TY  - JOUR
T1  - Investigating the Role of ICT in Educational Equality: A Revision of Philosophical Approaches
AU - Zarghami-Hamrah, Saeid 
JO  - The Social Sciences
VL  - 11
IS  - 7
SP  - 1331
EP  - 1337
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1818-5800
DO  - sscience.2016.1331.1337
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=sscience.2016.1331.1337
KW  - education
KW  -ICT
KW  -instrumentalism
KW  -determinism
KW  -language construction
AB  - The present study examines various philosophical standpoints about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with the aim of revising its role in educational equality. The methodology applied in this study is the comparative analysis that is considered as a qualitative research approach. As the procedure, at first different philosophical approaches toward ICT are considered under the headings of instrumentalism and determinism and then the outcomes of each approach about the role and position of ICT in educational equality are investigated and contrasted. The instrumentalist approach does not take ICT as involving specific cultural or moral values and, hence, regards the moral questions on applying ICT in education in relation with the purposes that are supposed to be fulfilled by ICT. As a result, it could not be said that the development of ICT leads to the expansion of educational equality. In contrast, the deterministic approach holds that ICT is formed and developed based on particular philosophical and value-laden foundations and hence, imposes its independent power by entering the educational systems. This approach includes the viewpoints of those who optimistically talk about the destruction of unequal constructions in education by the introduction of ICT or those who pessimistically believe that ICT demolishes the educational equality and sometimes morality. This study also, levels criticisms over the mentioned approaches and proposes the third approach instead. In this approach the role and position of ICT in the future education depends on the interpretations of the actors in this field.
ER  -