The impact of ICT initiatives in Scottish schools: cultural issues

Abstract

At the beginning of a series of ICT initiatives in Scottish schools by the Scottish Executive and again, two years later, a survey of teachers and pupils provided evidence of the impact that these strategic investments had made on the classroom. The findings indicate that while there are innovative and enthusiastic teachers taking advantage of the opportunities afforded, a number of practical and cultural obstacles remained. While practical shortcomings, such as access to suitable hardware and software, might be fairly readily overcome if the financial will were there, the culture and practices of the school may prove more stubborn. The focus in this paper is on the views, hopes and expectations of the primary and secondary teachers who participated in the surveys and how they will influence the implementation of the ICT initiatives

Technology in the Classroom: Improving Automaticity in Mental-maths in Primary-aged Students

“…Several researchers have identified the efficacy of DGBL in classrooms (for example : Clark, Tanner-Smith, & Killingsworth, 2016;Condie & Simpson, 2004;Erhel & Jamet, 2013;Groff, Howells, & Cranmer, 2010;Main & O'Rourke, 2011;Miller & Robertson, 2009, 2011. However, researchers also found scepticism among academics and practitioners that using digital games (particularly those normally associated with leisure activities) is worth the time and financial investment (Bennet, Maton, & Kervin, 2008;Logie & Della Sala, 2010;Sardone & Devlin-Scherer, 2010), especially when more traditional approaches could be just as successful (Prensky, 2001).…”

The Impact of ICT on Schools

“…Additionally, achievement rates were also lower on items that required students to assess the use of different technologies and to think of the social and cultural impact of technological innovations. [1] Using ICT affects the students positively, as it influences the democracy of education, through providing space for the students in choosing the courses they prefer, and sometimes the teacher, resulting in generating feelings of independence and self-confidence, in addition to giving the students the chance to choose what copes with their favorite subjects and their abilities, in addition to the motivation for learning that the use of technology creates inside the classrooms, and widening the students knowledge and critical thinking skills.…”

T’aint What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It): ICT and Creativity in the Primary School Classroom

“…Evidence over recent years indicates that, broadly speaking, many teachers use ICT primarily to improve the efficiency of existing tasks. A study of the impact of new technologies on Scottish schools, indicated that both teachers and pupils used a range of technologies and software out of school but while pupils used computers to play, create and explore, teachers were much more likely to use it for work-related tasks such as preparing resources, administration and record-keeping (Condie et al, [24]. In the classroom, use extended to display and presentation using, for example, interactive whiteboards, or research using the Internet.…”