Understanding structural and cultural school characteristics in relation to educational change: The case of ICT integration

Co-authored with "Devos, G., Van Houtte, M., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M." Published in "Educational Studies

This study builds on the idea that school characteristics affect educational change, such as ICT integration. The goal of this inquiry is to explore both structural school characteristics (i.e. infrastructure and support) and cultural school characteristics (i.e. leadership and innovativeness) and how they contribute to ICT integration in the classroom. A survey of 527 teachers in 68 primary schools in Flanders (Belgium) was conducted that focused on teacher perceptions about structural and cultural school characteristics and their use of ICT in the classroom. In order to study the variables at school level, teacher responses were aggregated. The next step was to delineate school profiles originating from structural and cultural school characteristics by using a cluster analysis. Finally, the relationship between these school profiles and ICT integration was studied. The results suggest that (1) structural and cultural school characteristics fit together and (2) are relevant catalysts for ICT integration in the classroom.

A multidimensional approach to determinants of computer use in primary education: teacher and school characteristics.

Co-authored with Valcke, M., & van Braak, J. (2008). Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 24, 494-506.

The central aim of this study was to test a model that integrates determinants of educational computer use. In particular, the article examines teacher and school characteristics that are associated with different types of computer use by primary school teachers. A survey was conducted, involving 527 teachers from 68 primary schools. A separate questionnaire was administered to ICT coordinators from the same schools to gather additional information about cultural and contextual school characteristics. The combined impact of both teacher and school characteristics was explored through a multilevel analysis. Besides the importance of school characteristics, the results point to differential effects on specific types of computer use.

ICT integration in the classroom: Challenging the potential of a school policy

Co-authored with Van Keer, H., van Braak, J. & Valcke, M. (2008). Computers and Education, 51, 212-223

Despite the assumption that the integration of ICT influences the entire school system, research focusing on ICT in schools is generally limited to the study of variables at classroom level. In contrast to these studies, the present research explores ICT integration from a school improvement approach. More particularly, it examines the local school policy with respect to ICT integration from both the principal’s perspective and perceptions of teachers. Furthermore, it studies the relationship between school policies and the actual use of ICT in the classroom. To answer the research questions, a representative sample of 53 primary school principals was interviewed. In addition, the interview data were supplemented with survey data of 574 teachers from the same 53 schools. What emerged from the analyses was that school-related policies, such as an ICT plan, ICT support and ICT training have a significant effect on class use of ICT. In addition, the findings from the interviews indicate that school policies are often underdeveloped and underutilised. The discussion section focuses on challenges to improve the potential of an ICT school policy.

Towards a typology of computer use in primary education

Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M. (2007). Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23, 197-206.

In the present study, we reject the view that computer use can be studied as a single variable in the learning environment. Our main objective is to develop an instrument to measure different types of class use of computers. This builds on a comprehensive review of the literature on computer use in education. The review helped to construct a questionnaire to study the typology of computer use in primary education. In addition, the questionnaire was enriched by statement of experts in this field. The questionnaire was presented to a sample of 352 primary school teachers. The input from a first sub-sample was used to carry out an exploratory factor analysis; the other sub-sample was used to verify the identified factor structure via confirmatory factor analysis. A three-factor structure of computer use in primary education was identified: “the use of computers as an information tool”, “the use of computers as a learning tool” and “learning basic computer skills”. The three-factor structure was confirmed in the confirmatory factor analysis. The results underpin a number of meaningful differences in the current practice of computer use in primary education.

Exploring the link between teachers educational beliefs profiles and different types of computer use in the classroom: The impact of teacher beliefs.

Tondeur, J., Hermans, R., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M. (2008). Computers in Human Behavior (24), 2541-2553.

The purpose of the study reported in this article was to analyse the relationship between teachers’ educational beliefs and typical approaches to computer use in the classroom. In this context, the question arises whether particular profiles of teachers can be distinguished based on their beliefs about good education. A survey of 574 elementary school teachers was conducted that focused both on teachers’ traditional or constructivist beliefs about education and on different types of computer use: “computers as an information tool”, “computers as a learning tool” and “basic computer skills”. Cluster analysis resulted in four distinct teacher profiles, reflecting relatively homogeneous scale scores, based on varying levels of traditional and constructivist beliefs teachers hold about education. Overall results indicate that teachers with relatively strong constructivist beliefs who also have strong traditional beliefs report a higher frequency of computer use. In addition, results point to a specific relationship between teachers’ beliefs profiles and how computers are used in the classroom. Implications for the role of educational beliefs in supporting teachers to integrate ICT in the classroom are discussed.

The impact of primary school teachers' educational beliefs on classroom use of computers

Hermans, R., Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M. (2008). Computers & Education, 51(4), 1499-1509

For many years, researchers have searched for the factors affecting the use of computers in the classroom. In studying
the antecedents of educational computer use, many studies adopt a rather limited view because only technology-related
variables, such as attitudes to computers and computer experience were taken into account. The present study centres on teachers’ educational beliefs (constructivist beliefs, traditional beliefs) as antecedent of computer use, while controlling for the impact of technology-related variables (computer experience, general computer attitudes) and demographical variables (sex, age). In order to identify differences in determinants of computer use in the classroom, multilevel modelling was used (N = 525). For measuring primary teachers’ use of computers to support the leaching or learning process a modified version of the ‘Class Use of Computers’ scale of van Braak et al. [van Braak, J., Tondeur, J., & Valcke, M. (2004). Explaining different types of computer use among primary school teachers. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 19(4), 407–422] was used. The present article supports the hypothesis that teacher beliefs are significant determinants in explaining why teachers adopt computers in the classroom. Next to the impact of computer experience, general computer attitudes and gender, the results show a positive effect of constructivist beliefs on the classroom use of computers. Traditional beliefs have a negative impact on the classroom use of computers.

Primary school curricula and the use of ICT in education. Two worlds apart?

Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M. (2007). British Journal of Educational Technology, 38,962-975.

In many countries, information and communication technology (ICT) has a clear impact on the development of educational curricula. In Flanders, the education government has identified and defined a framework of ICT competencies for expected outcomes, related to knowledge, skills and attitudes
that pupils are expected to achieve at the end of primary school. However, it has never been examined whether teachers are using ICT in accordance with the competencies proposed by the Flemish government. In order to answer this
question, a survey was conducted among 570 respondents in a stratified sample of 53 primary schools. Results show that teachers mainly focus on the development of technical ICT skills, whereas the ICT curriculum centres on the
integrated use of ICT within the learning and teaching process. This indicates the existence of a gap between the proposed and the implemented curriculum for ICT. The paper concludes with the potential value of a school-based ICT curriculum that ‘translates’ the national ICT-related curriculum into an ICT
plan as part of the overall school policy.

Explaining different types of computer use among primary school teachers

van Braak, J., Tondeur, J., & Valcke,M. (2004). European Journal of Psychology of Education, 14 (4), 407-422.

In order to identify differences in determinants of supportive and class use of com-puters, path modelling was applied in a sample of 468 primary school teachers. Inde-pendent variables were categorised in three levels: demographics (age and gender), computer experience (computer training, computer experience expressed over time, in-tensity of computer use), and attitude measures (general computer attitudes, attitudes toward computers in education, and technological innovativeness).

Computer support and class are not related to the same set of variables. Computer sup-port was mainly predicted by computer experience variables and general computer atti-tudes. Strongest predictors of class use were technological innovativeness and gender. Yet, the degree of explained variance for class use of computer was considerably lower compared to supportive computer use. These results indicate the limitations of explain-ing complex forms of professional computer use on the basis of both individual deter-minants and quantitative models. The article concludes with some practical implica-tions and recommendations for further research.

Technology curriculum and planning for technology in schools: The Flemish case.

Vanderlinde, R., van Braak, J., De Windt, V., Tondeur, J., Hermans, R., & Sinnaeve, I. (2008). TechTrends, 52(2), 23-26.

Student teachers’ thinking processes and ICT integration: Predictors of prospective teaching behaviors with educational technology

Student teachers should be prepared to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into their future teaching and learning practices. Despite the increased availability and support for ICT integration, relatively few teachers intend to integrate ICT into their teaching activities (e.g., Ertmer,
2005). The available research has thus far mainly focused on isolated teacher related variables to explain the weak level of ICT integration. Also, most of this research was set up in Western settings. The present study centers on the impact of Chinese student teachers’ gender, constructivist teaching beliefs, teaching self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, and computer attitudes on their prospective ICT use. For this purpose, a survey was set up involving student teachers from four Normal Universities in China (N = 727). Results show that prospective ICT integration significantly correlates with all teacher related variables, except for gender. Building on the results of a path analysis model, prospective ICT integration could be directly predicted on the base of teacher thinking variables (constructivist teaching beliefs, teacher
self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy and computer attitudes in education), and indirectly by the gender of the student teachers. Implications for teacher education and further research are discussed.

Investigating teachers' educational beliefs in Chinese primary schools: socioeconomic and geographical perspectives

This empirical study explores the nature of and profiles in primary teachers’ educational beliefs in the Chinese educational settings. A survey of 820 primary school teachers was conducted using a questionnaire focusing on teachers’ traditional and constructivist
beliefs about teaching and learning. Analysis of variance and cluster analysis were applied. Results show that gender and subject domain affect traditional educational beliefs. Significant differences appear considering economic and geographical context variables. Cluster analysis helps to delineate four teacher belief profiles: a constructivist profile, a mixed constructivist /traditional profile, a traditional profile, and a mixed low constructivist/traditional profile. Inter-relation between teacher belief profiles and school categories are discussed.

Development and validation of a model of ICT integration in primary education

Phd research

The research presented in this dissertation aimed at understanding how computers are being used by primary school teachers and how ICT use is influenced by and related to a number of teacher and school related variables. This research aim embodies the idea that ICT integration should be seen as a specific case in the wider field of school improvement. The school-improvement perspective and findings from each subsequent chapter resulted in the development of a model of ICT integration in primary education. The model adds to the holistic approach when explaining ICT integration in education because teachers are not considered as completely independent, but sharing their school context. Although ICT integration still seems to depend for a large part on the willingness and attitudes of individual teachers, an important conclusion arising from our studies is that school-based policies have the potential to become a vehicle to promote ICT integration.

Onderzoek naar de relatie tussen computergebruik en onderwijsopvattingen [In Dutch]

Mede-auteur: Ruben Hermans

Computergebruik in het onderwijs staat centraal binnen het onderzoek aan de Vakgroep Onderwijskunde van de Universiteit Gent1. Een van de lopende onderzoeken richt zich specifiek op het computergebruik in het lager onderwijs. Het is de bedoeling om tot een globaal beeld te komen van het computergebruik binnen het Vlaamse lager onderwijs via verschillende vormen van dataverzameling: een schriftelijke bevraging bij leerkrachten en ICTcoördinatoren,
interviews met directies en een documentanalyse van het ICT-plan. Op basis van de resultaten van het onderzoek brengen we niet enkel het computergebruik in kaart; deze bevraging stelt ons eveneens in staat te onderzoeken welke factoren van invloed zijn op het ICT-gebruik in het onderwijs. Zoals de titel doet vermoeden bestuderen we in het bijzonder de relatie tussen opvattingen van leraren over goed onderwijs en het gebruik van computers in de klas.

Dit feedbackrapport beschrijft de voornaamste resultaten. De individuele school kan zich desgewenst aan deze resultaten spiegelen waardoor dit onderzoek mee richting kan geven
aan het ICT-schoolbeleid. We willen de deelnemende scholen en alle leerkrachten van harte bedanken voor hun deelname
aan het onderzoek dat in het voorjaar van 2006 gehouden werd. Met dit rapport hopen we de scholen en leerkrachten een wederdienst te bewijzen. Voor meer informatie over
dit onderzoek kan u mailen naar Jo.Tondeur@Ugent.be en Ruben.Hermans@Ugent.be