Manuscript received July 31, 2023; revised August 8, 2023; accepted September 6, 2023.
Abstract—Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) have impacted education by introducing new methods of
teaching and learning. However, while there are some studies
that highlight the role and impact of ICT in the educational
system, there is little research on the use of ICT for pedagogical
purposes in Albania. To address this gap, this study elaborates
on ICT use for pedagogical purposes specifically in secondary
schools in Albania. It investigates the relationship between ICT
inclusion in teaching and the degree to which these factors are
reflected in the education system. To do so, the study combines
qualitative data from curricular frameworks, school textbooks,
and the National Education Strategy with quantitative data
from surveys of first-year students of the Faculty of History and
Philology, Tirana University. Hence, the research focuses on
descriptive analyses of students’ opinions gathered through
questionnaires and detailed analyses of the qualitative key
documents: education strategies, curriculum framework and
textbooks. The findings reveal that ICT use in the teaching and
learning process (as a medium) is at a low level, while it is well
established as an object of a course or as an aspect of a
profession. Moreover, the results contribute to past research on
the educational system and use of technologies in pedagogy by
suggesting several barriers to effective ICT utilization for
educational purposes. Such barriers include inadequate
technological resources, limited availability of digital content in
the native language, and restricted student internet access
within school premises. Additional challenges are related to the
overreliance on print textbooks, and the dominant role of
teachers as the primary or sole source of knowledge and
information. Finally, this study contributes to research on
educational technology and pedagogy by emphasizing the urgent
need for improvements in textbooks, comprehensive teacher
training programs, and the adoption of contemporary
pedagogical methodologies to foster critical thinking skills
among the younger generation.
Index Terms—Digital competence, education, information
and communication technologies, learning media
Loreta Axhami is with Faculty of History and Philology, University of
Tirana, Albania.
Mirdaim Axhami is with Faculty of Economy, University of Tirana,
Albania.
*Correspondence: loreta.axhami@fhf.edu.al (L.A.)
Cite: Loreta Axhami* and Mirdaim Axhami, "Use of Information and Communication Technologies as a Medium for Education in Albania," International Journal of Information and Education Technology vol. 13, no. 12, pp. 1932-1938, 2023.
Copyright © 2023 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).