Parents’ Acceptance of Educational Technology: Lessons From Around the World

One of the long-term lessons from the school closures due to the global pandemic COVID 19, is that technology and parental engagement are the best levers to access education so as to bridge the achievement gap between socially disadvantaged children and their peers. However, using technology is not as simple as bringing equipment into the school and home and initiating its usage; these are just the first steps into a more complex and ambitious achievement of using technology as a catalyst for a shift toward new learning models in remote and hybrid settings. A theoretical framework based on the theory of acceptance and use of technology and social cognitive learning theory was used to analyse data from a survey completed by 4,600 parents from 19 countries during the national lockdowns in 2020. Regression models and thematic analysis of open-ended responses were employed to identify factors that contribute to parental acceptance and use of technology in support of their children’s learning. Our results show that parents are more engaged in children’s learning when well-structured technological tools are provided or suggested by schools, and when parents are socially influenced by the opinions of other parents, teachers, children, the general public, relatives, etc. Conversely, they are less engaged when they perceive the technological tools to be challenging and beyond their knowledge or skills. The study’s findings have practical implications for governments and school leaders, who need to be aware of the factors likely to determine the use of technology at home and take action to meet parents’ needs when using technology to support learning.

Improved Intersubjectivity—Does it also Helps to Facilitate the Other Learning Acquisitions Skills in Vulnerable Groups of Adolescents?

The Alternative School Day (ASD) is a project for adolescents who have difficulties in several areas. Nine pupils (14-16 years old), their parents and teachers were interviewed at autumn and spring. The pupils attended ASD one day per week. None of them was coming from academic homes. Bandura’s (1982) self-efficacy and social cognitive learning theory were utilized in order to investigate which kind of learning processes that seem to be involved in the positive outcome measures, found through the participation in this special program. This as well as the concept intersubjectivity. Do the teachers in the special program (ASD), share another intersubjectivity with the participants, both logically and emotionally? The ASD is more unconventional and each student gets more attention, the atmosphere is more unbound and playful. A whole body of research is employing the importance of play in children and adolescent’s development (Glynn & Webster, 1993; Barnett, 1990, 1991; Basi & Hurwitz, 2012). And an ongoing debate, ought to be whether, adapted education, should be incorporated within an earlier stage through the school curriculum for children and adolescents at the risk zone.

Security monitoring and information security assurance behaviour among employees

Purpose The purpose of this research is to explain the influence of information security monitoring and other social learning factors on employees’ security assurance behaviour. Security assurance behaviour represents employees’ intentional and effortful actions aimed towards protecting information systems. The behaviour is highly desired as it tackles the human factor within the information security framework. The authors posited that security assurance behaviour is a learned behaviour that can be enhanced by the implementation of information security monitoring. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical framework underlying this study with six constructs, namely, subjective norm, outcome expectation, information security monitoring, information security policy, self-efficacy and perceived inconvenience, were identified as significant in determining employees’ security assurance behaviour (SAB). The influence of these constructs on SAB could be explained by social cognitive theory and is empirically supported by past studies. An online questionnaire survey as the main research instrument is adopted to elicit information on the six constructs tested in this study. Opinion from industry and academic expert panels on the relevance and face validity of the questionnaire were obtained prior to the survey administration. Findings Findings from this research indicate that organisations will benefit from information security monitoring by encouraging security behaviours that extend beyond the security policy. This study also demonstrates that employees tend to abandon security behaviour when the behaviour is perceived as inconvenient. Hence, organisations must find ways to reduce the perceived inconvenience using various security automation methods and specialised security training. Reducing perceived inconvenience is a challenge to information security practitioners. Research limitations/implications There are some limitations in the existing work that could be addressed in future studies. One of them is the possible social desirability bias due to the self-reported measure adopted in the study. Even though the authors have made every effort possible to collect representative responses via anonymous survey, it is still possible that the respondents may not reveal true behaviour as good conduct is generally desired. This may lead to a bias towards favourable behaviour. Practical implications In general, the present research provides a number of significant insights and valuable information related to security assurance behaviour among employees. The major findings could assist security experts and organisations to develop better strategies and policies for information security protection. Findings of this research also indicate that organisations will benefit from information security monitoring by encouraging security behaviours that extend beyond the security policy. Social implications In this research, the social cognitive learning theory is used to explain the influence of information security monitoring and other social learning factors on employees’ security assurance behaviour; the finding implies that monitoring emphases expected behaviours and helps to reinforce organisational norms. Monitoring may also accelerate learning when employees become strongly mindful of their behaviours. Hence, it is important for organisations to communicate the monitoring practices implemented, even more imperative whenever security monitoring employed is unobtrusive in nature. Nonetheless, care must be taken in this communication to avoid resentment and mistrust among employees. Originality/value This study is significant in a number of ways. First, this study highlights significant antecedents of security assurance behaviour, which helps organisations to assess their current practices, which may nurture or suppress information security. Second, using users’ perspective, this study provides recommendations pertaining to monitoring as a form of information security measure. Third, this study provides theoretical contribution to the existing information security literature via the application of the social cognitive learning theory.

Self-Regulated Learning and the Use of Online Portfolios: A Social Cognitive Perspective

This study highlights the interrelationship among self-regulated learning (SRL) skills, the use of online portfolios, and social cognitive learning theory. It was conducted as a longitudinal mixed-methods study over one academic year with students enrolled in a postgraduate professional practice programme. The study used both quantitative and qualitative statistical analyses. Results showed a strong positive correlation between SRL skills and the perceptions of the usefulness of online portfolios. Based on these results, the researcher have suggested a new model which integrates students′ use of online portfolios; the influence of online portfolios on students′ SRL skills and vice versa; and the three social cognitive learning theory factors of person, behaviour and environment and their effect on students′ SRL skills across the three phases of forethought, performance, and self-reflection within an online learning environment.