internet: Comfort: absence of anxiety about, or feeling at ease

with, the Internet Optimism: belief that the Internet has positive impacts

on humans and society Enthusiasm: feeling of excitement with the

development of the Internet Longer usage experience more positive

attitude toward the Internet More usage for information seeking most

positive attitude toward the Internet

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Academic Utilization Little academic use of the Internet:

More academic use among males, uni. students, longtime users, and café and home users

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Conclusions

Growing access and integration, but lack of academic utilization

Common dividers: gender, educational level and resources

The importance of public access venues (e.g. Internet café)

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Implications for Stakeholders

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Educational Institutions: curriculum improvement and teaching staff training

Royal Government of Cambodia and Ministry of Education: Infrastructural improvement and policy support for educational institutions

Funding agencies and NGOs: Policy and expertise support for educational institutions and governmental agencies

Thanks for the attention!12