How, when and for what purpose 16 primary school teachers use ICT: A field study

Abstract

This article explores the way in which 16 primary school teachers use ICT resources in their classrooms. More specifically, the analysis seeks to discover whether there is a link between the ICT resources the teachers use and the types of activities involved in their classes. The premise underpinning this approach is that teachers adapt and adjust the use of ICT resources to suit the teaching methods they apply in the classroom. A multiple case study was conducted with 16 primary school teachers, who were recorded for three whole schooldays over three school years, furnishing a total of 159.5 h. The research design was based on a mixed methods approach. The results indicate that the teachers link ICT resources in the classroom to the now traditional use of analogue ones and to teaching approaches involving a wide range of different tasks and exercises. Digital resources are barely used in templates of activity related to pupil assessment or planning the school day. The results provide guidelines on teacher training that simultaneously address ICTs and didactic competencies that respond to the challenges of classroom practice. A further finding involves the need to adjust the design of educational ICT resources to the patterns of real classroom activity.