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Elżbieta Gajek
University of Warsaw
http://www.ils.uw.edu.pl/~egajek
Bled, 14.09.2009
Final report from the ELFE2 study visits:
analysis of practices and experiences in schools and
Teacher Education Institutions
Ulf Fredriksson,
Mid Sweden University
www.miun.se
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Final report from the ELFE2 study visits: analysis of practices and experiences in schools and Teacher Education Institutions Objectives Research methods: Selection of schools /
teacher education institutions, Instruments, Collection of data
Findings: Methodologies used in the schools, Factors supporting or hindering the use of ICT oriented methodologies, ICT and teacher education, ICT and strategic use of available financial means, ICT and school management, Ethics of ICT-based instruction
Discussion Summary
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PurposeBuilding on the ELFE 1 findings, the ELFE 2 aims at:
A better understanding of the strengths and the weaknesses of using ICT in education
Identifying methodologies used to favour a use of ICT that promotes an added learning value
Developing recommendations to policy-makers, to schools and teacher education institutions and to trade unions on:
ICT and teacher education ICT and school management ICT and strategic use of available financial
means
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Construction of research instruments
information on each school’s background (on school type, location, size, characteristics of student population),
on ICT infrastructure (hardware, software, support)
on the pedagogical and organisational aspects of the intensive use of ICT in the school.
to use the same instruments as in ELFE1 some minor changes Teacher education: carefully examined and
changed where necessary to adapt them to teacher education institutions
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Selection of schools
There were two criteria for the selection of schools:
1) We were looking for secondary schools, both lower secondary and upper secondary schools. The concept secondary schools includes schools with general academic tracks, but excludes in this context schools with vocational tracks.
2) The schools selected should be possible to visit together with the teacher education institution within the number of days allocated for the visit to each country in the project.
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Selection of schoolsIn addition to the two more general criteria there were four
additional criteria in line with the selection of schools in ELFE I:
1. The schools should be 'normal' as opposed to schools that receive extra budgets and support as part of a specific project. However, eligible should be schools participating in national stimulation projects that could be seen as a feasibility project with the purpose of implementation in the whole system (either a school type, and/or schools in a specific region).
2. The use of ICT in the schools should be aimed at pedagogical methods (e.g. student centered pedagogy) and/or addressing new curricular goals (e.g. goals related to developing lifelong learning skills).
3. ICT is intensively used in teaching and learning processes in the school as a whole.
4. Given the expected variation in stage of development with respect to integration of ICT in teaching and learning between European countries, the criteria mentioned above should be locally defined. The schools should be regarded as advanced in respect of ICT use in their countries.
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Selection of teacher education institutions
1) We were looking for teacher education institutions providing pre-service education for teachers.
2) The institution selected should be possible to visit together with the schools within the number of days allocated for the visit to each country in the project.
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Selection of teacher education institutions
In addition to the two more general criteria there were also three
additional criteria in line with the selection of schools in ELFE I:
1) The use of ICT in the teacher education institution should be aimed at giving the teacher students knowledge about pedagogical methods (e.g. student centered pedagogy) and/or addressing new curricular goals (e.g. goals related to developing lifelong learning skills).
2) ICT is intensively used in teaching and learning processes in the teacher education institution as a whole.
3) Given the expected variation in stage of development with respect to integration of ICT in teaching and learning between European countries, the criteria mentioned above should be locally defined. The teacher education institution should be regarded as advanced in respect of ICT use in their countries.
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Selection of schools / teacher education institutions
selection of school/teacher education institutions was done by the national trade union representative of the participating countries in the ELFE Steering Committee
only three days were available for the three
visits in a particular country (one day per school / institution, during that day the ELFE team also had to travel from one school /institution to the next)
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Selection of schools / teacher education institutions
Denmark: 1 teacher education institution, 1 lower secondary school, 1 upper secondary school
United Kingdom:. 1 teacher education institutions, 1 lower secondary school, 1 upper secondary school
Slovenia: 1 teacher education institution, 2 upper secondary schools
Poland: 1 teacher in-service training /education institute, 1 upper secondary school, 1 lower secondary school
Latvia: 1 teacher education institution, 2 upper secondary schools
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Collection of data Data collected from: Principal: interview and
questionnaire Teachers: interview in focus group Students: interview in focus group ICT coordinator (staff member
responsible in the school for the ICT infrastructure): questionnaire
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What can we do with the collected data?
a case study approach Small number of schools /teacher
education institutions – but schools / institutions with an advanced use of ICT
It is not possible to generalize from the observations to a European or national level
The experience of the ELFE 2 schools may show us the risks and opportunities that schools will meet in the years to come
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FindingsMethodologies used to favour a use of ICTthat promotes an added learning value: hardware
interactive boards computer equipment to facilitate
experiments
video and sound editing
video recording systems
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FindingsMethodologies used to favour a use of ICTthat promotes an added learning value: software
PowerPoint to support lectures
different computer programmes and web pages to animate
internet to find information
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FindingsMethodologies used to favour a use of ICTthat promotes an added learning value: ICT-based communication
Internet and e-mail Learning platforms to post general information about the
school to an audience outside the school to disseminate information to teachers
and students and to create archives with information
contact with other schools distance education
Factors supporting or hindering the use of ICT 1
ICT infrastructure available in school and at home
Shared vison of the use of ICT Margin for trial and error Link between academic research and
teaching practice Link between teacher training and
teaching practice
Factors supporting or hindering the use of ICT 2
Teachers - enthusiastic and confident In-service formal and informal training
focused on ICT-based instruction Gender diferences mentioned but not
dealt Ethnicity is not an issue
Teacher education
More differences than in schools The closer the cooperation between
educational reserach departments and the school practicioners the more more advanced and intensive teacher training in ICT-based instruction
ICT and strategic use of available financial means
Public and private financial means are used to provide hardware
Budget for maintenance of the infrastructure
Budget for technical support Budget for teacher training
ICT and school management
Head teacher’s enhancing and supportive role
Vision ICT based
communication administration
Ethics of ICT-based instruction
Intellectual property Copyright Safety Netiquette Gap between teacher’s and students’
computer literacy Teacher profesional conduct
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Discussion – research method
Did we find the types of schools / teacher educationinstitutions we were looking for? Yes, the schools we visited seem to have a more
advanced use of ICT than most other schools in respective country.
The selection of teacher education institutions was more difficult. There is a smaller number to select from.
One criterion could be discussed: “normal” and not received extra budgets and support as part of a specific project
Discussion – stages in the development of the use of ICT
Plomp, Brummelhuis, & Rapmund (1996) approach:
use of computers to support traditional methods of teaching (most cases)
use technology as part of more innovative instruction, including, team teaching, interdisciplinary project based instruction, and individually paced instruction (some attempts)
use of technology to support active, creative and collaborative learning (a few attempts)
Discussion - A comparison with the findings from ELFE1
ELFE 1 findings (ELFE Steering Committee, 2006; Fredriksson, Jedeskog,
Plomp, 2008) Vision on teaching and learning, School’s involvement in other innovations, Leadership style of the head teacher, Integration of ICT in the school’s culture, Teachers’ professional development, Teacher collaboration, External policies and linkages relevant for ICT use and
pedagogical changes.
Discussion – teacher education
Teacher students are computer literate The challenges:
combine pedagogical theory and practice transform student’s personal computer
literacy into professional literacy
Transferability - infrastructure
the extent to which experiences gained in these schools can be transposed to other schools
Budgetary issues Introducing computers into schools Maintenance Upgrading
Transferability - Pedagogy
Bi-directional transfer of pedagogical
practice
Transfer of change
Sustainability
the possiblility for the studied schools to continue their work and to further develop it
Critical approach to change All institutions plan to change infrastructure Teachers work on new methods and
approaches The positive attitude towards change and innovative practices can be sustained in the institutions visited and transferred to any
other school
Issues for further research on ICT in education
Role of human factors: Aspects of attitude Social aspects Political aspects
Role of cultureTeacher education
Cultural aspects
Hofstede’s (1980) categorisation of business culture Power Distance Individualism/Collectivism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance
Cultural factors that influence the use of ICT in education
Top-down vs. bottom-up procedures Collectivist vs. individualist approaches Respect for diversity v.s uniformity Long term consequent activities vs. short time actions Respect for innovation vs. tradition Social support for pioneers vs. increase in blockages, Value of balanced life (work, family, leasure) vs. one area
of it Strong motivation and belief in success vs. easy
forgiveness for defeat and failure Belief in the sensibility of social and political actions vs.
lack of this belief Optimism vs. pessimism
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Conclusions
Methodologies used in the schools: PowerPoint supported lectures, Animations used to make lectures more concrete (mainly
science subjects), Experiments supported by ICT (mainly science subjects), Using internet to find information, Using internet and e-mail for communication, Websites to make information available to the public and to
students, Contacts with other schools (also in other countries), Blended learning, Out of school activities.
Appendices 1 Research instruments
Questionnaire head teachers Questionnaire technical coordinators Interview guide head teachers Interview guide teachers Interview guide students
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Appendices 2 Systems of education
Education in Denmark Education in Latvia Education in Poland Education in Slovenia Education in the UK
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Appendices 3
School reports (15)
School report 1 UK School report 2 UK School report 3 UK School report 1 Denmark School report 2 Denmark School report 3 Denmark
School report 1 Slovenia School report 2 Slovenia School report 3 Slovenia School report 1 Poland School report 2 Poland School report 3 Poland School report 1 Latvia School report 2 Latvia School report 3 Latvia
Thank you
