Group Analysis: Tensions of ICT Use in Secondary School System
Group 1
Tools
Modules, Group Projects, Online Assessment, Budget, Computer Labs
Tools needed
Classroom computers, projectors
(a)
(d)
(f)
(c)
Subject
Teacher B: Subject Liaison Teacher
Object
Support teachers and students in
developing ICT literacy skills
(h)
(g)
(b)
(e)
Rules
School Plan
School Timetable
National Curriculum and Examinations
Partner Curriculum and Accreditation
Community
Students
Teachers
Management
Community
Partner
Division of Labour
Teach ICT skills to pupils and teachers
Liaise with partner
Identified Tensions
Teacher–tools: The insufficiency of ICT training and inadequacy of lab resources hampers the teacher’s efforts
to implement ICT in the teaching-learning process.
b) Teacher–rules: Tight time-tables and bureaucratic planning inhibit opportunities for the teacher to research, to
direct self-learning to communicate with other teachers on ICT use. Teachers tend to be excluded from school
policy and planning on ICT use in the school environment.
c) Teacher-objective: The teachers are not involved in defining objectives for their training needs for ICT
integration. There are many constraints and no incentives for teachers to apply ICT in their daily practice.
d) Tools-community: The insufficiency of ICT resources available to teachers inhibits inter-disciplinary
collaboration internally between teachers and ICT liaison/ coordinators, and between teachers and other
teachers from other schools.
e) Rules-community: The merging community of ICT teacher practitioners are not familiar with rules for ICT use
in classroom practice and are not involved in planning policy or contributing to curriculum for ICT use.
f) Tools-objective: There is a contradiction between implementing TPD course objectives for ICT use in school
environments where there is the challenge of insufficient tools.
g) Rules-objective: The inflexibility of rules inherent in school plans, timetables, national examinations causes a
contradiction with objectives for ICT integration where teachers must comply with traditional assessment
regulations. There is a lack of alignment between educational policy for assessment and emerging policies for
ICT integration.
h) Teachers-community: The lack of adequate communication between teachers and parents in the community
brings about tensions in understanding as to the purpose of ICT integration and teachers encounter a lack of
support from the community for experimentation. The extended school community is not consulted or involved
in the formulation of objectives.
a)
Group 2
Tools
Modules, Group Projects, Online Assessment, Budget, Computer Labs
Tools needed
Classroom computers, projectors
(a)
Subject
Teacher B: Subject Liaison Teacher
(e)
Object
Support teachers and students in
developing ICT literacy skills
(c)
(d)
Rules
School Plan
School Timetable
National Curriculum and Examinations
Partner Curriculum and Accreditation
(b)
Community
Students
Teachers
Management
Community
Partner
Division of Labour
Teach ICT skills to pupils and teachers
Liaise with partner
Identified Tensions
Teacher–tools: The inadequacy of the teacher’s knowledge of and comfort with ICT tools results in a lack of
understanding as to how to use tools in practice.
b) Teacher–community: The lack of communication between the teacher and other teachers in the school
community of practitioners inhibits collective participation of all units of the school. The efforts of only one
teacher to use ICT in practice will not ensure institutionalization of the process and the initiative will remain at
individual level.
c) Teacher-role: The teacher has not acquired sufficient competencies through her training course to use ICT in
practice. There is a lack of support from the school administration for the teacher’s new liaison role between
the school community and the technology partner.
d) Teacher-rules: The use of alternative ICT tools and approaches in practice would jeopardize the teacher’s
ability to fulfill rules and regulations in the traditional marking system. This contradiction reduces the
opportunity of the teacher to explore the affordances of ICT tools in her practice.
e) Teacher-objective: The teacher is anxious over her inability to achieve the ICT literacy objective for all staff
within the constraints of the school regulatory environment. The requirement of accountability in top-down
systems creates tension and contradictions that are counterproductive to the development of staff capability.
a)
Group 3
Tools
Modules, Group Projects, Online Assessment, Budget, Computer Labs
Tools needed
Classroom computers, projectors
a
Subject
Teacher B: Subject Liaison Teacher
b
Object
Support teachers and students in
developing ICT literacy skills
c
d
Rules
School Plan
School Timetable
National Curriculum and Examinations
Partner Curriculum and Accreditation
Community
Students
Teachers
Management
Community
Partner
Division of Labour
Teach ICT skills to pupils and teachers
Liaise with partner
Identified Tensions
Teacher–tools: The teacher lacks understanding on the use of the ICT tools for her professional practice and
displays a lack of willingness to embrace tools and a reluctance to change.
b) Teacher–role: The teacher has been asked to take on the role of other specialists - an ICT coordinator’s which
creates contradictions and tensions within her school and her normal role of subject teacher. There is a lack of
understanding as to the parameters of her new liaison role with the external and where it fits in the school
regulatory framework.
c) Teacher-rules: The overemphasis on examinations in the school system results in the teacher’s unwillingness to
use ICT. Regulations to integrate ICT into the curriculum in the field of assessment would be required to create
a more conducive environment for technology oriented change across all curriculum areas.
d) Teacher-community: The complementary role of the teacher as liaison between school management and the
partner, between the school community and the partner has not been fully understood or developed. There
seems to be a lack of commitment that makes partnership responsibilities difficult to accomplish.
a)
Tensions of ICT Use in Teachers’ Secondary School Environment
Group 1:
Tension A: Teachers & tools
 Lack of training
 Labs not well equipped
 Lack of books, maths
Tension B; Teachers & Rules
 Tight timetables
 No time for research, own learning, communication
 Bureaucracy
 Not involved in formulation of rules
Tension C: Teachers & Objectives
 No discussion with teachers
 Many constraints
 No incentives
Tension D: Tools and community
 Inadequate tools in schools
Tension E: Tools and objectives
 Objectives formulated without tools available
Tension F: Rules and Community
 Community not aware of rules
 Not involved in rule formulation
Tension G: Rules and objective
 Rules not aligned to objectives
Tension H: Teachers and Community
 Misunderstood by community – lack of support
Tension I: Community and objective
 Community not involved in formulation of objectives
Group 2:
Teachers & tools
 Teachers don’t know how to use tools
Teachers & Community
 Expectation to use tool
Teachers & Role
 Competence
Teachers & Rules
 Inability to fulfill rules
Teachers & objective
 Anxiety over inability
Group 3
Teachers & tools
 Lack of understanding of tools
 Willingness to embrace tools/ reluctance to change
Teachers & object
 Asked to play other people’s rols
 Not understanding of new role
Teachers & Curriculum/ rules
 Overemphasis on examinations
Teachers Community & Role
 Complementary roles not understood
Support to initiatives – Emerging aspect: Support to teachers needed
Anxiety of accountability in top-down systems
Balance accountability with capability