Modélisation d’une pratique numérique de l’orientation scolaire au Cameroun

Abstract

Educational guidance is a mechanism that enables individuals to make realistic choices in line with their aspirations, in order to integrate into the socio-professional world. It can be used by governments to promote the physical, intellectual and professional development of their citizens. Unfortunately, we have observed that this is not the case. Guidance is struggling to gain acceptance and play its role to the full. It faces a number of problems that mar its exercise, readability, visibility and effectiveness. In the digital age and with an engineering approach, the aim of the study was to determine a new practice of school guidance using digital technology, by characterizing a digital tool to support school guidance in order to improve guidance practice and make guidance experts more efficient. Characterizing the tool meant determining the guidance tasks to be taken into account by the tool, identifying the support modalities, resources and time management. To achieve this, we mobilized two school guidance departments in two schools in the city of Yaoundé, each staffed by five guidance counsellors. Our qualitative research was based on the theory of expansive learning, which is based on the laboratory of change. The analysis of school guidance practice according to three of the six actions of expansive learning theory has enabled us, in a collaborative and participatory approach, to propose a new way of practicing school guidance in Cameroon using the WhatsApp social network by setting up WhatsApp platforms by class and under strict parental control by the guidance department of a school. The platform will operate with the help of a guide and will cover both training activities and suitable services. It will thus have a dual role, since when it comes to training activities, it will change the way guidance is practiced, but when it comes to adapted services, notably help interviews, it will play the role of a tool, supporting guidance by enabling the GC to schedule face-to-face interviews. This thesis is therefore in line with the desire of the Minister of Secondary Education to digitalize the guidance service offer.