ICT and workforce development
Cross-case analysis of action research
Continuing professional development
Although CPD is not referenced as the central focus of any of these action research studies, the accumulated reports provide significant insight into how teachers learn about ICT and how they incorporate it into their pedagogical approach. Across all sectors, most of the teachers' studies acknowledge their development of ICT skills to use new technology, especially IWBs and animation. Having been supported in their own learning about the hardware and software, teachers have used and adapted the software to meet their learners' needs. Apart from the e-mentoring project and CADCAM experience - both of which revealed that the integration of ICT into the learning context was not as unproblematic as anticipated - all accounts describe the relatively successful adoption of technology into their teaching. (This positive bias is perhaps made more likely by the voluntary nature of the action research.)
In these reports, the teachers demonstrate a commitment to ICT development for a variety of reasons. For some experienced teachers, this ICT initiative may represent a creative opportunity: the injection of new technology has revived latent creative instincts to prepare imaginative and attractive resources, and refresh the excitement of the classroom (Skinner, L., 2005). Younger teachers may particularly appreciate the opportunity to exploit their more recent ICT training and develop their ICT expertise to define their distinctive identity within the established roles and relationships of the school (Ashton, 2005; Jeyes, 2005). Other teachers describe a concern about needing to be involved rather than to be 'left behind'. The potential for career development - or for those in less secure employment to become established - may also have an effect. Whatever the motivation to become involved in ICT development, these teachers' action research reports make a statement about their improved professional status.
Accounts from all sectors describe teachers' awareness of the need to use ICT to serve learners' needs and the excitement of such challenge (from redesigning software for EAL reception, through to organising taster sessions for passers-by at a learning centre). The ICT Test Bed experience helps recreate the primary rewards of teaching, from creating a 'wow' factor in the reception (Pinner, 2005) or secondary classroom (Webley, 2005), through to seeing apprehensive adults become delighted after mastering the digital camera (Skinner, A., 2005). The improved self-perception of learners is mirrored by teachers' improved self-esteem. The satisfactions of developing resources - and, occasionally, personalised resources - are mentioned in many of these studies, from primary school to FE college (see, for example Hutchinson, 2005).
However, at this early stage of the project, the action research studies appear to suggest that ICT endorses - and can dramatically improve - current practice, rather than significantly changing teachers' pedagogical approaches. It does not appear as if the potential for ICT to allow greater learner autonomy and freedom from close teacher direction is as yet being exploited to the full. Perhaps understandably, there is a tendency for teachers to describe how using ICT confirms their established pedagogical practice - albeit transformed in terms of presentation, efficiency and the ability to command learners' attention. For example, the studies of work in the FE outreach centres stress the importance of teachers creating supportive environments for adults to develop ICT confidence, and thus foreground the welcoming ethos of the FE College rather than the emancipating effects of ICT experience. Similarly, a number of teachers in the schools describe using the IWB to transmit information more effectively. Even in examples where individuals have been given laptops, cameras etc., they are directed towards a product, often under close supervision, so opportunities for creativity are highly structured. While the use of ICT equipment is a novelty, this kind of task is clearly highly engaging. It could be argued that reports of pupils' satisfactions in these activities can be traced to the fascination and novelty of the carefully constructed ICT experience. Art and CADCAM interventions demonstrated children mastering ICT to produce quality products (Gordon, 2005; Webley, 2005), but later action research studies may be able to trace development from these first, important steps to more open-ended creative engagement.
Although the indirect claims of many of these studies is that ICT is making a unique contribution to the value of learner experience (in that this technology adds something that couldn't be added as effectively in other ways), there is little evidence that the ICT is significantly changing roles in the classroom. What it is changing, however, appears to be relationships. The ambiance of the classroom is different with higher levels of attention from pupils and teachers' renewed enthusiasm for preparing resources and using them in their teaching. These studies provide some examples of changing approaches to teaching and learning (such as pupils collaboratively evaluating their writing and student e-mentoring between years). It seems reasonable to conclude that following the initial phase when CPD has been focused on teachers' needs to acquire skills to use new hardware and software, and find ways of using it that support teaching of the National Curriculum, ICT use in ICT Test Bed schools will progress beyond an enriched teacher-led experience into a transformed experience with pupils engaging in more independent activities.
In conclusion
One of the clearest messages from these action research reports is teachers' commitment to discovering the possibilities offered by ICT. In many of the studies there is excitement about what has been achieved, but in none is there complacency or even a sense that all the ends of the inquiry have been tied up. Many reports conclude on progress made to this point and potential that lies ahead.
- The studies provide evidence of successful development of skills to use ICT, especially IWBs and animation.
- Teachers have used and adapted software to meet their learners' needs
- Acquisition of most skills appeared to be unproblematic
- The studies reflect teachers' motivation to use ICT and their sense of improved professional status when they are successful.
- Some teachers are attracted by the opportunity for creativity
- Young teachers are able to build on the expertise they acquired during training and define a distinctive identity in the school
- Some teachers simply want to avoid being 'left behind'
- The studies all show teachers' primary focus on using ICT to serve learners' needs.
- For some teachers, ICT Test Bed has helped re-create the primary rewards of teaching: improved self-perception of learners is mirrored in teachers' improved self-esteem
- Many of the studies record teachers' satisfaction in developing resources with ICT
- The studies suggest that ICT endorses - and can dramatically improve - current practice rather than changing pedagogy.
- The potential for ICT to allow greater autonomy from the teacher is not addressed in many of these studies
- Pupils' very positive response to whole-class technologies may be partly due to their novelty as well as their appreciation of the clarity of presentations
- These studies suggest that ICT is having a major impact on relationships in the classroom, but little impact on roles: the roles of teachers and learners are reinforced but the ambiance of the classroom is radically changed.