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4. The views of pupils, teachers and ICT co-ordinators

This section presents the key findings from the questionnaires. The total numbers in each group returning completed questionnaires were:

Table 2: Numbers of completed questionnaires returned

4.1 Primary 7 pupils

a. Access to computers

In total, 1073 P7 pupils, 522 boys (49%) and 540 girls (50%), returned completed questionnaires. Just over half (51%) considered that they knew enough about computers 'to get by' while 39% thought they knew 'a lot' and 5% considered themselves 'real experts'. Forty-one percent (41%) learned most of what they knew about computers at school, while 35% had learned with someone in their family and 20% taught themselves at home.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of P7 pupils reported using a computer in school once or twice a week, while 14% said they used a computer 3-4 times per week and 4% used one every day. Eight percent (8%) reported that they 'hardly ever' used one in school. Frequency of out-of-school use was higher, with 32% using it every day, 28% 3-4 times per week and 21% 1-2 times per week. Eleven percent (11%) 'hardly ever' used a computer outside school.

b. Using a computer

Pupils were asked to indicate what sorts of things they used a computer for - sometimes and never. (A 'don't know what this is' response box was also provided.) Table 3 shows the responses for 'sometimes' and 'never' across the range of activities listed, ordered so that the most frequently reported activities are at the top of the table.

Table 3: P7 pupils' reported in-school use of computers (n = 1073)

The most frequently cited activities using a computer in school included: writing letters, stories or reports; searching the web; playing games; making drawings of designs; storing information in a database; and searching databases. The majority of pupils 'never' used a webcam; used video-conferencing; linked a computer to a music keyboard; added information to the school website; nor displayed/sent digital photographs.

Forty-three percent (43%) of pupils added in other uses for the computer. Most of these were repetitions of the uses listed above, usually with some elaboration:

'Surfing the net and playing on the Internet'

'I use it for making posters, banners, etc'.

Some specified particular applications ( e.g.MSN, Powerpoint) or sites such as think.com and Gridclub. A small number indicated that the computer was used as a reward, often on Friday afternoons:

'I use a computer for golden time'.

A good proportion, however, responded along the lines of 'I think you have mentioned them all'.

Most P7 pupils (84%) reported that there was always an adult there in the classroom to help if they got stuck when working with the computer. Fifty-five percent (55%) agreed that they could try out lots of different things on the computer but only 6% reported that they got to spend as long as they liked doing work on the computer in school.

c. Likes and dislikes

In order to determine what pupils liked/disliked about computers, they were presented with a series of positive and negative statements, with which they were asked to agree or disagree. The responses indicate that pupils enjoyed using computers in school for a range of reasons. Most pupils agreed that:

• their work was neater (90%)
• computers made schoolwork more interesting (87%)
• using a computer was great fun (87%)
• they were able to use their own ideas and imagination (75%)
• their work was faster (68%)
• it helped them do better at their school work (60%).

Many pupils also liked learning about how computers worked (91%) and using the Web on a school computer (87%). Seventy-nine percent (79%) often worked with others on a school computer and 86% used it to find information that was not available from books.

When asked to list the two best things about using computers in school, P7 pupils again tended to repeat the advantages listed in the questionnaire, particularly emphasising the improved speed of working and neatness. A break from traditional classroom learning was greatly appreciated:

'Getting away from writing and getting a sore hand'
'It's not as boring as having to write everything out'.

For some, the attraction lay in specific applications:

'I love doing PowerPoint presentations'

'I get to send an email on a school computer'

or technologies: 'The interactive whiteboard is handy and works well'

or the social aspect: 'You get to work with friends'.

The main dislike was the computer crashing too often (58%), while 53% were of the opinion that the programs on the school computers were not as good as the ones at home. Almost half complained that they did not get to use the computer often enough (46%). Eighteen percent (18%) did not like using computers because they thought that they typed too slowly. A third (33%) thought that the work they had to do on the school's computer was too easy, while only 4% thought it was too hard. One quarter (25%) thought the work was boring, while most of the others disagreed (and 5% did not know). A similar percentage (26%) agreed that 'the teacher doesn't let us try things out for ourselves'.

When asked to list the two worst things about using computers in school, pupils complained that much of the work was too easy and boring, but the majority of complaints were about the computers themselves and the networking:

'They take forever to load'
'They freeze a lot'
'The printer's too slow'.

A few complained about the differences between school and home facilities, usually implying that the school was inferior:

'I get to use Linux at home but I have to use Windows at school'.

Restrictions on websites caused many complaints and pupils did not like it when:

'… we have to go on websites we don't want to go on'; or
'… the websites are blocked',

or, more generally: 'we don't get on the web enough'.

Some did not like the physical conditions:

'the chairs are itchy'
'it's too crammed with all the chairs (2 to a computer)',

while others felt the constraints of the classroom:

'you can't bring in stuff to do on the pcs'
'you can't muck around or go on any site you want'
'you are always under the eye of a teacher'.

Some complained that they did not 'get to work together', while one complained that 'I never get one to myself'. One boy was not fooled, however - he did not like it because 'It's work'.

Despite these negative comments, most pupils thought that learning how to use computers in school was 'very important' (51%) or 'quite important' (45%). Asked for reasons as to why they thought it important, responses fell into a number of categories including knowing how to do something, e.g:

'So that I know how to use it for when I am older' (girl)
'It's good for your knowledge' (boy).

Others were more explicit about their educational aspirations:

'You need to learn for high school because you do lots of work on the computer' (girl)
'It gives us a better education' (boy)
'For exams and tests in the academy' (girl)
'Because if you go to college or university you'll probably have to use one' (girl)

and future work and careers:

'In case you get a job with computers' (girl)
'When you're older and you get a job on computers and you don't know anything on computers then you can get sacked' (girl)
'You have a wider range of job selection' (boy).

The ubiquitous nature of computers featured in many responses:

'Today's world revolves around computers' (girl)
'Because computers are the next big thing and you need to know how to use them' (girl)
'Computers will be used to do everything one day so children should learn now' (boy).

When asked what they would really like to do using a computer, downloading games, songs and ringtones featured strongly, with using MSN messenger, hotmail and other communication applications mentioned by significant numbers. Creative activities were mentioned by many pupils: 'Make our class's own website' (girl); 'Use a webcam' (boy); 'Use the Photoshop' (boy); 'Make animations' (girl); 'Make films' (girl).

Some wanted to learn how to type faster, use the voice recorder, learn how to build websites, enter competitions and use the Internet more (preferably without the teacher present).

When asked about the most difficult thing about using a computer, just about every aspect of using a computer was mentioned: putting in a cartridge, downloading pictures, sending emails, finding websites, getting rid of viruses, finding out what all the keys on the keyboard do, getting things to work and passwords. Having to type (and look at the screen) was the most frequent difficulty. One boy suggested 'The words they use are too complicated', and some others agreed, while another boy stated 'They (computers) have a mind of their own'.

d. Access to a computer out of school

One section of the questionnaire focused on the use of computers out of school. The first question asked pupils to indicate how often they used a games machine (Playstation, Nintendo or X-box) out of school. Thirty-four percent (34%) of P7 pupils never played with one of these. Fourteen percent (14%) played a few days a month, while more frequent use was reported by 22% who played 1-2 days per week and 17% who played 3-4 days per week. Ten percent (10%) played games more than 4 days per week.

The remainder of the questions in this section were for those pupils who had access to a computer out of school. A total of 995 P7 pupils said that they had access to a computer out of school, 88% of whom had a computer in the house where they lived. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of pupils had access to a computer with DVD capability. Of those with a computer at home, 88% were linked to the Internet and 36% of them through broadband. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of those with a computer at home had a computer in their own bedroom, 87% of which were connected to the Internet.

Pupils accessed computers in various places other than their home. A friend's or family member's house were the main places mentioned, although 'the library' featured in a sizeable proportion of responses.

e. Using a computer out of school

Pupils were asked to indicate what things they used the computer for out of school and how often. Their responses are shown in Table 4.

Table 4: P7 pupils' reported out-of-school use of computers (n = 995)

Out of school, the most frequently reported uses of a computer were for: playing games; looking on the web; drawing or designing; sending emails; and doing homework. At least 20%, and often more, sometimes did each of the activities listed. The lowest usage (and highest 'never' figures) were for linking to a music keyboard; visiting chat rooms; working on own website; and working with spreadsheets.

The figures for in- and out-of-school usage show a difference in the pattern of activities. In school, the numbers of pupils doing each activity varied considerably; some activities were very rarely experienced by pupils. At home, the figures were less erratic, tending to range between 30% and 60% for most activities; use across the activities was more even and, on average, slightly higher (average % for 'sometimes' across in-school activities was 46%, while the out-of-school average was 52%). Pupils were experiencing a wider range of applications and activities out of school than was the case in school.

Seventy-six percent (76%) said that there was always someone there to help if they got stuck with the computer at home and 81% reported that they could spend as long as they liked working on it. They could try lots of different things on the computer (92%) and it hardly ever crashed (83%).

When asked what they liked to do on the Internet, most pupils who responded said that they looked for websites in order to play games and/or download music and ringtones for their mobiles. Others visited websites for shopping or to find out things about, for example, favourite football teams. Other key activities were chatting to people and checking up on, for example, rugby scores.

A section at the end of the questionnaire asked pupils to add any comments, if they wanted to do so, and a relatively small number did (n = 22). Almost all of the comments were similar to those for other open-ended responses, apart from the girl who said, 'Thank you for sending me this questionnaire', and another girl who thought computers were something of a mixed blessing:

'In the future I think that everyone will use a computer, people won't do any exercise and it will be really bad. But a good thing would be you could carry it around wherever you went.'

Summary of key points emerging from P7 pupil questionnaires

• It is interesting to note that 51% of P7 pupils sampled indicated that they knew 'enough to get by' in ICT and that 45% considered themselves above this standard of competence.
• What is more interesting is that less than half (41%) considered that they had learned 'most' of their ICT skills in school. A larger percentage (55%) considered experience outside of school to be responsible for 'most' of their ICT knowledge.
• Pupils' perceptions of the frequency of ICT usage inside and outside school indicates that only 18% of P7 pupils reported using a computer more than three times a week in school. In comparison, 60% reported this frequency of use outside school.
• The percentage of pupils who 'hardly ever' use a computer out of school is slightly higher (11%) than those who 'hardly ever' use one in school (8%). However, 7% of pupils have no access to ICT out of school. When this is taken into account and the 'out of school' figure is adjusted to include only those with access, only 4% of pupils with access 'hardly ever' choose to use a computer out of school.
• These figures indicate a link between pupils' reports of access and use and where they acquire and develop their ICT skills. Out-of-school use is a dominant factor at this stage.
• The pupils did, however, recognise the benefits of ICT education, with a total of 96% of P7 pupils sampled perceiving it to be of some importance in their present and future lives.
• With regard to in-school provision, P7 pupils' complaints included technical malfunctions, lack of challenge in the tasks given, restriction of access and/or infrequent practical experience. While the majority indicated that they had access to adequate support in times of difficulty, it is a moot point as to whether this was in the form of intentional positive direct teaching or whether it was 'practitioner troubleshooting' in relation to hardware and software restrictions and malfunctions.
• When taken in a similar context, 76% of P7 pupils (with access to a computer) indicated they had sufficient support 'outside school'. The evidence suggests that machines used at home were relatively new, used broadband connections and had a number of peripherals such as DVD players. Pupils also indicated that they experienced technical problems less frequently. This begs the question of the nature of support provided both in and out of school: further research is required to identify exactly how the types of support 'in school' and 'outside school' differ.
• Most pupils reported being able to spend as much time as they liked on the computer 'outside school', as opposed to only a small percentage 'in school'. While this is understandable given curricular pressures and timetabling issues, the difference is highly significant. In addition, the difference between the opportunities to 'try new things' in and out of school (55% and 92% respectively) is substantial. While there are many similarities in what pupils use computers for in and out of school, the main differences seem to be in the use of multimedia (music downloads, digital photography, ringtones, etc). Together, these findings point to an underlying difference in the opportunity to exercise creativity, where in-school use is more restrictive. They might also indicate a difference in the engagement of pupils outside school and how purposeful the activity is to the learner. Further research into the nature of the activities in which pupils engage in the different contexts is needed to determine whether this is indeed the case.
• Overall, the findings indicate that most P7 pupils are engaging frequently and with enthusiasm with ICT-related activities, both in and out of school. The key questions arising include:
• To what extent do pupils consider the in-school tasks they engage in as purposeful and enjoyable?
• To what extent do the tasks they are given support creativity and develop new learning, as opposed to being consolidation ( i.e. drill or practice) or reward ( e.g. 'golden time') activities?
• To what extent are the pupils using ICT and peripherals to create authentic learning environments ( e.g. through use of multimedia) and are there differences between home/out-of-school and school use?

4.2 Secondary 2 pupils

A total of 655 S2 pupils completed the questionnaires (49% boys and 51% girls). Of these, 38% were intending to take computing studies at Standard Grade level, 28% were intending to take administration and/or business studies and 33% intended to take technological studies.

a. Access to a computer

Most (57%) thought they knew enough 'to get by', while 31% considered that they knew 'a lot' about computers and 3% were 'real experts'. Asked about where they had learned most about computers, 28% replied that they had taught themselves at home, 26% had learned with someone else in the family and 39% learned on a computer at school. Most pupils used a computer in school around once or twice a week (58%), while 22% used one 3-4 times per week and 5% used one every day. Nine percent (9%) hardly ever used a computer. Outside school, 40% used a computer every day, with 28% reporting that they used one 3-4 times per week and 15% using one once or twice a week. Ten percent (10%) hardly ever used one.

b. Using a computer

In order to get some insight into use across subject areas, pupils were asked to indicate which subjects they had attended classes in during the previous week and to indicate if they had used a computer during class. The responses are shown in Table 5. (Inexplicably, only 380 of the 655 pupils in the S2 sample responded to this question and the figures in Table 5 are based on this sub-sample.)

Table 5: Computer use across subjects in one week

Twenty-four percent (24%) of this sub-sample of S2 pupils responded to a follow-up question that asked for details of other subjects where they had used a computer, mentioning subjects such as administration, ICT, personal education and graphic communication.

As with P7 pupils, S2 were asked to indicate what they used a computer for in school. Their responses are shown in Table 6.

Table 6: S2 pupils' use of computers in school

The most frequently cited uses included: searching the web; writing stories, letters or reports; playing games; drawing/designing; working with databases and spreadsheets. The least experienced uses included: making/editing movies; video-conferencing; using a webcam; displaying/sending digital photographs; controlling models; and running simulations. Very few pupils were involved in working on the school website. Eighteen percent (18%) indicated other uses, including playing interactive games, practising typing skills, homework and web design (small numbers of each).

c. Likes and dislikes

To gather information on likes and dislikes, pupils were presented with a series of positive and negative statements, respectively, and asked to agree or disagree with them. (There was also a 'don't know' category). S2 pupils indicated that they liked using a computer in school for a range of reasons. The main ones were:

• My work is neater (94%)
• It's easier to change my work (89%)
• I get to learn more about how computers work (86%)
• It makes school work more interesting (83%)
• I can find information that I cannot find in books (81%)
• I get to use the web (81%)
• Using a computer in school is great fun (76%)
• I get on faster with my work (70%).

Agreement with the negative statements was generally lower, indicating that there were more things to like than dislike, and considerable percentages disagreed with many of them. Only two statements received agreement from more than half of respondents: 'I don't get to use a computer in school often enough' (55%) and 'The programs on the school computer are not as good as the ones I use at home' (53%).

An open-ended question asked pupils to indicate the two best and worst things about using computers in school. At least three-quarters of the sample responded to each request. When asked to identify the two best things, the responses were similar to those of the P7 pupils; it is neater, quicker, checks your spelling, more interesting and easy to use. Specific aspects mentioned included using the Internet (email and web searches), the quality of the graphics and learning about how computers work:

'Work is neater and clearer and you can find any information you need on the Internet' (girl)
'Not needing to use a pen or pencil and not doing boring jotter work' (boy)
'Play games on the Internet and making designs on the graphics programme' (boy).

On the downside, pupils complained about crashes, old and slow computers, not being allowed to do what they wanted and not getting enough time on the computer. The work was easy and the teachers did not let them try things for themselves. The restrictions on websites, particularly not being able to listen to music while working, irritated many:

'Boring work and restricted Internet access' (boy)
''The teacher won't let us on and the librarian hates us - and won't let us' (girl)
'We have to keep changing our files for no reason and we don't get to listen to music while working - it's nice to hear music while working (girl).

Fifty-two percent (52%) of S2 pupils thought that it was very important to learn to use computers in school, while 44% thought that it was quite important. As in P7, responses fell into a series of categories: to learn about computers themselves, for future education and work and because they are everywhere - sometimes in one statement:

'Life is pretty much revolved around technology so we have to learn and it will help us later when we want a job' (boy)
'Computers play a big part in the world now. If you don't have one at home you are at a disadvantage' (boy).

Some pupils thought that it was not very important and their reasons included:

'Because you don't need to use it all the time and some people don't like computers' (girl)
'You need to know your English first and you might not need that (computing) as a main subject for the job you want, it might be another one, more important' (girl)
'You can't use your computer in a test - and people can still read and write' (boy).

Most pupils said that there was always an adult on hand to help if they got stuck (74%). Only 11% thought that they got to spend as long as they liked working on a computer and 37% thought they got to try out lots of different things on the computer. Just under half (47%) reported that the school computer 'hardly ever crashes'.

Pupils were asked to indicate what they would really like to do on computers in school, given the chance. More time, in general, and playing games were amongst the most popular suggestions. Making web pages, emailing, using a webcam and listening to music were common choices. Away from the Internet, pupils wanted to do more in the way of graphics, art and music. Common, more general comments included pleas for more time, more fun and less work:

'Go to websites that I'm interested in and use the computer to do what I want' (girl)
'Whatever you want and use better programmes' (boy)
'Get some more free time to experiment on the computers' (boy).

The most difficult things about using a computer, according to S2 pupils, are knowing what to do when it crashes or breaks down, typing, the quality of the hardware and software and knowing what all the icons and complicated words mean. A number of practical difficulties were mentioned by several people: 'The mice don't work' (boy); 'Finding the letters' (boy)'; '.. when pop-ups come on the screen' (girl).

Several pupils referred to the differences between the school provision and the facilities that they had at home, with home being superior.

d. Using a computer out of school

One section of the questionnaire focused on computer use out of school and the first few questions sought information on access to computers. In order that they did not confuse computers with games machines, pupils were asked separately about the use of machines such as Playstation, Nintendo or X-box out of school. Sixteen percent (16%) never used a games machine, while 40% used it a few days a month or week and 17% used it 3-4 days each week. Twenty-six percent (26%) used one more than four days a week.

Eighty-nine percent (89% - 606 pupils) had access to a computer out of school, with 86% of these linked to the Internet, 44% of which were through broadband connections. Most home computers (76%) had a DVD facility. Of those with computers at home, 50% had a computer in their own room, 90% of which were connected to the Internet. Some pupils used computers elsewhere, mainly at friends' or relatives' houses. Other places included libraries, Internet clubs or Internet cafes.

The following data on use out of school is based on the 606 pupils with out-of-school access to a computer.

Table 7: S2 pupils' reports of out-of-school computer use (n = 606)

The most frequently cited uses included: playing games; searching the web; sending emails; doing homework; drawing/designing; and downloading music. Sizeable numbers used a computer for most of the activities listed. As with the younger pupils, usage was spread across most of the activities listed and less polarised than the responses to in-school uses.

At home, there was always someone there to help if they got stuck in 60% of cases, with 89% saying that they could spend as long as they liked working on the computer. Ninety-three percent (93%) reported that they could try out lots of different things on the computer and 82% stated that it hardly ever crashed (much higher than the corresponding in-school figure). S2 pupils liked to do various things on the Internet, similar to the younger group, with playing games and music, surfing the Internet, chatting and messaging the most frequently mentioned. Looking for information, shopping and emailing were also regular activities.

Space was provided for additional comments and 10% added something. In the main, these tended to be repetitions of comments made in earlier sections: for example, that they enjoyed using computers (6 comments) or about the inadequacy of the school provision (5 comments).

4.3 Secondary 4 pupils

A total of 504 S4 pupils (48% boys and 51% girls) returned questionnaires. Of the sample, 45% were studying towards Standard Grade examinations in computing studies, 10% in technological studies and 36% in administration and/or business management. It would be expected, therefore, that many of them would be using a computer fairly regularly in school to support their studies.

a. Access to a computer

Most of the S4 pupils considered that they knew 'enough to get by' (54%) or knew 'a lot' (36%) about computers. Four percent (4%) thought they were 'experts' and 1% 'knew nothing at all'. Half of them had learned about computers in school (50%), while 34% had learned on their own at home and 12% learned with someone in their family. Most pupils used a computer in school 3-4 times per week (37%) or a couple of times per week (31%). Nine percent (9%) used one every day, with 13% reporting that they hardly ever used one. Out-of-school use was higher, with 41% using one every day, 24% using one 3-4 times per week and 19% once or twice a week. Seven percent (7%) hardly ever used one.

b. Using a computer

S4 pupils were asked to indicate the classes taken in the previous week and whether or not they had used a computer in each class. The only two classes where the use of computers reached double figures were English language and graphic communication (both with 11% of those taking the subject). Figures for other subjects were very low. Twenty-four percent (24%) reported other uses of computers in class. Most of the responses were elaborations of the given subject areas, e.g. administration (19 mentions), personal and social education (6 mentions - 2 referring to writing of CVs) and information systems (3 mentions), while 34 pupils specifically mentioned computing studies. One pupil mentioned media studies.

Views were also sought from S4 on the kinds of activities where they used computers. The most frequently cited activities were: searching on the Internet; writing letters, stories or reports; working with databases or spreadsheets; and playing games. The least experienced activities were similar to those reported by the other groups of pupils: video-conferencing; web-related activities; making and editing movies; making newsletters; and linking to a music keyboard. Using technology to capture data or control models/toys was experienced by small numbers of pupils (77% and 75% respectively saying that they 'never' did this).

The responses are shown in Table 8.

Table 8: Using a computer in school: specific activities

Twenty-five percent (25%) added other things they used a computer for in school. Some of these were repeats of the activities in the list but contextualised in terms of the classes where they were used, e.g. ' computer graphics in graphic communication'. Other responses tended to fall into three main groups:

• word processing, e.g. typing letters, CVs, essays
• revision and homework, e.g. using the BBC Bitesize site
• research on the Internet, e.g.look up designers on the Internet for Art (girl).

Individual pupils mentioned other uses:

• 'download music, pics, etc and to listen to music' (boy)
• 'look up horror films' (boy)
• 'shopping websites' (girl) .

c. Likes and dislikes

S4 pupils had the same list of statements for this section of the questionnaire as did the other two groups. The statements they most agreed with, under 'things I like about using computers in school' were:

• My work is neater (89%)
• I can find information that I cannot find in books (84%)
• It's easier to change my work (81%)
• I get to learn more about how computers work (80%)
• I get to use the Web on a school computer (80%)
• It makes school work more interesting (73%)
• Using a computer in school is great fun (62%).

Agreement with the negative statements was much lower than for the positive statements. Only 4 statements received over 40% agreement:

• The work I have to do on the school's computer is boring (42%)
• The programs on the school's computer are not as good as the ones I use at home (46%)
• I don't get to use a computer in school often enough (47%).

For other statements, such as 'I'm too slow at typing' and 'The teacher doesn't let us try things out for ourselves', between 20% and 30% of pupils agreed with each one. Only 7% thought that the work they were asked to do was too hard.

As with the other stages, pupils were asked to identify the 'two best things' and the 'two worst things' about using a computer in school. Overall, comments tended to reinforce the quantitative findings from the questionnaires. With regard to the 'best things', many pupils repeated the statements listed in the questionnaire, e.g.'It makes my work neater and makes work more interesting' (boy). Other comments included:

• using the email facility, e.g . 'sending emails to people' (boy) '... or friends who have left' (girl)
• the Internet, e.g.'use the Internet to research info' (girl), 'You can use the Internet to help you look for homework help' (girl)
• the ease of re-drafting and editing, e.g.'making and re-drafting work [is] quick and easy' (boy), 'the speed at which I can find information and the ability to completely alter work without having to rewrite it all (cut/paste)' (boy), 'changing work is easy and I like the end, printed result' (girl)
• comparison with other ways of learning - 'quicker and better than reading books' (boy) , 'it is easier and makes work more fun' (girl).

Playing games was significant for some pupils ('going on the Internet and playing solitaire' - boy) while others saw it as an easy option 'mucking about on the net and it's a skive' (boy). One girl put it a little more positively: 'Because you are learning and relaxing at the same time and we do lots of writing so computers is a time out'.

One comment was in contrast with the general finding that home computers tended to be superior in specification - 'The Internet is faster than at my home and (I) don't have to pay to get on the net' (boy). The free Internet access was appreciated by several pupils.

Some of the worst things about using a computer in school, according to S4 pupils, were also raised by younger pupils:

• Restricted access to websites, e.g.'A lot of the websites is filtered out and you are not allowed to play games on them' (boy), 'You are not allowed on MSN Messenger' (girl)
• Other restrictions on what can be done, e.g.'restrictions on downloads' (boy), 'The teachers are always checking you are not on the Internet' (girl)
• Technical problems, e.g.'They tend to crash' (girl), often linked to inadequacies of the hardware e.g.'Crash and doesn't have a lot of memory' (boy), 'They are slow and crash often' (boy).
• Comparisons with home, e.g.'the programmes aren't as good as the ones at home' (girl), 'They are old and slow and different from mine' (boy),
• The nature of the work, e.g.'the work is boring' (boy), 'not a lot of new things being teached [sic]' (girl), 'the work is extremely basic' (boy), 'not much variety in the work and you have to do what you are told' (girl).

A few just did not like working with computers, for various reasons:

• 'I cant type and I don't know very much' (girl)
• 'I don't always know where anything is and I sometimes forget what each button is' (girl)
• 'I'm slow at typing and so take longer to do the work' (girl)
• 'Using it for stories - I prefer to work with a pen and for presentations on English folios - I prefer to write up my work nearly with a pen' (boy).

Almost all S4 pupils thought it was important to learn to use computers in school, with 49% thinking it was very important and 43% thinking it was quite important. The reasons they gave fell into a number of categories:

• Employability, e.g.'Most jobs revolve around computers so it is useful and most things work by computer so it is useful to be able to work them' (boy), 'Computers are used a lot in the working world' (girl)
• Computers and society, particularly the pervasive nature of technology, e.g.'In the future, there will be computers everywhere' (boy), 'Computers will be important in everyday life and I don't have one at home' (girl), 'The world is run by computers' (boy)
• Personal competence, e.g.'to have some fun' (boy), 'because you need to know how to use them' (boy), 'Computers can make many tasks easier' (girl)
• Education, e.g.'...if you go to University, you will use them' (girl), 'it can be useful for furthering your learning' (girl).

Some were less sure of the importance of ICT (a very few) and the need to learn it in school, commenting:

• 'Computer age is here and everything is computerised - but computers aren't everything to learning' (girl)
• I have one at home, so I can learn there. Only certain jobs need computers.' (boy)
• 'I would say the written work by hand is more important and the learning in school is more important' (girl)
• 'Computers are the future - although some people do not like computers but they should have the choice and not have it forced on them' (girl).

Seventy-one percent (71%) of S4 pupils reported that there was always an adult on hand in school to help if they got stuck, but only 14% thought that they could spend as long as they liked doing work on the computer. Thirty-six percent (36%) thought they had the opportunity to try out different things on the computer, with only 46% agreeing that it hardly every crashed.

When S4 pupils were asked what they would really like to use a computer for in school, most of the comments focused on playing games, sending emails, messaging, downloading and going on 'banned websites' (the things they could do at home). Other specific activities included:

• make a website
• listen to music (online school radio station)
• learn how to do animations
• use a webcam
• draw cartoons
• make movies
• create multimedia
• video-conference with other schools
• talk to students in other countries
• use digital photography.

More generally, they wanted more computer time, particularly online, less supervision and wider use in school (more subjects). A few pupils wanted more challenging work:

• '...get something taught to me that I don't know' (girl)
• 'Something slightly more challenging and something "deeper" and more complex' (boy).

When asked about the most difficult thing about using a computer, many S4 pupils reiterated themes already raised - the speed of the work, skills in typing, etc., the differences between home and school equipment, working with spreadsheets and databases, trying to find lost files, remembering how to do things and technical problems. A sizeable proportion of the pupils (26) specifically mentioned programming - 'writing your own programmes' (boy), ' MSDOS fries my brain' (boy).

d. Using a computer out of school

As with P7 and S2, one section of the questionnaire focused on out-of-school use of computers. The first question asked about the use of games machines such as Playstation, Nintendo or X-box out of school. Twenty-one percent (21%) never used a games machine, while 20% used it a few days a month or week and 17% used it 3-4 days each week. Nineteen percent (19%) used one more than four days a week.

A total of 456 S4 pupils indicated they used a computer out of school, 82% of whom had access to a computer in the house where they lived, with 83% of the home computers connected to the Internet, 38% through broadband. Most out-of-school computers had a DVD facility (73%). Fifty-four percent (54%) of the pupils with a computer at home had one in their own bedroom and half of these were connected to the Internet. Other places they accessed computers included friends' and relatives' houses, including quite a few 'grans' and one 'Uncle Robert'. The library was mentioned by 16, often alongside a friend's or family member's house. Three pupils mentioned other locations: Wishaw Music Works, The Click Learning Centre and Kirkshaw's Computer Centre.

Pupils were asked to indicate what they used computers for out of school. Table 9 presents the findings.

Table 9: S4 pupils' reported use of computers out of school (n = 456)

The key activities at home were playing games, doing homework, downloading music and visiting chat rooms. Over half of the respondents also displayed/sent digital photographs, emailed friends and family, practised things learned at school and used the Internet, with 54% reporting that they worked on their own website.

Forty-seven percent (47%) had someone always on hand to help if they got stuck and 88% could spend as long as they liked on the computer. Eight-four percent (84%) experimented with the computer and 74% reported that the computer at home hardly ever crashed.

The things that they liked to do on the Internet were very similar to those that they wanted to do in school, given the chance: instant messaging, using email, accessing chat rooms, looking for 'interesting' websites, downloading music and shopping.

Fifteen percent (15%) of the sample made additional comments at the end of the questionnaire but few of them added anything to the evidence already given. One S4 boy had a suggestion, however:

'Every secondary pupil should be provided with a laptop for the duration of their school career, free of charge'.

On the other hand, one S4 girl commented:

'Computers are good pieces of technology, however I prefer to write as I'm sure other pupils do also - just as other subjects don't interest pupils, computers such as doing spreadsheets does not interest me.'

Summary of findings from S2 and S4 pupil questionnaires

• It is interesting to note that similar patterns emerge in relation to S2/S4 responses to the questionnaire as were observed in the P7 analysis.
• Both S2 and S4 share a similar type of split in percentages relating to their self-perceptions of competence as regards 'knowing enough to get by' (S2 = 57%; S4 = 54%) and beyond this (S2 = 36%; S4 = 40%).
• In S2 the balance in terms of pupil views on where they acquired their ICT skills still favours out-of-school learning (54% locating skills acquisition outside school, with 39% identifying it as 'inside school').
• This perception changes in S4, where 50% of pupils attributed skills acquisition to 'inside school' as opposed to a marginally lower percentage (46%) identifying it as 'outside school'. This may be explained, at least in part, by the number of S4 pupils choosing Standard Grade subjects which are ICT dependent/heavy and therefore may require greater depth of understanding. School would therefore be the key source of further learning. Further research could shed light on this.
• A contrast still exists between access inside and outside of school at both stages, however, with 'high frequency' access still perceived as being outside school (S2 - 68% outside school and 27% inside school; S4 - 65% outside and 46% inside). Again, while some of the restrictions can be explained in terms of timetable pressures, it is also indicative of limited use of computers across subject areas.
• Pupils at both stages remain very positive about the benefits of the use of ICT in school and their recognition of the importance of learning about ICT for future use.
• Pupils at both stages remain somewhat frustrated by lack of frequency of access and software/hardware provision inside school as opposed to that outside.
• Ideas of personal engagement remain consistent across S2/S4 stages, with pupils alluding to a wish for greater time on computers and freer access for experimentation and more creative use of the technologies. This links with the pupils' reported ability to spend as much time as they liked on the computer at home (S2 - 89%; S4 - 88%) and ICT experimentation at home (S2 - 93%; S4 - 84%).
• The findings also highlight the enthusiasm amongst secondary pupils for the use of multimedia as a context for learning, something which both groups appear to access readily outside school but which seems to be under-utilised in school

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