Accessibilité des ressources digitalisées et qualité de l’éducation dans les zones rurales de la région du Centre : cas des établissements secondaires de l’arrondissement d’Okola

Abstract

This research project focuses on the theme: "Accessibility of Digitised Resources and Quality of Education in Rural Areas of the Centre Region: A Case Study of Secondary Schools in the Okola Subdivision." It stems from the observation that the trend of digitalisation is ubiquitous, transforming numerous sectors, including education. Accordingly, this study evaluates the ongoing digitalisation project at the secondary level of the Cameroonian education system. Our central concern, therefore, is the impact of limited access to digitised resources on the quality of education within secondary schools in the Okola Subdivision. Drawing on a review of relevant literature, we have employed Susan Crawford's theories of the digital divide, John Rawls' theory of justice as fairness, and Joseph Aloys Schumpeter's theory of innovation to examine this problem, centred on the following research question: To what extent does limited access to digitised resources impact the quality of education in secondary schools in the Okola Subdivision? The response began with the hypothesis that access to digitised resources has a significant impact on the quality of education in the rural area of Okola. We verified this hypothesis through a mixed-methods study, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, to uncover the various factors that limit access to digitised resources in rural areas and their level of impact on the quality of education. To collect data for this study, we used a questionnaire administered to students selected using a stratified proportional sampling technique and an interview guide for school administrators chosen using a convenience or purposive sampling technique. The analysis of these quantitative data reveals that infrastructural, economic, and training constraints are major obstacles to the seamless and effective integration of digital technology into students' educational pathways. Simultaneously, interviews with school administrators highlighted a desire to integrate digital technology, but this aspiration was met with significant rural realities. Therefore, in addition to addressing the specific shortcomings of rural areas through Special Digitalisation Plans (SDP), it is imperative to develop inclusive digitalisation projects through a more systemic, systematic, and coordinated mobilisation of public authorities at all levels and an increased commitment from partners to provide genuine equitable access to quality education throughout the Cameroonian territory.