ICT in learning and teaching
Perceptions data, and summary of perceptions/questionnaire data
Secondary Pupils
The secondary pupil findings are based on a sample of 1540 in 2002-03 and 1305 in 2003-04 from five secondary schools.
Attitudes
- Although in general attitudes to school and class work were positive, there were significantly more negative responses to school as a whole in this the second year of the project. This might be a sample issue or it could be a loss of the 'halo' effect for ICT, so that the second year's responses reflect a more normal distribution of largely positive pupils alongside a small but significant group of disaffected pupils.
- On a more positive note, secondary pupils reported a significant increase in confidence levels when working with ICT. This was coupled with a statistically significant increase in the number of pupils that reported using a computer at home on a daily basis from 50% in 2002-03 to 93% in 2003-04.
- There were significant increases in pupil satisfaction with the hardware and software that is available to them in school. Equity of access also appeared to have improved, with fewer pupils stating that they require easier access to a computer at home or school to encourage them to engage with ICT on a more regular basis. The cost of internet access was also perceived as being significantly less problematic this year, with fewer pupils indicating that this was a potential barrier to their use of computers.
Usage
- As in Key Stage 2, use of presentational software has significantly increased in the last year and there have also been marginal but significant increases in the use of virtual learning environments, digital cameras and scanners both at home and school.
- The proportional shift from word processing and other standard applications to an emphasis on the use of the internet found at KS2 was also reported at secondary level. There was a significant reduction in basic tool use both at home and school.
- There was very encouraging evidence that ICT is now becoming more embedded in the curriculum, with pupils reporting a greater range of teaching methods as a result of ICT usage. This was found across the curriculum, although some curriculum areas are more advanced than others. Pupils reported the biggest changes in science, followed by English and then art, all of which demonstrated significantly higher uses than last year. There was the least change in modern foreign languages, although even here pupils reported significant gains in their answers to four of the ten questions relating to teaching style and ICT.
FE Students
The FE findings reported are based on a sample of 262 students in 2002-03 and 197 students in 2003-04 from three FE colleges. These students were drawn predominantly from those courses which have received ICT Test Bed funding, but other students are also included since all three colleges have invested in cross college ICT facilities such as virtual learning environments and management information systems.
- An overwhelming majority of FE students indicated that they enjoyed attending college and completing coursework and there were statistically significant increases in the number of students reporting higher levels of confidence and experience of using ICT. One of the largest changes was in the number of FE students reporting the need to learn to use a computer.
- The numbers of students reporting daily or frequent uses of a computer both at college and at home has increased significantly: the largest increases were in the daily use of college computers, although daily use at home is still the favoured option.
- FE students reported no preference in searching for information from paper or digital resources.
- Students reported increases in the use of most ICT applications both at college and at home, with significant increases in college use of presentation software, communication software, basic tools such as word processing and use of virtual learning environments. The FE students' home and college use of a computer were highly correlated, indicating that they use the computer for similar activities at both home and college.
- FE students reported a more even balance between the use of expository teaching methods and more active and engaging methods enabled through ICT than the secondary students. However, they reported that little support was available to them from the college for ICT use in the home environment. For example, institutional software or hardware was not reported as being available for use at home and access was not generally provided to the institution's network from a home computer. Access to institutional websites from home was the only kind of college support available to the majority of students.
- The main perceived barriers to internet use related to the cost of computer hardware and software as well as internet access at home. Time constraints and the students' own computer skills were of much less concern, although all possible sources of concern were rated much higher by FE students than secondary pupils. There were no significant differences found between FE students' attitudes to internet use in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
Parents
The findings reported here are based on a sample of 1081 parents in 2002-03 and 1273 parents in 2003-04 with children in both the primary and secondary sectors. Parents of FE students are not included in the sample.
- Parents reported a small but significant increase in the use of electronic communication with schools, although the most common method of schools contacting parents continued to be sending a letter home with the child. Electronic communications largely took the form of email messaging and providing access to pupils' progress reports on the Web. Interestingly, parents also reported a significant decrease in contacting schools by telephone. They tended to be satisfied with the schools' attempts to keep them informed.
- Parental awareness of the ICT facilities available in school was high, with a majority considering the facilities to be either 'good' or 'very good'.
- 85% of parents reported having access to some form of computing facility at home. This is a significant increase of 6% since the first year. There was also a significant gain in parents' perceptions of how well they were equipped to assist with their child's computer use at home, although competence levels are still quite varied. The most common response in terms of providing help for their children when using computers was that they felt they were able to encourage their children to use a variety of programs. However, there was still a sizeable number of parents who said they encouraged their children to use computers independently at home.
- Parents reported using computers themselves at home or in the workplace; very few used them in public libraries. The location of ICT facilities in the home is split between public spaces (living room) and more private spaces (a bedroom). Interestingly there was a definite trend for parents to make more use of computers in the living room, and for children to make more use of computers in bedrooms. Whilst this trend was slightly visible last year, it has become more apparent owing to the general increase in levels of computer use.
- Children's use of a computer at home was regularly monitored and as a result of this, parental concern about dangers was generally low. However, there was a small but statistically significant increase in parents' concerns about the websites their children look at and the activities they use a computer for.
- Parents said that cheaper or free internet access would encourage them to use the internet more often, as would having more free time. This finding is similar to that emerging from the FE student data and is unchanged from last year.