An Evaluation of the Quality of ICT Teaching within an ICT-Rich Environment: The Case of Two Primary Schools

This longitudinal, empirical study was set out to evaluate the quality of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) teaching in two UK rural primary schools with ICT-rich environment. The research was carried out for approximately two and a half school years in order to obtain a holistic view of the way teachers implement ICT and of the ways they interact with their pupils. The main data collection techniques employed were participant observation, semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis. The data analysis, derived from the observation of several case studies, suggests that teachers were not sufficiently motivated to drive and enhance their teaching and pupils’ learning by the available New Technology and Communication Resources (NTCR). The teachers involved did not in general integrate the NTCR in the teaching and learning process and their own role in the classroom has not yet been adapted to the NTCR. The most frequently identified problems, as also mentioned by the teachers themselves, were: lack of time to organise, prepare and implement computer activities due to pressures from everyday workload and time and curriculum restrictions. Teachers also complained about shortage of on-going training and technical support. The research’s findings identified five main ways forward: adaptability, integration, sustainability, professional development and reflective thinking.

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