Primary Teachers and ICT: Is gender, age or experience important?

• Main Author: Graham Morley
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics 2011-12-01
• Series: Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
• Subjects: Primary Education; Age; Teaching Experience; Gender; Pedagogy; Teacher Confidence
• Online Access: http://www.iiisci.org/Journal/CV$/sci/pdfs/SP253WY.pdf

The research uses both qualitative and quantitative methodologies employing multiple sources of data collection. The data collection primarily used a questionnaire survey of primary schools in two English Local Authorities. The qualitative evidence of the teacher sample was through individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group interview of Local Authorities officers. There is an evidence trail which examines academic papers, HMI, QCA, Ofsted and DfES reports. The main findings from these reports indicate that teachers were becoming familiar with the use of computers. They understood the skills involved in using computers but were still uncertain as to a suitable pedagogy which made them lack confidence when using ICT in the classroom. Teachers’ major difficulty is finding time to keep pace or develop their ICT skills. The reports have a generic view of teachers, with no further analysis of gender, age or experience phenomena. The analysis of these variables concludes that teacher subject knowledge formed through teaching experience of the subject, informs teachers when computers aid teaching and learning.