Technology in education: A case study on Cambodia

This report is a case study on technology and education in Cambodia, with an emphasis on the use of technology in classrooms. It draws on data from the 2017 Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey, policy documents, and interviews (n=45) with teachers, principals, and students from Grades 6, 9, and 12 as well as higher education across Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap, and Phnom Penh. The first part of the report outlines the main challenges in terms of education and technology in the country, which include the cost of technological devices, Internet, and mobile data as well as the limited technological knowledge across the education system. The second part turns to potential ways to overcome these challenges, including educational planning to strengthen digital infrastructure, teacher training, and plans to implement a Social Equity Fund. The research highlights the negative impact of technology on the teaching force, new modalities of private tutoring that have emerged as teaching content moved online because of Covid-19, and the absence of critical media studies.