comparing perspectives on the role of ict in education

Enhancing the impact of investments in ‘educational’ ICT

Bob Fox & Peter Twining www.meD8.info/dictated/ SITE Conference March 2006

Comparing perspectives on the role of ICT in

education

Bob Fox & Peter Twining

SITE ConferenceOrlando March 2006



Overview

• Background• Looking at occupational groups• Conclusions, discussion



The ‘problem’

• Reality rhetoric gap (Trend, Davis & Loveless 1999)

– High investment (e.g. Twining 2002)

– Low impact on learning (e.g. Pelgrum 2001; Cuban 2001; OFSTED 2002a, 2002b)

• Shared understandings? (Twining 2002)

Cuban (2001) Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom, London: Harvard University Press.OFSTED (2002a) Primary Subject Reports 2000-01: Information and communication technology, London: HMSO.OFSTED (2002a) Secondary Subject Reports 2000-01: Information and communication technology, London: HMSO. Pelgrum (2001) Obstacles to the integration of ICT in education: results from a worldwide education assessment,

Computers & Education, 37 pp163-178.Trend, Davis & Loveless (1999) Information and Communications Technology, London: Letts.Twining (2002) Enhancing the impact of investments in educational ICT, Milton Keynes: Open University.



dICTatEd’s ApproachDiscussing ICT, Aspirations & Targets for Education

• Rationales in literature– 19 discrete rationales (mapped to Computer Practice Framework (CPF))

• Questionnaire– Views/aspirations– Shared ‘visions’?– Encourage debate



Analysis – Variations among

Occupational Groups



Eight Occupational Groups

• From total selection of 5885 respondents

• Sample includes 2136 responses

• Some ‘double counting’

Categories• Teacher Educators

• Advisers

• Parents

• Primary Teachers

• Secondary Teachers

• Teaching Assistants

• Primary Trainees

• Secondary Trainees



• Teacher Educators: N = 151

• Parents: N = 233

• Teaching Assistants: N = 64

• Primary Trainees: N = 485

• Secondary Trainees: N = 385



Advisers: N = 192• Advisers = 44

• Advisory Teachers = 39

• Inspectors = 7

• Consultants = 102

Not all are ICT specialists



Primary Teachers: N = 210• Teachers = 178

• Deputy Heads = 9

• Heads = 23

Secondary Teachers: N = 442• Teachers = 399

• Deputy Heads = 25

• Heads = 18



Eight Occupational Groups - N=2136

Teacher Educators, 151

Advisers, 192

Parents, 237

Primary Teachers, 210

Secondary Teachers, 442

Teaching Assistants, 64

Primary Trainees, 485

Secondary Trainees, 355



Distribution by Sex

76

94

176

148

237

54

400

188

70

94

55

58

194

7

75

257

0 100 200 300 400 500

Teacher Educators

Advisors

Parents

Primary Teachers

Secondary Teachers

Teaching Assistants

Primary Trainees

Secondary Trainees

FemaleMale



Located in UK?

85

119

205

126

237

62

457

328

66

73

32

205

2

28

27

84

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Teacher Educators

Advisors

Parents

Primary Teachers

Secondary Teachers

Teaching Assistants

Primary Trainees

Secondary Trainees

UKNon-UK



Responses to the 'Essential' question

138

177

201

184

395

57

452

332

13

15

36

26

47

7

33

23

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%

Teacher Educators

Advisers

Parents

Primary Teachers

Secondary Teachers

Teaching Assistants

Primary Trainees

Secondary Trainees

YesNo



Responses to the 'Essential' question among primary teachers

22

46

142

4

10

15

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

EY

KS1

KS2

YesNo

Responses to the 'Essential' question among primary trainees

66

151

265

10

10

14

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

EY

KS1

KS2

YesNo



Rationales1) In order to learn IT skills.

2) As a tool to achieve traditional teaching and learning goals across the curriculum

3) In order to extend and enrich the curriculum

4) In order to motivate learners

5) As a catalyst for educational change

6) Because of the impact of ICT on the nature of knowledge

7) In order to fundamentally change teaching and learning

8) As a tool to support learners in thinking about their own learning

9) In order to provide access to the curriculum for those who might otherwise be excluded

10) In order to increase productivity in education

11) In order to reduce the cost of education

12) In order to make education more efficient

13) As a substitute for teachers

14) In order to reward learners

15) As preparation for living in a society that is permeated with technology

16) As preparation for work (employment)

17) In order to support and stimulate the country’s economic development

18) In order to impress stakeholders

19) In order to reduce inequalities of differential access outside formal education








Top Ten Rationales1) In order to learn IT skills

2) As a tool to achieve traditional teaching and learning goals across the curriculum

3) In order to extend and enrich the curriculum

4) In order to motivate learners

6) Because of the impact of ICT on the nature of knowledge








-3

-2 -10

1 2

3

Distribution of Means (N = 2136)

1513 18 11 14 1

9

3

16

419

6

8

257

10

12

17



-3

-2 -10

1 2

3

2.06

Rationale 15: As preparation for living in a society that is permeated with technology



2.06

PrimaryTeachers2.00

Advisers1.96

TeacherEducators1.87

Parents2.14

TeachingAssistants2.38

PrimaryTrainees2.11

SecondaryTrainees2.14

1.6 2.6

2.2 2.42.01.8

SecondaryTeachers1.99




-3

-2 -10

1 2

3

1.93

Rationale 1: In order to learn IT skills



1.93

PrimaryTeachers1.72

Advisers1.53


Parents2.08


PrimaryTrainees2.00




1.4 2.4

2.0 2.21.81.6



-3

-2 -10

1 2

3

1.91

Rationale 9: In order to provide access to the curriculum for those who might otherwise be excluded



1.91

PrimaryTeachers1.83

Advisers1.77


Parents1.79


PrimaryTrainees2.00



Rationale 9: In order to provide access to the curriculum for those who might otherwise be excluded

1.4 2.4

2.0 2.21.81.6



-3

-2 -10

1 2

3

-1.97

Rationale 13: As a substitute for teachers



-1.97

PrimaryTeachers-1.92

Teacher Educators-1.59

Advisers-2.06

Parents-2.16

TeachingAssistants-2.52

PrimaryTrainees-2.09SecondaryTrainees-2.05

SecondaryTeachers-1.72

Rationale 13: As a substitute for teachers

-2.6 -1.6

-2.0 -1.8-2.2-2.4



-3

-2 -10

1 2

3

0.71

Rationale 7: In order to fundamentally change teaching and learning



0.71

PrimaryTeachers0.7

Advisers1.09

TeacherEducators1.23Parents

0.33TeachingAssistants0.5

PrimaryTrainees0.75



Rationale 7: In order to fundamentally change teaching and learning

0.2 1.2

0.8 1.00.60.4



Rankings

• (Based on 3 points for 1st choice, 2 for 2nd, 1 for 3rd)

• These correlate highly, but not precisely, with rating order (about 0.7)




1st Choice: Parents, Secondary teachers, Secondary trainees, Teaching Assistants

2nd Choice: Teacher educators, Primary teachers, Primary trainees

3rd Choice: Advisers



Rationale 3: In order to extend and enrich learning across the curriculum

1st Choice: Teacher educators, Advisers, Primary teachers, Primary trainees

2nd Choice: Secondary teachers

3rd Choice: Secondary trainees

4th Choice: Parents

5th Choice: Teaching Assistants




1st Choice:

2nd Choice: Parents, Secondary trainees

3rd Choice: Primary teachers, Primary trainees, Teaching Assistants

4th Choice: Secondary teachers

5th Choice:

6th Choice: Teacher educators

7th Choice: Advisers



Rationale 6: Because of the impact of ICT on the nature of knowledge

1st Choice:

2nd Choice: Advisers

3rd Choice: Teacher educators, Parents, Secondary teachers

6th Choice: Teaching Assistants, Primary trainees, Secondary trainees

8th Choice: Primary teachers



Rationale 9: In order to provide access to the curriculum for those who might otherwise be excluded from it

1st Choice:

2nd Choice: Teaching Assistants

3rd Choice:

4th Choice: Teacher educators, Advisers, Primary teachers,

Primary trainees

5th Choice: Parents, Secondary teachers, Secondary trainees



Least Popular Rationale:Rationale 13 (As a substitute for teachers)

Primary Teachers, Secondary Teachers, Secondary Trainees

~ For Primary Trainees it was 5th worst…

Rationale 18 (In order to impress stakeholders)

~ No category placed this last

Rationale 11 (In order to reduce the cost of education)

Teacher Educators, Primary Trainees

Rationale 14 (In order to reward learners)

Advisers, Parents

Rationale 17 (In order to support and stimulate the country’s economic development)

Teaching Assistants



Conclusion



Helping each other

• Stimulating debate• Auditing views

– Students on entry and exit– Staff

• More responses => Finer grained analysis

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comparing perspectives on the role of ict in education

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