Teachers' attitudes towards training in ICT: a critical approach

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of the present study is to investigate why teachers participate in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programmes, what their sociological approaches are, and where they focus their attention in order to achieve the objectives of their training in these new technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe sample group of this research consists of 162 teachers who work in primary schools in Northern Greece. There were 70 (43.2 percent) men and 92 (56.8 percent) women. For the fulfilment of the general research an improvised questionnaire was designed concerning the training of teachers in ICT. In total, it comprises 80 questions.FindingsThe findings of the research study show that one of the main reasons for primary school teachers' participation in ICT programmes is their interest in exploiting ICT, in both their teaching and in their personal lives. They consider lifelong education as necessary to the practice of teaching and useful in settling educational inequalities, while at the same time they think that in‐service education should be in accordance with the requirements of the modern social‐cultural environment.Originality/valueThis is an interesting research on ICT training of teachers in Greece, developing a critical thinking approach towards ICT in‐service training. The article stresses that the in‐service training interact and are affected by the social and political orientations that prevail in social and educational policy.

Social Inequalities and ICT Teacher’s In-Service Training

“…Funding in education, but also in the introduction of ICT, plays a dominant role in upgrading the quality of education, but also in changing pedagogical-teaching practices, according to their views. Similar findings have been found in other research, highlighting the need to support teachers through training and changing culture and practices in education (Giavrimis & Giossi, 2011), but also to increase the financial resources available to upgrade the teacher's project (Spyropoulou et al, 2004). The consequence of the above is the expression of a negative to ambivalent view by several teachers who believe that school cannot remove inequalities in education, not even with the use of new cognitive tools (ICT).…”

Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Tools in Teaching and Learning Literature Component in Malaysian Secondary Schools

“…A study conducted by Chisalita and Cretu (2012) involving 120 female students in Romania revealed that they considered ICT has a high influence on the ways in which they learn and they were no longer able to prepare school activities without using type of resources. Giavrimis, Giossi and Papastamatis (2011) in their study on 162 primary teachers in Northern Greece focusing on teacher's attitude revealed that one of the main reasons for primary schools teachers' participation in ICT programmes is their interest in exploiting ICT, in both their teaching and personal lives. Yunus et al (2009) investigated students' attitude towards the use of ICT in language learning denoted that the students had positive attitudes towards ICT usage.…”

Implementation of an ICT‐based learning environment in a nutrition health project

“…The project design was participatory action research (McIntyre, 2008), which means the project was carried out as a co‐operative effort of the researchers and the participants of the schools (teachers, school health nurses, school catering workers, pupils and pupils' families). The tasks of the researchers were to help the participants recognise the need for development at the school level and to improve their pedagogical attitudes and knowledge related to the nutrition health project and the ICT‐based learning environment (Skinner et al , 2006; Giavrimis et al , 2011). In a project like this, learning is possible for all parties – for the school members, pupils and their families as well as the researchers.…”