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Research cannot make the decisions for policy makers and others concerned with improving the quality of education in our schools and colleges. Nor can it by itself bring about change. However, it can create a better basis for decisions, by providing information and explanation about educational practice and by clarifying and challenging ideas and assumptions.
It is important that every opportunity should be taken to communicate research findings, both inside and outside the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). Moreover, if research is to have the greatest possible impact on policy and practice, the findings need to be presented in an accessible, interesting and attractive form to policy makers, teachers, lecturers, parents and employers.
Interchange aims to further improve the SEED Research Unit’s dissemination of the findings of research funded by SEED. We hope you will find that Interchange is long enough to give the flavour of the complexities, subtleties and limitations of a research study but concise enough to give a good feeling for the findings and in some cases to encourage you to obtain the full report.
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The Interchange symbol invites you to reflect and respond to an issue or question posed by the research. You may wish to raise awareness by responding to each interchange before reading the adjacent section of text. Alternatively, you may prefer to read the text first then review each interchange to construct a personal summary of issues. |
The views expressed in this Interchange are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Scottish Executive or any other organisation(s) by whom the author(s) is/are employed.
Interchange may be photocopied for use within your own institution. A limited number of additional copies can be obtained by writing to the SEED Research Unit Dissemination Officer at the Scottish Executive Education Department, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. File copies for electronic downloading are available on the the Scottish Executive server (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/hmis/publications.asp).
Rae Stark (University of Strathclyde), Mary Simpson (University of Edinburgh), Donald Gray (University of Strathclyde), Fran Payne (Northern College)
The initiatives assessed by this study, taken together, show a considerable investment in training, hardware and infrastructure, and have three main aims.
1.To increase the amount of up-to-date ICT equipment in schools and improve access to it
These aims are being met through some of the following resource allocations:
Many teachers have been supported in buying their own computers, and targets have been set for levels of provision for modern desktop computer equipment - the aim is to achieve computer ratios of five pupils to one computer in secondary schools and two computers to every 15 primary pupils.
2.To improve the resources available to support classroom work (especially on-line resources)
The following initiatives sought to meet this aim:
Development Planning to assist schools in the purposeful and phased introduction of ICT into their classrooms and their administrative and management processes
3.To enhance staff skills in the use of ICT to deliver the curriculum
This study was established to determine the extent to which the above aims are being met. To do this, two national surveys of Scottish schools are being undertaken, the first (Phase 1) in 1999 - 2000, just before the initiatives are introduced, and the second (Phase 2) in 2000 - 01 when they are beginning to make an impact. It is anticipated that indicators of any impact would include:
Some of these indicators are more readily identifiable than others and some will only be evident some time down the line; the 1999 - 2000 findings provide baseline measures against which future progress can be measured.
The study
In order to gather baseline data on performance, provision and usage, it was necessary to undertake four main tasks:
Written tests were administered to samples of pupils in Primary 7 and Secondary 4 in Scottish schools to determine their understanding of and competences in ICT. Practical tasks were administered to Primary 7 pupils only. (The survey was undertaken in April - May when many S4 pupils were involved in assessment for external certification.)
Overall, P7 pupils were successful in 40 to 60 per cent of the items tackled in the written tests while S4 pupils achieved success at levels of 60 to 70 per cent. These generalisations mask considerable variations within the sub-categories of the assessment framework.
Knowledge and understanding
The majority of the tasks set within this sub-category involved knowledge of hardware, software, communications networks and the uses and impact of ICT. Scores for knowledge of hardware were highest for both groups of pupils (P7 - 56 per cent; S4 - 70 per cent). At P7, knowledge of software applications was marginally lower (55 per cent), with communications networks (47 per cent) and uses and impact (45 per cent) following.
At S4, knowledge of the uses and impact of ICT was strong (also 70 per cent), with communications networks (63 per cent) and software applications (61 per cent) also above the midpoint.
At both stages, knowledge of the names of elements of hardware and software applications was relatively secure. Their understanding of the significance of some aspects of ICT was less secure: for example, approximately one third of P7 and one half of S4 pupils knew what the ‘millennium bug’ was.
Personal appropriation
Personal appropriation, the ability to identify and use appropriate strategies to complete a task, was also assessed through the written papers, although the numbers of such tasks were relatively limited (six at P7; seven at S4). At P7, scores ranged from 28 per cent on communications networks to 43 per cent on hardware while at S4, pupils achieved 47 per cent on communications and 61 per cent on the hardware tasks.
Practical competence
This category was assessed at P7 only. While schools were willing to participate in this aspect of the survey, incompatibility of equipment, platforms and applications resulted in a smaller data gathering exercise than was originally anticipated. Performance varied considerably from school to school.
Performance levels were highest on the word processing tasks (just over 50 per cent), with CD-ROM and spreadsheets following in turn (41 per cent and 33 per cent respectively). Many schools were not yet connected to the Internet and as a result, use of the WWW and e-mailing skills could not be assessed.
Thirty-five of the tasks used were common to written test booklets at both stages, allowing comparison of performance across the stages. The older pupils were more successful on 25 of these tasks, with P7 performing better on the remaining 10 (although for one task, the difference was marginal). Where the younger group did better, the tasks focused on using graphics applications and knowledge of ICT communication.
The ICT co-ordinator bears the main responsibility for planning the introduction of ICT into teaching and administration within the school. In primary schools, only a small proportion of those holding the ICT remit had any formal qualification in ICT and the majority had been in post for over 16 years. In secondary schools, 70 per cent had experienced some formal ICT training within their computing, technical, or business studies qualifications.
Remits and training needs
Although the majority of ICT co-ordinators in the primary (P) and secondary (S) sectors were responsible for disseminating information on ICT resources, rather more primary staff advised colleagues on the use ICT in teaching and learning (75 per cent P; 54 per cent S) and on the purchase of software (84 per cent P; 64 per cent S). In secondary schools, ICT co-ordinators more frequently were involved in running staff development activities, managing school ICT committee work, and liaising with the education authority on ICT initiatives and developments (81 per cent S; 42 per cent P).
The training needs identified by more than half both groups of respondents were the use of ICT as a general teaching tool and the WWW and e-mail for educational purposes. More secondary respondents indicated a need for training with respect to the management of a school development policy (85 per cent S; 64 per cent P), and the setting up of Local Area Networks (54 per cent S; 37 per cent P).
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Staff attitudes to ICT vary widely, but there is a definite gradual shift in a positive direction. The issue of staff training is crucial. Beginners always find they forget how to do things unless they use them regularly. We now have better access to the hardware - the training must follow. (Primary ICT Co-ordinator] |
Sources of support
For primary staff, the most frequently reported source of support was local authority staff while for secondary respondents it was colleagues in their own school. The Scottish Council for Educational Technology (SCET) was identified by 40 per cent in both sectors as a source of support but the Scottish Virtual Teachers’ Centre (SVTC) was identified by only 3 to 4 per cent of respondents.
Development of policy and planning
Around half of the primary schools and two thirds of the secondary schools had a written policy for ICT and were working to put it into practice - only a minority of these, however, reflected the most recent national initiatives. While for both sectors, staff development and improvement of access were the main priorities, rather more mention was made by primary staff of curricular and learning aspects of ICT use, for example developing pupils’ and teachers’ use of e-mail. More frequent mention was made by secondary staff of management-related priorities, for example the development of administrative systems.
Current action
In primary schools, most effort was being dedicated to supporting learning and teaching, and in securing opportunities for pupils and teachers to access curriculum material directly from CDi and CD-ROMs.
In just over half of secondary schools, action was under way on establishing access to CD-ROMs, setting ICT goals for pupils and giving assistance to pupils with learning difficulties. Centralisation of assessment records was rather more advanced in some primaries than in secondaries.
Communications with the wider community - whether parents, professional colleagues, pupil peer groups or the local community - were not very far advanced in their development. Thirty-eight per cent of secondary schools and 5 per cent of primaries reported having their own web site. See Figure 1.
Figure 1: Stages of development (primary and secondary) - Activities established or in the process of being established
Aspirations for the future
The majority of co-ordinators in both sectors indicated that they expected significant changes over the coming two to three years. They expected to:
However, pupils accessing information from specialists outside the school, and teachers being in regular ICT communications with parents, were not on the agenda for development in the foreseeable future.
Obstacles to the development of ICT in schools
The obstacles indicated by more than half of the respondents are set out in Figure 2.
Figure 2: obstacles to ICT use (primary and secondary)
Competing priorities, lack of technical support, time, and underdeveloped skills were among the most frequently mentioned items in both sectors. These are all aspects that are recognised centrally and are being addressed through various elements of the central programme.
The most positive benefits of the introduction of ICT
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Very positive about ICT - especially when we will shortly be looking at the Internet. Drawback - this area takes up a considerable amount of teachers’ own time - especially as we all have Macs at home.(Primary teacher) |
The main benefits identified by respondents were:
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We are very positive about ICT. Give us the time and resources and we’ll deliver. (Secondary teacher) |
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