The impact of laptop provision on teacher attitudes towards ICT

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Finnish primary and secondary schools has been increasing for the last decade, but the full potential of the new technology has not been achieved; pedagogical thinking in educational institutes has not advanced in parallel with technological advances. Teachers’ attitudes towards the use of ICTs in schools are significant factors in determining how technology is used in schools. The aim of this study is to investigate if there is a difference in attitudes towards ICTs by teachers who have a personal laptop computer (provided by the employer) compared to teachers who have not. The data were collected by means of an online questionnaire, to which 69 teachers out of 196 (31%) from four schools replied. Analysis of the data reveals that teachers who used personal laptops in their work regarded the use of ICTs, both in teaching and in general, more positively than teachers who did not.

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