Summary in English. Background. Method. Sample. Teachers

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3 127 5 Summary in English Background The Knowledge Foundation has commissioned CMA (Centre for Market Analysis AB) to carry out the study. This is the second issue of the report, the first was published in Swedish in October A number of changes have been implemented in this new version, covering new charts and tables, and the final chapter and summary have been expanded. Some of the charts and tables from the study have been translated into English and can be downloaded (Pdf file) from Since 1997 the Knowledge Foundation has carried out studies on attitudes to and the use of ICT in school. The initiative for the study was taken when it was decided that the effects of the Knowledge Foundation s initiative on school development projects for stimulating the use of ICT in schools needed to be studied. The school development project has now been completed, but the Knowledge Foundation continues to monitor developments within this area. The aim of the study is not only to identify the attitudes of the different target groups to ICT as a pedagogical aid in the school, but also to determine actual usage of computers for school work. In order to provide a background to these questions, the study also covers questions about access to ICT at home and in the school, the use of computers for private use and other areas. Method The target groups for the study were teachers, pupils and head teachers in compulsory and upper secondary schools in Sweden. The study was carried out through telephone interviews during the period from 5 August to 12 September The material is comparable to earlier studies. Sample CMA has been responsible for drawing up the sample. The aim of the study has been to cover 600 head teachers, teachers and also pupils. The final sample contained 599 head teachers, teachers and pupils. The sample of teachers and pupils was drawn up from lists of pupils and teachers from compulsory and upper secondary schools, evenly distributed throughout the country, i.e. a stratified sample. Teachers For the target group of teachers, CMA has via Statistics Sweden selected on a random basis 100 compulsory and upper secondary schools distributed throughout Sweden with 4 to 5 schools per county, evenly distributed between compulsory and upper secondary schools. Address lists of teachers have then been ordered from the schools, from which a random sample has been drawn up. The goal has been to carry out approximately 57 interviews per county, with a total of 600 interviews with both compulsory and upper secondary school teachers. In the final sample, there were 600 interviews with compulsory school teachers and 603 interviews with upper secondary school teachers; the distribution between different counties ranged from 52 to 65 interviews per county. Total response rate of the teachers amounted to 70%.

4 128 IT I SKOLAN Head teachers For the target group of head teachers, the goal was to carry out 300 interviews with head teachers at upper secondary school and 300 head teachers at the compulsory school. As in earlier years, a random sample of head teachers was drawn up due to the highly uneven distribution of the number of schools in different counties. The final sample consisted of 299 interviews with head teachers from the compulsory school, and 300 interviews with head teachers from the upper secondary school. Total response rate for head teachers amounted to 79%. Pupils For the target group of pupils CMA via Statistics Sweden has randomly selected 100 upper secondary schools distributed throughout the country with 4 5 schools from each county. Address lists of pupils attending the 2nd or 3rd year in Autumn 2003 were ordered. A random sample was drawn up from these lists. The goal was to carry out approximately 57 interviews per county. The actual sample of interviews with upper secondary pupils and the distribution between the different counties resulted in between 56 to 59 interviews per county. Total response rate amounted to 67%. Data collection Data collection was carried out during August and September of 2003, using CATI (Computer Aided Telephone Interviews) in CMA s own premises. CATI is a computer-based interview system where questions are stored in a database. The CATI system provides complete control over the flow of interviews (management, quotas etc) and also an effective system for processing the sample. An interview manager was responsible for managing the interviewing process. On the basis of the data collected, a database was created in the computer program SPSS, and this was used to analyse the data. Results ICT at home and in school Home access to ICT tools of teachers, head teachers and pupils is high. Almost all teachers, head teachers and pupils have access to computers at home; and access to the Internet is high. If we also include access to ICT tools in the school, it is apparent that in principle no one lacks access to computers or the Internet. Access of teachers and head teachers to ICT tools, both at home and in school, has remained at a high level in recent years. Furthermore, pupils access to the Internet has increased substantially in recent years. The high access to ICT tools means that the use of computers at home and in school is relatively widespread. The use of computers at home amongst teachers and head teachers remains at approximately the same level as earlier. However, pupils use of computers at home has increased. Use of computers for school work In this year s survey, teachers and pupils were asked to state how often they use computers for school work. The responses showed that there were twice as many teachers using computers outside lessons at school compared with use during lessons. It is primarily older teachers who use computers during lessons, and they also make greater use of the Internet in their teaching. However, compared with 2002, the proportion of teachers who often use the Internet in teaching has decreased, whilst the proportion who never use the Internet in their teaching has increased.

5 5 SUMMARY IN ENGLISH 129 Use of the Internet for school work Almost three out of every four pupils state that they often use the Internet for school work, either at home or in school. This is fewer than in 2002, when eight out of ten pupils often used the Internet for school work. Seven out of ten pupils often use the computer in school during lessons, and approximately six out of ten pupils often use the computer in school outside lessons. However, there is a lower proportion stating that they use a computer at home for school work. Not unsurprisingly, there is a much higher proportion of teachers using a computer at home for school-related work. The use of computers for school-related work amongst head teachers has increased in recent years. This year, more than seven out of ten head teachers use the computer more than ten hours a week, compared with two years ago, when the figure was approximately half this. Amongst teachers, head teachers and pupils, there is widespread use of the Internet to search for information for work/school work. Teachers also use computers mainly for preparing lessons or for communicating with others, and in the latter case, mainly for private purposes. It is clear that upper secondary school teachers use computers for school work to a much greater extent than compulsory school teachers. Head teachers mainly use computers for administration and communication. Computers as a pedagogical tool In recent years there has been an increase in the proportion of teachers who consider benefits are obtained from using computers as pedagogical tools. This year a majority consider that they obtain great or fairly great benefits from using computers as a pedagogical tool. There are still more upper secondary school teachers who see the benefits of using computers compared with compulsory school teachers. Although only a slender majority of teachers regard the computer as a useful pedagogical tool, approximately eight out of ten have a positive attitude to using ICT in teaching. However, there has been a tendency for the proportion of teachers who are positive to using ICT and the Internet in teaching to decrease since Head teachers and pupils are also positive to using ICT and the Internet in teaching although there are more who are positive to using ICT as opposed to the Internet in teaching. It is clear that upper secondary school teachers are more positive than compulsory school teachers. Head teachers see more advantages from using ICT in teaching than teachers and pupils. Teachers, head teachers and pupils regard the major advantage of ICT as making it easier for pupils to search for information and providing a natural context for developing computing skills. Obstacles for the use of ICT in teaching Teachers regard the lack of funds, insufficient computers and the lack of computing skills of teachers as problems and obstacles to the use of ICT in teaching. Pupils regard computers as too slow, and incorrect or misleading information on the Internet as the major problems and obstacles. Common to both groups is that they are highly self-critical. Teachers regard low competence amongst teachers as a much greater problem and obstacle, compared to the pupils, who do not regard this as a problem to the same degree. On the other hand, pupils in contrast to teachers regard pupils who are not interested as a greater problem. Teachers at the compulsory school see more problems and obstacles than teachers at the upper secondary school.

6 130 IT I SKOLAN Competence in ICT Generally, teachers regard their own competence in ICT as lower compared with how head teachers and pupils regard it. This pattern is evident, both at the compulsory and upper secondary school, and teachers in the former consider that they have the least knowledge. Younger teachers are more likely to consider they have sufficient knowledge, whilst a majority of teachers over the age of 50 consider that their knowledge is insufficient. It should, however, be emphasised that this represents the teachers own assessment of themselves, and does not necessarily correlate with their actual competence. As mentioned above, both head teachers and pupils are more positive about teachers competence in ICT than teachers themselves are. The more positive selfassessment that younger teachers make of themselves as regards ICT competence should be put into a context where they use the Internet less often in teaching, and use the computer less often during lessons than older teachers. There are, however, a few teachers who regard their knowledge as completely insufficient. There is a positive trend dating from 1997, when barely two out of ten considered that their knowledge was sufficient, compared with today where nearly half have the same view. We find the same trend among pupils, where more and more pupils consider that their teachers have sufficient knowledge. The knowledge which teachers consider they lack is essentially basic familiarity with computers/general knowledge of computers. Teachers who qualified in 1998 or later also received the question of how satisfied they were with the knowledge they received during their teacher training on how ICT could be used in teaching. This showed that nearly three out of four teachers were not satisfied in some respects with the training they received in the use of ICT. Internet and evaluation of source material There is in 2003 a reduction in the proportion of pupils who consider that the Internet has increased their awareness of taking a critical view to source material. Increasing numbers of teachers, however, regard the Internet as raising pupils awareness of the importance of examining source material critically. It is mainly younger teachers who consider that awareness in this area has increased. As in earlier years, more pupils than teachers consider that awareness has increased. Writing skills This also applies to views on pupils writing skills, where more pupils than teachers consider that the use of ICT has contributed to improvement in pupils writing skills. Older teachers tend to be more positive to this benefit from using ICT. Teachers in this survey also consider that the use of ICT has provided enhanced opportunities for adapting teaching with respect to time and place, and it is apparent that upper secondary school teachers are more positive than compulsory school teachers. International contacts In general, teachers, head teachers and pupils are all in agreement that the Internet has improved the opportunities for schools to forge international contacts, although in many cases their own school s contacts have not increased. It is clear, however, that head teachers to a greater extent consider that the Internet has led to increased international contacts.

7 5 SUMMARY IN ENGLISH 131 Pupils with special needs We find a similar pattern concerning the question of whether ICT in the school can provide support for pupils with special needs, where head teachers compared with teachers, consider this to be the case. In principle, all head teachers state that their own school uses ICT to help pupils with special needs. This view, however, is not as widespread amongst teachers. We can also see a clear difference between head teachers and teachers at compulsory school, compared with head teachers and teachers at upper secondary school, where the staff at the compulsory school see greater benefits from and greater use being made of ICT to help pupils with special needs. Teachers and the Internet Taking an overall view of teachers and the Internet, we see that access is high, but the use of the Internet in teaching has decreased compared with Attitudes to using the Internet in teaching have also tended to become somewhat less positive. Especially upper secondary school teachers experience problems with pupils misuse of the Internet. At the same time, teachers have become more and more positive to pupils increasing awareness of the importance of critically examining source material, undoubtedly brought about by greater use of the Internet. Teachers also consider that the Internet in general terms has created better opportunities for schools to develop international contacts. In out of 10 teachers consider that ICT facilitates pupils in their search for information, this represents a significant increase compared with last year. Even though this figure does not specifically relate to the Internet, it can be assumed that it does provide an indication of the extent to which pupils use the Internet for information searching. Differences between teachers in compulsory and upper secondary school In principle teachers in the compulsory and upper secondary school have the same access to ICT tools at home. On the other hand, upper secondary school teachers use a computer at home somewhat more than teachers from the compulsory school. This is also true of Internet use at home, even though the differences are not great. There are, however, large differences, as regards access to a personal computer in school. Twice as many teachers at the upper secondary school (51%) have their own computer compared with teachers at the compulsory school (25%). It is also apparent that significantly more teachers at the upper secondary school use the computer on a daily basis outside lessons in school. Of teachers at the upper secondary school, 9 out of 10 state that they use the computer on a daily basis outside lessons in school, whilst the corresponding figure for compulsory school teachers is slightly more than 6 out of 10. On the other hand, there is no difference in usage during lessons in school. Of teachers in compulsory school and the upper secondary school, approximately 3 out of 10 state that they make daily use of the computer during lessons. Just as many use a computer one or more times a week during lessons. Approximately 15% of teachers in both these groups make no use of computers during lessons. However, teachers at the upper secondary school use the Internet significantly more often during lessons than teachers at the compulsory school. When it comes to a number of other concrete activities, it is clear that upper secondary school teachers are more active computer users than teachers at the compulsory school, for example, for communicating with pupils via , preparing lessons and other types of preparatory work. In terms of communication with parents, compulsory school

8 132 IT I SKOLAN teachers appear to be a step ahead. The same applies to the use of ICT to help pupils in need of special support. The fact that upper secondary school teachers are more active in their use of ICT is evidenced by the fact that significantly more teachers at the upper secondary school (63%) than at the compulsory school (44%) state that they benefit from using the computer as a pedagogical tool. Teachers at the upper secondary school are also to a higher extent very positive to using both ICT, as well as the Internet in their teaching. When it comes to problems experienced and obstacles, it is clear that upper secondary school teachers do not experience these difficulties to the same extent. In one area, however, upper secondary school teachers experience problems to a greater extent: pupils misuse of the Internet, 6 out of 10 upper secondary school teachers regard this as a problem, compared with slightly more than 4 out of 10 compulsory school teachers. More teachers at the upper secondary school consider that their knowledge of ICT is either sufficient or nearly sufficient: 53% compared with 46% of teachers in the compulsory school. Differences between new and old teachers There appears to be a trend towards a situation where fewer teachers qualifying in 1998 or later in the compulsory school have access to the Internet and . But upper secondary school teachers qualifying in 1998 or later who have access to the Internet, have significantly greater access to fixed connections/broadband at home. In other areas, teachers qualifying 1998 or later here referred to new teachers have essentially the same access to ICT tools at home as teachers qualifying before New teachers do not use the computer less often at home than teachers qualifying in 1997 or earlier. Of those teachers using the Internet at home, new teachers tend to carry out more frequently activities, such as searching for information, both privately and for work. In response to the question of how often computers at home are used for school work, there are no significant differences between the two categories of teachers. Overall there is nothing in the study to indicate that new teachers use of computers at home is less, in fact the opposite is the case for teachers qualifying in 1998 or later. New teachers, both at the compulsory and upper secondary school, do not have their own computer at school, compared to old teachers. Nevertheless new teachers state they use computers outside lessons in school more often than old teachers. If we look at usage during lessons at school, there are, however, major differences between these two categories of teachers, both at the upper secondary and compulsory school: significantly fewer new teachers use the computer on a daily basis during lessons. And new teachers make less use of the Internet during lessons. Despite the fact that teachers qualifying 1998 or later use computers and the Internet less in their teaching, more new teachers state that they obtain benefits from using the computer as a pedagogical tool. There is no difference in the general attitude to the use of ICT in teaching between both these categories of teachers. The same applies to the general attitude to using the Internet in teaching. There are also no clear differences in views on the major advantages to be gained from using ICT in teaching.

9 5 SUMMARY IN ENGLISH 133 Teachers views of ICT plans in the school Approximately one quarter of teachers consider that there is a fairly or very clear plan or strategy on how ICT should be used at their school. Just as many consider that the plans are fairly or very unclear. Approximately one fifth state that there is no plan at all. Compared with earlier years, there has been a dramatic increase in the proportion stating that there is no plan, from just a few percent to just over one fifth. However, the proportion stating that there is a fairly or very clear plan has not decreased. Teachers who have participated in the government s ITiS initiative ( ) are more inclined to consider that there is a fairly or very clear ICT plan in the school, compared with teachers who have not participated in the ITiS initiative. More teachers in compulsory school consider that there is a clear plan for the use of ICT in the school compared to upper secondary school teachers. Upper secondary school teachers more often consider that the ICT plan for the school is unclear. Female and male teachers There are also interesting differences between female and male teachers as regards both access to computers, as well as use of ICT and attitudes to ICT. Fewer female teachers at upper secondary school have access to their own computer: 38% have their own computer compared with 63% of male upper secondary school teachers. In the compulsory school, in this year s study, there is no difference between male and female teachers. Male teachers under the age of 30 are the group who make least use of computers on a daily basis during lessons (17%). Teachers aged 50 and above, both female and male, use computers on a daily basis during lessons to a significantly higher extent (33 34%) compared with their younger colleagues. As regards use at school outside lessons, there is no clear difference between the age groups, except that use is at a high-level between 71 and 88% for both male and female teachers irrespective of age. Male teachers, however, make less use of computers outside lessons compared with female teachers. Concerning use at home for school work, male teachers under the age of 30 are the most frequent users. 35% do this on a daily basis. The corresponding figure for female teachers under the age of 30 is just 16%. Of the other groups, namely male and female teachers over the age of 30, between 20 and 25% use computers daily at home. When it comes to attitudes to using ICT and the Internet in teaching, female teachers are somewhat more positive than male teachers, with a high overall level for all groups (70 84%). Female upper secondary school teachers have the most positive attitudes. Female teachers generally tend to make greater use of computers as pedagogical tools than male teachers. Once again female teachers at the upper secondary school are at the top: 64 state that they derive great or fairly great benefits from using computers as pedagogical tools in teaching. Whilst male teachers at the compulsory school (37%) derive the least benefit. Although female teachers do not use computers less than male teachers, there are significantly more female teachers stating that their knowledge of ICT is insufficient, which indicates that female teachers are more critical towards their own knowledge than male teachers. Female teachers, particularly at the compulsory school, to a somewhat higher extent are satisfied with the knowledge they received during teacher training on how ICT can be used in teaching.

10 134 IT I SKOLAN Patterns of computer usage amongst girls and boys There is no difference between girls and boys concerning access to ICT and neither concerning attitudes and approaches to using ICT and the Internet in teaching. Use of ICT in lessons is also the same for both sexes. On the other hand, there are differences in the use of ICT at home where more boys use the computer often. Boys also use the computer more often outside lessons at school, whilst girls on the other hand use computers at home for school work more than boys. Girls also use the Internet for school work more often than boys, both at home and in the school environment. The majority of both teachers and pupils consider there is a difference between patterns of usage of girls and boys. Boys are generally considered to play more games, download more music and use the Internet/surf more. On the other hand, girls are considered to use ICT more for schoolwork/searching for information, chatting/participating more in discussion groups, working more in groups, as well as using computers in a more goal oriented way and sending more . Some of these stereotyped views are confirmed by the study, others not. The study indicates that boys actually play more games than girls. They also download more music, but here girls are much more active and interested. When it come to use of the Internet, the picture is more complex: Boys reveal somewhat greater interest in and using the Internet at home than girls, whilst girls use the Internet more often for school work than boys. Also at school, girls tend to use ICT more for their studies and boys, but the differences are not great. As regards chatting and discussion groups, the stereotype picture that this is the domain of girls is not consistent with the facts. It is boys who are both more interested and participate more often than girls. However, girls both send and read more at home. They also state that they are more interested in doing this than boys. There is no difference between girls and boys in their use of computers for communicating with others regarding school work. Head teachers and ICT Head teachers are a mature occupational category in terms of ICT. Head teachers use ICT to a very great extent, mostly for communicating, word processing, searching for information via the Internet and for administrative purposes. A large majority use computers for work-related purposes more than 10 hours a week. Head teachers communicate to a high extent via with their teachers, at least once a week. The majority do this on a daily basis. Head teachers in upper secondary school communicate to a greater extent with their teachers compared with head teachers in the compulsory school. Communication via with pupils parents, on the other hand, is relatively low, however, the majority communicate with this group at least once a term. Head teachers are positive to ICT and the Internet in school, and in teaching. Nearly all head teachers consider that ICT in general terms has provide improved opportunities for schools to forge international contacts, with the majority considering that significant improvement has taken place. Head teachers see many advantages from using ICT in the school: it facilitates pupils search for information, provides natural use of computers, stimulates the writing process, increases motivation for schoolwork and other activities. There is, however, a gap between the views of head teachers and teachers over ICT in the school. Head teachers, in contrast to teachers,

11 5 SUMMARY IN ENGLISH 135 consider that ICT is used to a greater extent and has positive effects on the school. There is also a gap between head teachers positive attitudes and actual usage. This is clear when it comes to issues, such as teachers communication with pupils, and how ICT has had an impact on schools international contacts. Head teachers also to a greater extent than teachers consider that ICT can provide assistance for pupils in need of special support and that ICT is really used in their schools for this purpose. Nearly all head teachers state that ICT is used in this way, while fewer teachers share this view. A majority of head teachers consider that the ICT knowledge of teachers is sufficient. Teachers themselves are more negative concerning their own knowledge. Competence of head teachers Head teachers themselves consider that their own ICT competence is very important. Four out of five head teachers consider that their own ICT competence is important for managing development work in their school. In addition, nine out of ten head teachers consider it important to continue developing the use of ICT in the school in order to attain the school s goals. Head teachers in the upper secondary school consider to a greater extent than head teachers in the compulsory school that further development of the use of ICT in the school is important for the school to attain its goals. One quarter of head teachers consider their competence low concerning the purchasing and maintenance of the school s ICT equipment and software. Head teachers aged 50 or more are more critical as regards their own competence in this area than those who are less than 50. On the other hand, head teachers assess their own competence more highly when it comes to stimulating teachers pedagogical use of ICT and its administrative use in the school. In both cases, only one out of every ten head teachers consider their competence to be low. Head teachers in the upper secondary school consider to a greater extent that their competence is high concerning taking responsibility for and stimulating teachers pedagogical use of ICT in their school. As regards head teachers own needs for competence development within the ICT area, nearly four out of ten consider they have substantial needs. Head teachers aged between 50 and 59 consider they have greater needs in this area than head teachers who are less than 50. Municipalities plans for ICT in the school Just slightly less than four out of ten head teachers in municipal schools state that there is an operational plan in the municipality for ICT in their school for purchasing ICT equipment and software. 18% of head teachers state that there is no plan at all. At the same time only 23% of head teachers state that there is a comprehensive long-term financing plan for the school s ICT equipment and software. As regards plans for teachers competence development in ICT, more than one third of head teachers in municipal schools state that there is no such plan in their municipality. To some extent there are plans for ICT in the school, but there are a large number of municipalities where plans are completely absent or where financing and steering functions do not exist.

12 136 IT I SKOLAN The division of responsibility between the school and the municipality The division of responsibility between municipal schools and municipalities regarding technical operations and support for the school s ICT equipment is shared in more than half the cases between the two parties. In compulsory schools, it is more common that the municipality bears the whole responsibility for technical operations and support for the school s ICT equipment. It is more common that upper secondary schools themselves are responsible for their own operations and support for ICT equipment. Two thirds of the head teachers state that the division of responsibility between the school and the municipality functions effectively. Need for ICT equipment and ICT support Approximately four out of ten head teachers at municipal schools consider that there is a great need for additional investments in ICT equipment today. The need for investments in ICT equipment is much greater in municipal schools than in independent schools. The need for additional investments in ICT equipment is greater in municipal compulsory schools than in municipal upper secondary schools. Half of the head teachers at the compulsory school state that there is a great need, compared with two fifths of head teachers in the upper secondary school. Half of the head teachers in municipals schools state that there are common support functions for the development of teachers competence in ICT and that they provide good accessibility. Existing support functions are mainly provided by ICT pedagogues, Audio-visual centres and ICT technicians.