Use of technology in school education: Evaluation of technology use in rural government schools in Karnataka

Guide(s)

Naik, Gopal

Department

Economics

Area

Economics

University

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Place

Bangalore

Publication Date

3-31-2019

Year Awarded

March 2019

Year Completed

March 2019

Year Registered

June 2012

Abstract

This research addresses a critical challenge in development policy: the persistent low quality of learning in schools across developing countries. The central research question explores whether technology can serve as an effective tool to improve student learning outcomes, particularly when implemented at scale and with low intensity. While existing literature presents mixed evidence on the impact of educational technology, there remains a significant gap in studies tailored to the realities of developing countries—especially in large-scale, context-sensitive implementations. To address this, a randomized control trial (RCT) was conducted in 1,000 government schools across 18 districts in Karnataka, India. The intervention was designed with three key features: low student-to-computer ratios, minimal need for teacher retraining, and large-scale implementation. This approach aimed to balance the need for rigorous evaluation with practical scalability and contextual appropriateness. Beyond student outcomes, the study also examined the impact of technology on teachers, using the Capabilities Approach to assess whether the intervention expanded the capabilities teachers value. Additionally, the research identifies enabling and constraining factors that affect teachers' ability to use technology-based teaching tools, emphasizing the role of institutional rules and resource availability. This research contributes to both academic literature and policy by offering insights into scalable, context-aware technology interventions in education, and by highlighting the importance of considering multiple stakeholders—especially teachers—in the design and evaluation of such programs.

Pagination

164p.

Copyright

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Document Type

Dissertation

DAC Chairperson

Naik, Gopal

DAC Members

Bhalla, Manaswini; De, Rahul

Type of Degree

Ph.D.

Relation

DIS-IIMB-FPM-P19-06

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