ICT in Schools Inspectorate Evaluation Studies

ICT in Schools
P R O M O T I N G T H E Q U A L I T Y O F L E A R N I N G
Inspect orat e Eval uat i on St udi es
I NSPECTORATE
I NSPECTORATE
ICT in Schools
This report, from the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science, presents the
findings of a major evaluation of the impact of ICT on teaching and learning in both primary and
post-primary schools in Ireland. Although very substantial investments have been made in ICT in
schools in recent years, little national research evidence has been published on the impact that the
new technologies have had on schools and especially on teaching and learning. This evaluation set
out to establish the extent to which ICT was used in schools at both primary and post-primary levels
and, more importantly, to assess the impact that ICT had on teaching and learning, including the
ways in which ICT was used to support the learning of students with special educational needs. The
findings are based mainly on observations made by inspectors on visits to over 180 schools and on
the outcomes of detailed case studies conducted by inspectors in over 50 other schools.
Information was also collected using a national survey of principals and teachers and a student
questionnaire.
The evaluation shows that while much progress has been achieved in the roll-out of ICT in schools,
considerable challenges remain. The report presents findings and recommendations that will be of
interest to teachers, principals, school support services, curriculum developers and policy-makers.
Inspectorate Evaluation Studies
Inspectorate Evaluation Studiespresent the outcomes of focused and thematic evaluations of
aspects of the educational system carried out by the Inspectorate, which has statutory
responsibilities for the evaluation of schools at primary and second level in Ireland. The reports
in the series focus on practice in schools and are intended to disseminate good practice and
policy advice based on evaluation outcomes.
Evaluation Support and Research Unit
Inspectorate
Department of Education and Science
Marlborough Street
Dublin 1
Ireland
20
ISBN-0-0000-0000-X
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I NSPECTORATE
ICT in Schools
I nspect or at e Eval uat i on St udi es
The Inspectorate wishesto thank the following for the use of photographs:
Clonakilty Community College, Clonakilty, Co Cork
Saint M arksCommunity School, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Saint M ac DarasCommunity College, Templeogue, Dublin 6W
Scoil Barra Naofa, M onkstown, Cork
Scoil Nano Nagle and Talbot Senior National School, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
Whitechurch National School, Whitechurch Road, Dublin 16
2008 Department of Education and Science
ISBN-0-0000-0000-X
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Printed by Brunswick Press, Dublin
Published by
Evaluation Support and Research Unit
Inspectorate
Department of Education and Science
M arlborough Street
Dublin 1
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or by post from
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ICT in Schools
iii
Contents
Foreword xi
Executive summary xiii
Part 1 Introduction
Chapter 1 ICT in primary and post-primary education in Ireland 1
1.1 Introduction 2
1.2 Background 3
1.3 ICT policy and investment in education 6
1.3.1 Policy for ICT in education 6
1.3.2 ICT in the curriculum 9
1.3.3 Investment in ICT in education 11
1.4 ICT infrastructure censusin schools(2005) 12
1.4.1 Computersin schools 12
1.4.2 Other ICT equipment in schools 14
1.4.3 Expenditure on ICT and technical support 15
1.4.4 Other areascovered in the census 16
1.5 Summary 16
Chapter 2 Evaluation methods 17
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 Approachesto evaluating ICT in schools 18
2.3 Overview and aimsof the evaluation 20
2.4 National survey of primary and post-primary principalsand teachers 21
2.4.1 Survey sampling methods 21
2.4.2 Survey research methods 22
2.4.3 Response rate 23
2.4.4 Comparison of respondentsand population 24
2.5 Case-study school evaluations 25
2.6 Observationsduring classroom inspections(primary) and subject inspections(post-primary) 27
2.6.1 Primary schools 27
2.6.2 Post-primary schools 28
2.7 On-line evaluation 30
2.8 Evaluation outputsand terms 30
2.8.1 Outputs 30
2.8.2 Junior and senior classes 30
2.8.3 Quantitative termsused in thisreport 30
Part 2 ICT infrastructure and planning in schools
Chapter 3 ICT infrastructure in primary and post-primary schools 31
3.1 Introduction 32
3.2 The ICT advisory service 33
3.3 ICT and funding 37
3.4 ICT maintenance, technical support, and obsolescence 38
3.5 Accessto computers 41
3.5.1 Accessby teachers 41
3.5.2 Accessby students 42
3.6 The use of computersin schools 45
3.6.1 Organisation of ICT facilitiesin case-study primary schools 45
3.6.2 Organisation of ICT facilitiesin case-study post-primary schools 49
3.7 ICT peripherals 53
3.8 Software 56
3.9 Use of e-mail 57
3.10 The on-line environment 59
3.10.1 The learning platform 59
3.10.2 The school web site 61
3.11 Summary of findingsand recommendations 64
3.11.1 M ain findings 64
3.11.2 Recommendations 66
Chapter 4 ICT planning in primary and post-primary schools 69
4.1 Introduction 70
4.2 The planning process 70
4.2.1 The ICT steering committee 72
4.2.2 The ICT co-ordinator 73
4.2.3 The ICT plan 75
4.2.4 The acceptable-use policy 79
4.3 Implementation of ICT planning 80
4.3.1 Teachers professional development 81
4.3.2 Using ICT in classroom and lesson planning and preparation 90
4.3.3 Planning for using ICT in teaching and learning 98
4.4 Forward planning 99
4.4.1 Principals prioritiesfor ICT development 99
4.4.2 Teachers prioritiesfor ICT development 101
4.5 Findingsand recommendations 102
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Part 3 ICT and teaching and learning in schools
Chapter 5 ICT and teaching and learning in primary schools 107
5.1 Introduction 108
5.2 Teachers ICT qualificationsand skills 108
5.3 Classroom practice and ICT 111
5.3.1 Planning 111
5.3.2 Frequency of ICT use 112
5.3.3 Organisation of ICT use 113
5.3.4 Focusof ICT use 114
5.3.5 Use of resourcesand applicationsin the classroom 116
5.3.6 Quality of provision 120
5.3.7 Provision for studentswith special educational needsbymainstream classteachers 126
5.4 ICT in special education 127
5.4.1 Accessto ICT 127
5.4.2 Planning for the use of ICT 127
5.4.3 Frequency of ICT use 128
5.4.4 Focusof ICT use 129
5.4.5 Use of resourcesand applications 130
5.5 Assessment 133
5.6 Developing ICT in the classroom 134
5.6.1 Factorsthat constrain the development of ICT in the curriculum 134
5.6.2 Factorsthat facilitate the development of ICT in the curriculum 134
Chapter 6 ICT and teaching and learning in post-primary schools 139
6.2 ICT qualificationsand skills 141
6.2.1 Teachers ICT qualificationsand skill levels 141
6.2.2 Students ICT skill levels 145
6.3 Dedicated ICT lessons 148
6.3.1 Timetabling of dedicated ICT lessons 149
6.3.2 Curriculum and content of dedicated ICT lessons 151
6.4 Classroom practice and ICT 152
6.4.1 School principals support for the use of ICT in the classroom 153
6.4.2 ICT in practice in the classroom 155
6.5 ICT and special educational needs 167
v
6.6 Assessment 168
6.7 Developing ICT in the classroom 168
6.7.1 Factorsthat constrain the development of ICT in the classroom 168
6.7.2 Factorsthat facilitate the development of ICT in the classroom 170
Part 4 Summary of findings and recommendations
Chapter 7 Main findings and recommendations 177
7.2 M ain findings 179
7.2.1 Infrastructure 179
7.2.2 ICT Planning 181
7.2.3 ICT in teaching and learning 182
7.3 M ain recommendationsfor policy-makersand policy advisors 184
7.3.1 ICT infrastructure 184
7.3.2 Professional development needsof teachers 186
7.4 M ain recommendationsfor schools 188
7.4.1 ICT infrastructure in schools 188
7.4.2 Planning for ICT in schools 189
7.4.3 ICT in teaching and learning 191
References 194
Appendix 197
ICT in Schools
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Abbreviations
AP assistant principal
AUP acceptable use policy
BOM board of management
CAD computer-aided design
CEB Commercial Examining Board
CESI Computer StudiesSociety of Ireland
CPD continuing professional development
DES Department of Education and Science
ECDL European Computer Driving Licence
EGFSN Expert Group on Future SkillsNeeds
ERNIST European Research Network for ICT in Schoolsof Tomorrow
ESI Education ServicesInteractive (Project)
EU European Union
FETAC Further Education and Training AwardsCouncil
ICD in-career development
ICT information and communicationstechnology
ISC Information Society Commission
LC Leaving Certificate (Established)
LCA Leaving Certificate Applied
LCVP Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
LSRT learning-support resource teacher
M LE managed learning environment
NCC National CompetitivenessCouncil
NCCA National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
NCTE National Centre for Technology in Education
NPADC National Policy Advisory and Development Committee
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PCSP Primary Curriculum Support Programme
PISA Programme for International Student Assessment
SCR student-computer ratio
SDP school development planning
SDPI School Development Planning Initiative (Post-primary)
SDPS School Development Planning Support (Primary)
SDT special-dutiesteacher
SESE Social, Environmental and Scientific Education
SESS Special Education Support Service
SIP SchoolsIntegration Project
TIF Telecommunicationsand Internet Federation
VEC Vocational Education Committee
VLE virtual learning environment
WSE whole-school evaluation
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ICT in Schools
Tables
Table 1.1 Funding of ICT in education policy initiatives 12
Table 1.2 Student-computer ratio (SCR) in each school sector in given years 13
Table 1.3 Proportion of schoolshaving at least one fixed and one mobile data projector 14
Table 2.1 Comparison of survey sample and population, primary schools 24
Table 2.2 Comparison of survey sample and population, post-primary schools 25
Table 2.3 Number and level of lessonsobserved, post-primary schools 29
Table 2.4 Quantitative termsused in the report 30
Table 3.1 Awarenessand use of NCTE and ICT advisory servicesamong teachers 36
Table 4.1 Teachers attendance at NCTE and ICT advisory service training courses 83
Table 4.2 Professional development preferencesof post-primary teachers, by subject 88
Table 4.3 Teachers use of internet resourcesin planning and preparation for teaching 93
Table 4.4 Primary principals viewson the strategic development of ICT 100
Table 4.5 Post-primary principals viewson the strategic development of ICT 100
Table 4.6 Teachers priority areasfor the development of ICT 102
Table 5.1 Proportion of primary teacherswho rated their proficiency in ICT skillsaseither
intermediate or advanced 109
Table 5.2 Proportion of primary teacherswho rated their ability in each of three ICT tasks
that facilitate teaching and learning aseither intermediate or advanced 111
Table 5.3 Inspectors observationson the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in
classrooms 113
Table 5.4 Teachers use of software and the internet to facilitate learning 117
Table 5.5 M ost frequently used applicationsin the teaching of individual curricular areas 117
Table 5.6 Inspectors commentson the qualityof use of ICT observed in teaching and learning 123
Table 5.7 Applicationsused bymembersof special-education support teamsto promote the
development of skills 130
Table 5.8 M ost frequently used applicationsto promote the development of individual
learning priority areas 131
Table 5.9 Comparison of inspectors ratingsof the quality of ICT provision in supporting
children with special educational needsin mainstream and special-education
support settings 132
Table 5.10 Sample of inspectors commentson the quality of ICT use in special-education
Table 6.1 Proportion of post-primary teacherswho rated their proficiency in ICT skillsas
either intermediate or advanced 142
Table 6.2 Proportionsof post-primary teacherswho rated their ability in each of three ICT
tasksthat facilitate teaching and learning aseither intermediate or advanced 144
Table 6.3 Timetabled dedicated ICT lessonsin post-primary schools 149
ix
Table 6.4 Commonly taught topicsin dedicated ICT lessons 151
Table 6.5 Principals descriptionsof how ICT isused in some subjects 153
Table 6.6 Principals viewson the impact of ICT on teaching and learning 154
Table 6.7 Location of lessonsobserved during subject inspections 155
Table 6.8 ICT resourcesavailable in the classroomsof lessonsobserved 155
Table 6.9 Use of the internet and software in teaching and learning 161
Diagrams
Fig. 2.1 Survey response rates 23
Fig. 2.2 M ainstream lesson observationsin primary schools 28
Fig. 2.3 Subjectsreviewed at post-primary level 29
Fig. 3.1 Teachers ratingsof NCTE and ICT advisory services 34
Fig. 3.2 Accessto computersby primary teachers 41
Fig. 3.3 Accessto computersby post-primary teachers 42
Fig. 3.4 Accessto computersby fifth-classstudents 43
Fig. 3.5 Accessto computersby fifth-year students 44
Fig. 3.6 Frequency of use of ICT peripheralsby primary teachers 54
Fig. 3.7 Frequency of use of ICT peripheralsby post-primary teachers 54
Fig. 3.8 Provision and use of e-mail addressby subject taught, post-primary schools 58
Fig. 3.9 The primary school web site: teachers responses 62
Fig. 3.10 The post-primary school web site: teachers responses 62
Fig. 4.1 Contentsof ICT plans, primary schools 77
Fig. 4.2 Contentsof ICT plans, post-primary schools 77
Fig. 4.3 Staff ICT training in primary schoolswithin the previousthree years 81
Fig. 4.4 Staff ICT training in post-primary schoolswithin the previousthree years 82
Fig. 4.5 Principals and teachers viewson ICT training requirements, primary schools 86
Fig. 4.6 Principals and teachers viewson ICT training requirements, post-primary schools 87
Fig. 4.7 Use of computersfor lesson preparation 90
Fig. 4.8 Resourcesprovided by mainstream primary teachersusing ICT 91
Fig. 4.9 Use of the internet in planning and preparation for teaching, by subject 93
Fig. 4.10 Scoilnet visitsby teachers 94
Fig. 4.11 The most popular sectionsof Scoilnet among teachers 95
Fig. 4.12 Teachers ratingsof Scoilnet 96
Fig. 4.13 Teachers viewson what Scoilnet should contain 97
Fig. 5.1 Use and related proficiency of applicationsin teaching 110
Fig. 5.2 Extent to which mainstream teachersplan for the use of ICT 112
Fig. 5.3 Organisation of teaching and learning during use of ICT 113
Fig. 5.4 Frequency of ICT use to promote learning in curricular areas 114
Fig. 5.5 Frequency of ICT use among mainstream and special classteachersto facilitate
Fig. 5.6 Frequency of use of individual internet resourcesby internet users 119
Fig. 5.7 Inspectors rating of the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning 122
Fig. 5.8 Students proficiency in individual tasks 125
Fig. 5.9 Level of ICT support for studentswith special educational needsin mainstream
classrooms 126
Fig. 5.10 Level of accessby studentswith special educational needsin special-education
Fig. 5.11 Extent to which special-education support team membersplan for the use of ICT 128
Fig. 5.12 Inspectors observationsof the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in
special-education support settings 128
Fig. 5.13 Frequency of ICT use in special-education support settingsto facilitate
Fig. 5.14 Inspectors ratingsof the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning observed in
special-education support settings 132
Fig. 6.1 Proficiency and use of applicationsin teaching 143
Fig. 6.2 Students use of computers 146
Fig. 6.3 Students ICT skill levels 147
Fig. 6.4 Use of ICT in the planning and preparation of observed lessons 156
Fig. 6.5 M ain usesof ICT in teaching and learning in the subjectsinspected, as
reported by teachers 157
Fig. 6.6 Frequency of use of computersin teaching 158
Fig. 6.7 Settingsin which ICT isused in classrooms 159
Fig. 6.8 Use of the internet and applications, by subject area 162
Fig. 6.9 Inspectors rating of the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning observed 164
Fig. 7.1 International student-computer ratiosfrom PISA 2003 179
ICT in Schools
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Foreword
Information and communication technology hasbrought profound changesto almost all aspectsof
our livesin recent years. It hastransformed activitiesasbasic ashow we work, communicate with
each other, treat illnesses, travel, shop and enjoy our leisure time. The pace of change showsno sign
of slowing: indeed, the development of ICT and itsapplicationsto areassuch asthe integration of
media, are continuing at even faster ratesthan heretofore. In a relatively short period of time, ICT
skillshave become asfundamental to living a full life asbeing able to read, write and compute.
Ireland hasbeen a leading player in the development of the ICT industry. We have been a leading
exporter of ICT hardware and software, and many of the key businessesin the industry have
important baseshere. Like other countries, we have also recognised that if our young people are to
live full livesin a world transformed by ICT, they need to have opportunitiesto acquire and develop
ICT skillsfrom an early age. Since the late 1990s, we have made considerable investmentsin ICT
infrastructure in schools, and in training for teachersand other professionals. Until now, little
national research evidence hasbeen published on the impact that the new technologieshave had
on schoolsand especially on teaching and learning. Thisreport examinesthe extent to which ICT
hasbeen used in schoolsat both primary and post-primary levelsand, more importantly, assesses
the impact that ICT hashad on teaching and learning, including the waysin which ICT isused to
support the learning of studentswith special educational needs.
The evaluation showsthat while much progresshasbeen achieved in the roll-out of ICT in schools,
considerable challengesremain. The report presentsfindingsand recommendationsthat will be of
interest to teachers, principals, school support services, curriculum developersand policy-makers. I
hope that it will inform debate and policy decisionson how we can ensure that young people have
the skills, knowledge and attitudesnecessary to benefit from the opportunitiespresented by this
powerful technology in the yearsahead.
Eamon Stack
Chief Inspector
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ICT in Schools
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Executive summary
xiii
Executive summary
An evaluation of the infrastructure, planning and use of information and communications
technology in teaching and learning wasconducted by the Inspectorate in primary and post-primary
schoolsduring the school year 2005/06. The objectivesof the evaluation were:
to examine the extent to which ICT wasused in primary and post-primary schools
to evaluate the impact of ICT on teaching and learning
to assessthe ICT skillsof studentsat selected pointsin the education system and to obtain their
viewson their experience of ICT in their schooling
to obtain the viewsof principalsand teacherson their ICT skillsand their opinionsof the impact
and future role of ICT in education
to make recommendationsfor policy development regarding ICT in schools.
ICT in Schools
xiv
The evaluation methodscomprised:
a national survey of primary (234) and post-primary (110) principals
a national survey of primary (1, 162) and post-primary (800) teachers
case-study school evaluationsby inspectors(32 primary schools, 20 post-primary schools)
observationsduring classroom inspections(77 primary schools)
observationsduring subject inspections(111 post-primary schools)
a follow-up on-line survey of teachersin case-study post-primary schools.
Summary of main findings
The findingsand recommendationsare summarised here and are elaborated in chapter 7.
Infrastructure
The student-computer ratio (SCR) in Irish schoolsis9.1:1 at primary level and 7:1 at post-primary
level. Information available from the OECD suggeststhat countriesthat have taken the lead in
the provision of ICT in schoolsare aiming for or achieving a SCR of 5:1.
In the main, schoolsmake effective use of the grantsprovided by the DES for developing their
ICT systems. However, schoolsgenerally spend considerably more on ICT than the sumsmade
available through these grantsschemes.
The lack of technical support and maintenance isa significant impediment to the development of
ICT in schools.
At primary level, computer roomsare generally a feature of the larger schools. However, access
by studentsto computerswasfound to be superior where the computerswere located in the
classrooms. At the post-primary level there isa greater permeation of computersin specialist
roomsthan in general classrooms.
Schoolswere found to use a limited range of ICT peripherals, mainly printers, scanners, and
digital cameras. Digital projectorswere found in post-primary schools. At primary level, interactive
whiteboardswere present in a small number of schools.
Schoolsthat made dedicated computer facilitiesavailable to teachersreported that it led to the
use of more high-quality and creative teaching resourcesin classrooms.
Executive summary
xv
Planning
Responsibility for ICT in a school can lie with an ICT steering committee, the principal, the deputy
principal, an ICT co-ordinator, or a combination of these personnel. Greater efficiency isachieved
where a named person hasresponsibility for ICT within a school and where their role isclearly
defined.
The majority (71% ) of primary schoolssurveyed, but fewer than half (46% ) of post-primary
schools, were found to have a written ICT plan. These planstend to concentrate more on
infrastructural issuesthan on how ICT can be used to enhance teaching and learning.
M ost schools(83% of primary schools, 87% of post-primary schools) were found to have an
acceptable-use policy (AUP). Thisisa product of the requirementsof the SchoolsBroadband
AccessProgramme and the safety-awarenessinitiativesof the NCTE. It isalso an indication of the
seriousnessthat schoolsattach to the risksassociated with the use of the internet.
The majority of teachersmake some use of ICT in lesson planning and preparation. Newly
qualified teachersare more likely to use ICT for thispurpose than their more experienced
colleagues. However, fewer teacherswere found to plan for the use of ICT in teaching and
learning. At the post-primary level, planning for the use of ICT in teaching variesbetween
subjects. The programmesfor Transition Year, LCVP and LCA specifically encourage planning for
the use of ICT in teaching and learning. Teachersof these programmesregularly reported that
their involvement also encouraged them to use ICT in their teaching with other classgroups.
School principalsand teachersidentified the provision and maintenance of hardware in schools
and the provision of professional development opportunitiesin ICT asbeing strategically
important for the development of ICT in their school. Generic programmesof professional
development, because of their wider appeal, were found to have a greater take-up among
teachersthan topic-specific programmes.
Teaching and learning
Only 30% of primary teachersand 25% of post-primary teachersrated their ability aseither
intermediate or advanced with regard to using teaching and learning methodsthat are
facilitated by ICT. Recently qualified teachershad a higher perception of their ICT skillsthan more
experienced teachers.
At the primary level, the inspectorsreported evidence of the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and
learning in 59% of the classroomsvisited. However, the inspectorsobserved ICT actually being
used in only 22% of the lessonsobserved. Nearly a quarter of all inspectionsshowed a
competent or optimal level of performance in relation to the use of ICT in the classroom.
ICT in Schools
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Executive summary
xvii
Where ICT isused in primary classroomsit predominatesin core curricular areas, such asEnglish
and M athematics, and in Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE).
The evaluation found that many fifth-classstudentsin primary schoolsdo not have the
competence to complete basic taskson the computer. While most studentsreported being able
to perform many of the most basic computer tasks, such asturning a computer on and off and
opening or saving a file, more than 30% reported that they were not able to print a document or
to go on the internet by themselves. Almost half (47% ) reported not being able to create a
document by themselves. The majority did not know how to create a presentation (72% ), use a
spreadsheet (86% ), or send an attachment with an e-mail message (88% ). Competence in the
use of ICT islimited for the most part to basic ICT skills, centred on the use of word-processing.
Only 18% of the post-primary lessonsobserved by the inspectorsinvolved an ICT-related activity.
Students interaction with the technology wasobserved in only about a quarter of these
instances. The most common ICT-related activity observed wasthe use of a data projector to
make a presentation to a classgroup. Inspectorsjudged that effective integration of ICT in
teaching and learning wasoccurring in approximately half of the lessonsin which the use of ICT
wasobserved (i.e. in approximately 11% of all lessonsobserved).
Dedicated ICT lessonsat the post-primary level are more prevalent among first-year classes, and
are provided lessfrequently asstudentsprogresstowardsthe Junior Certificate. The majority of
schoolsconcentrate on providing studentswith such lessonsin their Transition Year, in the LCVP,
and in the LCA.
High levelsof integration of ICT were found at the post-primary level in the science and applied
science subjectsand in subjectsin the social studiesI group.
1
Subjectswere also identified that
rarely made use of ICT, the most notable being Irish.
The evaluation found that fifth-year studentsin post-primary schoolshad the confidence to
perform many basic computer operationsby themselves, for example saving, printing, deleting,
opening and editing a document. However, it also found that they generally needed some
assistance to perform more complicated tasks, such asmoving files, copying filesto external
storage devices, and writing and sending e-mail. A relatively low proportion of these students
reported being able to create a multimedia presentation. Studentsrequired most help with
attaching a file to an e-mail message, constructing a web page, or dealing with computer viruses.
While the post-primary inspectorsgenerally commented positively on the students ICT work that
they observed, they were also concerned that the tasksundertaken by the studentswere largely
word-processing and presentation tasks.
1 Social StudiesI group includesHistory; G eography; Art, Craft, and Design; and M usic. Social StudiesII group includesReligious
Education; Physical Education; Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE); and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE).
ICT iswidely used to facilitate the provision by schoolsof special education. Generally, ICT isused
more frequently by membersof the special-education team rather than by mainstream class
teachers. The emphasisin students engagement with ICT in special-education settingsismainly
on the support of literacy.
Support for ICT
The level of awarenessamong teachersof the ICT advisory service isgenerally low, with fewer
than half the respondentsat both the primary and the post-primary level reporting an awareness
of it. Awarenessishigher, however, among ICT co-ordinatorsthan among other teachers.
The use of the ICT advisory service isalso low. At the primary level only 22% of all respondents
reported having used the service, while at the post-primary level the corresponding figure was
15% .
Summary of key recommendations for policy-makers and policy
advisors
The level of ICT infrastructure in schoolsneedsto be improved. Specifically, Ireland should be
working towardsequipping not just all schoolsbut all classroomswith an appropriate level of ICT
infrastructure. Consideration should be given to equipping all classroomswith a computer for use
by the teacher, broadband internet accesswith adequate bandwidth, and a fixed data projector
and screen for use by the teacher in presentations. Furthermore, to ensure appropriate accessto
ICT by students, Ireland should strive to reduce itsstudent-computer ratio (SCR) from the present
9.1:1 in primary schoolsand 7:1 in post-primary schools. International evidence suggeststhat
countriesthat have taken a lead in thisarea are aiming for or achieving a ratio of 5:1 or lessin all
schools.
Improvementsin ICT infrastructure will need to be supported by the introduction of a national
ICT technical support and maintenance system for schools. Schoolsalso need to be provided with
the capacity to regularly upgrade their own ICT infrastructure.
The pedagogical dimension of the ICT advisors role in an education centre could be more
appropriately provided by the relevant school support services, in liaison with the ICT school co-
ordinators. The technical dimension of the ICT advisors role could be provided in a number of
ways, including for example, by having a commercially supplied ICT maintenance and support for
schools. With an effective IT maintenance system in place, the pedagogical role of ICT co-
ordinatorswithin schoolscould be enhanced and supported with appropriate training.
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xviii
Support servicesshould give priority to the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. There is
an opportunity for such servicesto work more closely with schools, and with school ICT co-
ordinatorsin particular, to determine staff training needsand assist in organising appropriate
professional development coursesfor teachers. Support service personnel should aim to be
proactive in providing examplesof how ICT can be used to facilitate teaching and learning in any
programmesprovided. Furthermore, course organisersshould take greater account of the wide
range of ICT abilitiesand experiencescommonly found in groupsof teachersand should provide
differentiated ICT learning experiencesfor course participants.
Additional guidance should be provided to schoolsand teachersof studentswith special
educational needsso that the needsof learnersmay be matched more appropriately with the
technology available.
There needsto be an increased emphasison the application of ICT in teaching and learning in
teacher education at pre-service, induction and continuing professional development stages. It is
recommended that teacher education departmentsin third-level collegesshould provide student
teacherswith the skillsnecessary to effectively use ICT in teaching and foster in them a culture of
using ICT in their work. Consideration should also be given to extending and expanding
significantly the current range of professional development coursesavailable for teachers. A
major focusof such an initiative should be on how ICT may be integrated fully in the teaching
and learning of specific subjectsand curricular areas. The ICT Framework for Schools, which the
NCCA will issue in the near future, will be a further assistance to schoolsin thisregard.
Key recommendations for schools
Schoolsand teachersshould regularly review the use of ICT in their work. In particular, they
should strive to ensure greater integration of ICT within teaching and learning activitiesin
classroomsand other settings.
Teachersshould exploit the potential of ICT to develop aswide a range of students skillsas
possible, including the higher-order skillsof problem-solving, synthesis, analysis, and evaluation.
Principalsshould encourage and facilitate suitable ICT training for teachers. Schoolsshould liase
with relevant support servicesand should endeavour to establish mechanismsto facilitate the
sharing of good practice among membersof the staff.
Schoolsshould endeavour to provide all their studentswith an appropriate and equitable level of
experience of ICT at all classlevels: at the primary level and at both junior and senior cycle at the
post-primary level.
Executive summary
xix
Schoolsshould plan for the maintenance and upgrading of their ICT systems.
Computer rooms, where they exist, should be used to maximum effect. Staff membersand
studentsshould be provided with adequate accessto the internet. Post-primary schoolsin
particular should aim to increase the permeation of ICT in general classrooms.
A designated staff member should be responsible for ICT development. An ICT plan should be
developed, using a consultative process, and an appropriate-use policy (AUP) should also be
established.
Teachersshould endeavour to integrate ICT more in their planning and preparation for teaching.
Schoolsneed to ensure that ICT isused to support studentswith special educational needsin the
most effective and appropriate way. Schoolsneed to ensure that they match students' needsto
the most appropriate technology available, and that ICT isused to support not only the
acquisition of literacy but the widest range of students' needs.
Schoolsshould exploit the benefitsto be had from ICT in their assessment proceduresand also in
their administrative practices.
ICT in Schools
xx
ICT in primary and post-primary education in Ireland
Chapter 1
1
Part 1
Introduction
1.1 Introduction
Information and communicationstechnology (ICT) isan accepted element in all our livesand hasa
central role to play in education. Since the appearance of the first Government policy on ICT in
education in 1997, a substantial investment hasbeen made in ICT facilitiesand training in Irish
schools. In Ireland, asin other countries, the debate about ICT in education concentrateson the
potential impact of ICT on teaching and learning and on the measuresthat need to be adopted to
ensure that the potential of ICT to enrich students learning experience isrealised.
ThisInspectorate report presentsthe findingsof a major evaluation of the impact of ICT on teaching
and learning in both primary and post-primary schoolsin Ireland. The evaluation set out to establish
the extent to which ICT wasused in the schoolsat both levelsand, more importantly, to assessthe
impact ICT had on teaching and learning, including the waysin which ICT isused to facilitate the
learning of studentswith special educational needs. The viewsof principalsand teachersabout their
own ICT skills, and their opinionsabout the impact and future role of ICT in education, were sought
during the evaluation.
Thischapter examinesthe background to the provision of ICT in Irish schools. It first seeksto place
the development of ICT in education in the wider social and economic context. The policy context
for the development of ICT in schoolsisthen considered. The findingsof the censusof ICT
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
2
infrastructure (2005) carried out by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) are then
reviewed.
1.2 Background
Asthe OECD haspointed out, ICT isnow ubiquitousin the modern world (OECD, 2001). The OECD
hasreported that, in the twenty-one OECD countriesfor which data wasavailable, employment in
the ICT industry represented about 6.6% of total businessemployment (OECD, 2003). This
translated into more than 16 million people employed in the industry. The European Union
accounted for more than a third of thisfigure.
The same OECD report noted that average employment growth in the ICT industry over the
previousfive yearshad been more than 4.3% annually, a figure that wasmore than three timesthat
of businessin general. A more recent and even more dramatic indicator of the growth in ICT,
published by the OECD in 2006, showsan increase in broadband penetration of 33% in the OECD
between June 2005 and June 2006 (OECD, 2006b). Similar statisticscould be quoted for numerous
indicatorsof the growth in ICT around the world. Such statisticsprovide irrefutable proof of the
extent to which ICT isbecoming an increasingly integral part of modern society, with ICT
competence becoming increasingly important for effective participation in social and economic
activity.
In Ireland, no lessthan in other OECD countries, the impact of ICT on businessand society generally
hasincreased dramatically in recent years. In many respectsIreland hasbeen a leader in the
adoption of the technology and in capitalising on itspotential to develop our economy. For
example, in 2003 Ireland wasthe leading exporter of computer software, while, according to
Eurostat, a third of all personal computerssold in Europe are manufactured in Ireland
2
. However, not
all the indicatorsof progresstowardsa knowledge economy are aspositive. The 2006 OECD report
referred to above showed that Ireland was24th out of 30 OECD countriesin broadband
penetration. It isclear that, at least in certain areas, Ireland still hassome way to go to be a leader in
the field of ICT.
The increasing permeation of ICT in all aspectsof modern life hasled to the concept of a
knowledge-based society, one aspect of which isthe knowledge-based economy
3
. It isnow
widely accepted that the future prosperity of the country ispredicated on our ability to develop a
knowledge-based economy. Arising from the Lisbon agenda
4
, the development of such an economy
isthe stated aim of the Government. The Technology Foresight Reportsrecommended that the
Government establish a major fund to develop Ireland asa centre for world-classresearch excellence
in ICT and biotechnology (Irish Council for Science Technology and Innovation, 1999). Aspart of its
ICT in primary and post-primary education
Chapter 1
3
2 Statistical O ffice of the European Communities.
3 It [a knowledge-based economy] maybe defined asan economyin which the generation and the exploitation of knowledge has
come to playthe predominant part in the creation of wealth. (Accenture, 2004)
4 The European Council of Headsof State and G overnmentsheld in Lisbon in 2000 set asa strategic goal that the European Union
should become the worldsmost competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economyby2010. The programme of reformsintended
to implement thisgoal isreferred to asthe Lisbon Agenda or the Lisbon Process.
response, the Government initiated the Technology Foresight Fund of more than 700 million in
2000. Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) wascreated to administer thisfund, first asa sub-group
within Forfs
5
and subsequently on a statutory basis. In itsStrategy for Science, Technology and
Innovation, 20062013, published in June 2006 (p.8), the Government committed itself to building
on the achievementsof SFI over the previoussix yearsand reiterated itsvision for the development
of Ireland asa knowledge-based economy (Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, 2006).
Ireland by2013 will be internationallyrenowned for the excellence of itsresearch, and will be to the
forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress, within an innovation
driven culture.
Thiscommitment wasreiterated in the current social partnership agreement, Towards 2016
(Department of the Taoiseach, 2006). In the section on education and training (p.31), one of the
specific short-term commitmentswithin the first phase isthat all children will have the opportunity
to become ICT literate by completion of second level. Thiscommitment to the development of ICT
underlinesan appreciation of the fundamental role played by ICT in a knowledge-based economy.
The critical sector which underpinsand enablesthe transition to a knowledge-based economyisthe ICT
sector which providesthe abilityto create, store and distribute knowledge more cheaplythan ever in
human history. The ICT sector essentiallyenablesthe existence and growth of the knowledge-based
economy(Accenture, 2004).
The world of education hasnot been immune to the development of ICT. AsM ichael Kompf (2005),
in a review of a number of bookson the subject, notes, each author assumesICT asa permanent
feature in the landscape of teaching and learning . The ICT and education page of the SURF
6
web site takesthisa step further when it saysthat
It isno longer possible nowadaysto conceive of education without information and communications
technology(ICT). One can go even further bypointing out that education isincreasinglybeing defined by
ICT.
M uch hasbeen achieved in recent yearsin developing the ICT infrastructure in schools. This
infrastructural development hasrequired significant levelsof investment, primarily by the State but
also by individual schoolsand institutions. Given the level of investment of both time and finance, as
described in thisreport, the need for a thorough evaluation of the impact of ICT in schoolswas
clear.
Aspointed out by the OECD (2001) and others, there are three main rationalesfor promoting the
use of ICT in schools, namely the economic, the social, and the pedagogical. These, of course, are
not mutually exclusive. The first two derive directly from the proliferation of ICT in the modern
world, referred to earlier. Asdescribed above, the economic imperative for promoting ICT in schools
iswell recognised in Ireland, asit isin other developed countries. The National Competitiveness
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
4
5 Forfsisthe national policyand advisoryboard for enterprise, trade, science, technology, and innovation. It operatesunder the
auspicesof the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
6 SURF isthe Dutch higher education and research partnership organisation for network servicesand for information and
communicationstechnology.
Council
7
, in itsAnnual CompetitivenessReport for 2006, commentsthat better use of ICT has
been identified asone of the key factorsrequired to improve Irelandsproductivity performance.
The report went on to point out that, while Irelandsexpenditure per capita on ICT wasslightly
above the EU 15 average, Ireland ranked ninth of the EU 15 countriesin expenditure per capita on
ICT.
While funding for research hasincreased dramatically in recent years, the Expert Group on Future
SkillsNeeds(EGFSN) continuesto warn of shortfallsin the output of graduatesin ICT. A submission
to the M inister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in October 2005 by the EGFSN and Forfs
notesthat existing EGFSN forecastssuggest that there will be significant shortagesof graduates
with ICT backgroundsin the period up to 2010 (Forfs, 2005).
Though ICT isa vital sector of the economy, requiring highly skilled professionals, it nevertheless
representsonly a relatively small fraction of total employment. However, in the knowledge economy,
asit isnow and more so asit will be in the future, ICT competence isa prerequisite for employeesin
virtually every area. Furthermore, the need for a facility with ICT isnot confined to the work
environment but increasingly permeatesall aspectsof everyday life, including home and leisure. The
social imperative for promoting ICT in schools, therefore, isclear: if studentsare to be prepared to
lead fulfilled and productive livesin a knowledge-based society they should be ICT-competent on
leaving the school system.
The pedagogical rationale for promoting ICT in schoolsisconcerned with the use of ICT in teaching
and learning. It isintimately related, therefore, to the economic and social rationales, but ICT also
hasadditional application in the teaching and learning process. It providesteacherswith a range of
new toolsto facilitate traditional pedagogies; it also and perhapsmore importantly, presentsthe
teacher with the potential to develop new teaching methods. For the student growing up in a
culture of all-pervasive technology, ICT providesnew, and more exciting and relevant, learning
opportunities.
In 2002 a report by the Information Society Commission (ISC) noted that, compared with major
competitors, Ireland lagged some distance in the application of ICT in education (Information
Society Commission, 2002).
8
The report recommended that basic ICT skillsshould, asfar aspossible,
become a core component of mainstream education. The ISC made a number of recommendations
to the Government, including:
priority for capital investment in ICT in schools
a commitment to establishing broadband connectivity for schoolsand other centresof learning
provision of technical support for the education system
integration of ICT in the curriculum
a review of ICT in teacher education, both pre-service and in-service.
Chapter 1
5
7 The National CompetitivenessCouncil wasestablished in 1997 asa social partnership bodyand reportsto the Taoiseach on
competitivenessissuesfacing the economy.
8 The Information SocietyCommission wasan independent advisorybodyto the G overnment, reporting directlyto the Taoiseach. The
last commission served from November 2001 to December 2004.
Developing an education system responsive to the demandsof a knowledge-based society presents
challengesfor all the participantsin education. Not the least of these challengesisthe need for
significant additional funding to provide the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the development of
ICT in the classroom. The technical support and maintenance of thisinfrastructure, when it exists, is
also a challenge and isan issue for many schools(asdiscussed in later chaptersof thisreport). As
noted above, ICT providesteacherswith opportunitiesto develop new teaching methods. However,
to realise the potential of ICT to expand their methodological repertoire, most teachersrequire
continuing professional development and support in the use of the relevant technologies. Teachers
in specific subject areasalso require support in responding to the demandspresented by the
inclusion of ICT in revised syllabuses. At the school level the integration of ICT in teaching and
learning putsadditional demandson timetabling asschoolsexpand their curriculum to include
dedicated ICT lessons, particularly at the post-primary level, while ensuring equitable accessto ICT
facilitiesfor studentsin the context of subject-specific requirements.
1.3 ICT policy and investment in education
The importance of developing ICT in education and responding to the challengesoutlined in the
previoussection hasbeen recognised by the Government for more than a decade. The White Paper
on education Charting Our Education Future(1995) stated asone of the objectivesof the junior
cycle curriculum that all students. . . will have achieved . . . competence and understanding in
practical skills, including computer literacy and information technology. In 1997 the Government
published itsfirst policy document on ICT in education, entitled Schools IT 2000. The publication of
thispolicy document led in 1998 to the introduction of the ICT in SchoolsInitiative. Thisinitiative
established the basisfor the development of ICT in the education system.
1.3.1 Policy for ICT in education
In 1998 the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) wasestablished, with a brief to
implement the SchoolsIT 2000 initiative. The NCTEsbrief also included the development of ICT
policy proposalsand the provision of ICT policy advice to the Department of Education and Science.
The SchoolsIT 2000 initiative had three major strands:
the Technology Integration Initiative
the Teaching SkillsInitiative
the SchoolsSupport Initiative, including
the SchoolsIntegration Project (SIP)
Scoilnet.
The role of ICT in supporting children with special educational needswasa feature of all the IT 2000
initiatives.
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
6
The Technology Integration Initiative wasdesigned to support schoolsin developing their ICT
infrastructure. Schoolsreceived grantsfor the purchase of computer hardware, and those schools
that did not already have an internet connection were assisted in getting on line. (See section 1.3.3.)
The aim of the Technology Integration Initiative wasto have at least 60, 000 computersin schoolsby
the end of 2001. In the following year the NCTE censusreported that there were some 84, 000
computersin Irish schools.
The Teaching SkillsInitiative recognised that there waslittle point in putting computersin schools
unlessteacherswere trained in their use. Thisinitiative provided for teacher training in three distinct
areas, namely ICT skillsand awareness, professional skillsdevelopment in ICT, and pedagogical skills
development.
The SchoolsIntegration Project dealt with whole-school development and investigated a range of
teaching and learning topicswith regard to ICT integration. Approximately ninety pilot projectswere
established in a number of lead schools, which worked in partnership with education centres,
businesses, industry, third-level institutions, and the community. M ost of the individual projects
implemented aspart of the SIP concluded in 2001 and 2002, and the remainder were completed in
2004.
The Scoilnet initiative isresponsible for the promotion and use of the internet and ICT in education.
The main emphasisof thisinitiative ison the development of the Scoilnet web site (www.scoilnet.ie)
Chapter 1
7
asa resource for teachersand students. Resource materialsfor the web site are reviewed by a panel
of subject experts, thusensuring their appropriatenessfor use in Irish classrooms. The Scoilnet web
site isthe Department of Education and Sciencesofficial portal for Irish education. The Scoilnet
initiative isalso responsible for the development and maintenance of the NCTE web site, which
providescomprehensive advice and support on all aspectsof ICT in education aswell asserving asa
notice-board for the NCTEsactivities.
SchoolsIT 2000 envisaged that ICT advisorswould be appointed in education centresto support the
work of the NCTE by providing leadership, training and support, including on-line support, at the
regional level and by providing regular feedback on progressand issuesarising. Ultimately some
twenty ICT advisors(later increased to twenty-one) one in each of the full-time education
centres were appointed. The main role of these advisorsmay be summarised asfollows:
to advise and support teachersin their region in integrating ICT in their teaching and in their
students learning
to build a knowledge base on all mattersrelating to the use of ICT in their local schools.
A report on the implementation of SchoolsIT 2000 published in 2001 revealed a high level of
satisfaction with the initiativesimplemented under IT 2000 (National Policy Advisory and
Development Committee)
9
. The report, however, identified three issuesof concern:
the need for more training for teachers
the need for more funding (equipment and computers, maintenance, support)
the need for more support (technical support, encouragement to use ICT).
Based on itsfindings, the committee made recommendationscovering a range of areas, including
policy, funding, the professional development of teachers, pre-service teacher education,
infrastructure, and technical support.
In 2001 the Government launched itssecond policy document on ICT in education, A Blueprint for
the Future of ICT in Irish Education. Thiswasa three-year strategic plan designed to support the
continuation of the main initiativesbegun under IT 2000 and to build on the progressachieved
under that plan. The main objectivesof the Blueprint policy were to:
expand ICT capital provision to schools
increase accessto, and the use of, internet technologies
further integrate ICT in teaching and learning
enhance professional development opportunitiesfor teachers.
While support for children with special educational needswasa feature of all earlier initiativesunder
IT 2000, the Blueprint gave priority to provision for these students. A further focusof the Blueprint
wasplanning for ICT at the school level. Arising from thisfocus, the NCTE in 2002 published a
planning pack entitled ICT Planning and Advice for Schools. Thispack wasdesigned to facilitate
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
8
9 The National PolicyAdvisoryand Development Committee (NPADC) wasset up in 1998 under SchoolsIT 2000 to assist the NCTE in
itswork. The committee included representation from the education and social partners.
schoolsin developing ICT plansto meet the infrastructural and other ICT-related needsof their
individual schools.
1.3.2 ICT in the curriculum
The revised Primary School Curriculumwaslaunched in 1999. The introduction to the curriculum
states:
Technological skillsare increasinglyimportant for advancement in education, work, and leisure. The
curriculum integratesICT into the teaching and learning processand provideschildren with opportunities
to use modern technologyto enhance their learning in all subjects(Department of Education and
Science, 1999, p. 29).
Asthisstatement suggests, ICT in the primary curriculum isseen primarily asa tool for facilitating
teaching and learning throughout the curriculum, rather than asa subject in itsown right. The
teacher guidelinesthat accompany the curriculum document for each area provide detailed
suggestionson how ICT can be used to best effect in the teaching and learning of the particular
subject. Thus, for example, the teacher guidelinesfor English open the section on ICT with the
statement:
Computersand other itemsof information and communication technologiesenrich the teaching and
learning of language considerably. The following are among some of the waysin which theymaybe
used.
The guidelinesthen go on to list some eight waysin which ICT might be used, from CD-based
reference materialsto the internet and e-mail. In 2004 the National Council for Curriculum and
Assessment (NCCA) completed a comprehensive set of guidelinesfor teacherson the use of ICT
(National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2004a). These guidelineswere designed to
complement the teacher guidelinesprovided with the different subjectsin the Primary School
Curriculumwhile reflecting developmentsin ICT since the launch of the curriculum five yearsearlier.
In a discussion document published in the same year the NCCA set out seven key principlesfor
guiding learners use of ICT (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2004b, pp. 31-34),
which addsvalue to the curriculum when it facilitates:
students active involvement in their own learning
the development of students higher-order thinking skills
students learning in authentic environments
students interest and engagement in learning
differentiated learning for all students
collaborative learning
assessment of and for learning.
At the post-primary level, computerswere first introduced asa course of study to the curriculum in
1980, when an optional computer studiesmodule wasincluded in the Leaving Certificate
Chapter 1
9
M athematicssyllabus. Schoolsare required to develop their own syllabusfor thisoption within
broad parameterslaid down by the DES (Department of Education and Science, 2006). The module
isnot examinable, but studentswho complete it satisfactorily are issued with a certificate by the
DES. While only minor modificationshave been made to the published course parameterssince its
introduction in 1980, anecdotal evidence suggeststhat the emphasisin those schoolsthat continue
to provide the module hasshifted significantly towardsthe development of skillsin such areasas
word-processing and spreadsheets.
When the Leaving Certificate computer studiesmodule wasintroduced in 1980 it wasintended that
thiswould be a first step in the development of computer studiesin the post-primary curriculum. In
1985 a computer studiescourse wasintroduced in the junior cycle. Unlike the senior-cycle module,
no certification isprovided for those who complete thiscourse. The national survey of school
principalsreported that only 13% of them were providing thiscourse. (See chapter 6.)
Neither of the computer studiescourseshasbeen revised since their introduction, nor hasthere
been any further development of computer studiescourses, assuch, aspart of the curriculum in
either the junior or the senior cycle. However, in the LCA programme there are two coursesin
information and communicationstechnology. All studentsin the programme must complete a two-
module course entitled Introduction to Information and Communications. In addition they may
choose, asone of their vocational specialisms, a four-module course in information and
communicationstechnology. Like all the vocational specialisms, thislatter course isassessed in a
written examination at the end of year 2. In 2007 thisexamination wastaken by some 1, 155
candidates, or 38% of the Leaving Certificate examination candidateswho had followed the LCA
programme.
While the computer studiesmodulesintroduced in the 1980swere seen asindependent subjects,
with an emphasison computer programming, more recent trendshave concentrated on the cross-
curricular applicationsof ICT. M any of the revised syllabusesintroduced in recent yearshave
included referencesto the relevant applicationsof ICT in the subject area aswell asto the more
general applicationsof ICT to teaching and learning. For example, the teacher guidelinesthat
accompany the revised Junior Certificate Science syllabus, introduced in 2003, have a section on
Using ICT in the teaching and learning of Science. At the Leaving Certificate level one of the
stated aimsof the Geography syllabus, introduced in 2004, is to encourage the use of information
and communication technology in the teaching and learning of Geography. Thissyllabusalso
containsseveral other referencesto specific usesof ICT in the teaching and learning of the subject.
In the LCVP, in addition to the use of ICT in specific subject areas, studentsare required to use ICT in
the preparation and presentation of their portfolios. In Transition Year, many schoolsprovide courses
in ICT-related areas; these include such coursesas Computer Science , Computer Applications
and Information Technology .
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
10
Aspart of itswork on the place of ICT in the post-primary curriculum, the National Council for
Curriculum and Assessment commissioned research in the area. Thisresulted in two research reports
being presented to the NCCA by the University of Limerick. The first study found that there was
overwhelming support from both the education system and industry for the introduction of a
computer-based subject to the Established Leaving Certificate programme (O' Doherty et al., 2000).
The primary reason put forward by respondentsfor introducing such a subject wasthe promotion of
computer literacy. The second study investigated the preferred nature of an ICT-related subject in
more depth (O' Doherty, et al., 2001). Thisstudy reported general agreement on the need to
introduce provision for computer literacy for all studentsasthe first priority. However, there was
no agreement on how best thismight be achieved. The findingsof the University of Limerick study
were discussed at length by NCCA committees. The principal reasonsfor not proceeding with the
development of a discrete Leaving Certificate subject were concerned with the inequalitieslikely to
emanate from such a decision. Committeesagreed that equity of accessfor all studentswould be
compromised, asa discrete subject would, of necessity, be optional.
The NCCA hasnow adopted a twin-track approach to promoting ICT in the curriculum. Firstly, it
aimsto facilitate the development of students competence in using ICT through itsinclusion in
revised syllabusesand in teacher guidelines. For example, ICT featuressignificantly in the revised
Leaving Certificate Design and CommunicationsGraphicssyllabusand also in itsassessment. It also
arisesasa focusof learning in the core of the new LC Technology syllabus. Secondly, the NCCA
aimsto promote ICT asa resource for teaching and learning throughout the curriculum. It isnow
developing a Framework for ICT in Curriculum and Assessment for primary schoolsand for the
junior cycle of post-primary schools. The ICT framework isnot designed asa course in ICT but
instead isintended to be a cross-curricular support for schoolsand teachersin developing their
students competence in ICT. It ispresented in four inter-related areasof learning, encompassing
such attributesasbasic knowledge and skills, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking
and creativity. The framework isat present being tested in a number of schools, with resourcesand
training being provided. It ishoped to have the framework and support materialsready for use in
schoolsin September 2008.
1.3.3 Investment in ICT in education
Since the introduction of the ICT in SchoolsInitiative in 1998 the Government hasmade a
substantial investment in the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. Asmanifested in the NCTE
censusdescribed later in thischapter, thisinvestment hasresulted in significant progressin the
development of ICT infrastructure in schools.
Each of the policy initiativesdescribed in the previoussection wassupported by substantial funding.
The detailsof thisfunding are summarised in table 1.1.
Chapter 1
11
Table 1.1: Funding of ICT in education policy initiatives
I ni t i at i ve Year begun Fundi ng
School s IT 2000: A Pol i cy Framework f or t he New Mi l l enni um 1998 52 mi l l i on
Bl uepri nt f or t he Fut ure of ICT i n Iri sh School s 2001 78 mi l l i on
Net worki ng School s 2004 23 mi l l i on
10
School s Broadband Programme 2005 30 mi l l i on
11
From the 2005/06 school year schoolsare being provided with broadband internet accessaspart of
a joint project between the Government and the Telecommunicationsand Internet Federation of the
Irish Businessand Employers' Confederation. The local schoolsconnectivity isbeing provided by
meansof a SchoolsNational Broadband Network. Thisnetwork and the support servicesto schools
are managed by the National Centre for Technology in Education and supported by HEAnet. The
total costsof the SchoolsBroadband Programme, including the initial set-up and continuing coststo
June 2008, are estimated to amount to approximately 30 million.
1.4 ICT infrastructure census in schools (2005)
Beginning in 1998, the NCTE conducted a number of censusesof ICT infrastructure in schools. The
most recent of these, the fourth since 1998, wascarried out in M ay and June 2005. The previous
censuswascarried out in 2002. The report of the 2005 censusgivesa valuable insight into the
development of the ICT infrastructure in schoolsat both primary and post-primary level (Shiel &
O Flaherty, 2006). In so doing it presentsan overview of the resultsof Government investment in
ICT while at the same time providing an indication of the need for further investment in the future.
The censusreport providesa comprehensive overview of the ICT infrastructure in schools. The
remainder of thissection givesa summary of the salient featuresof the report.
1.4.1 Computers in schools
The NCTE census(2005) showsthat since the previouscensus(2002) there wasan increase of
approximately 15% in the number of computersin schools. Allowing for schoolsthat did not
respond to the census, the total number of working computersin schoolswasestimated to be
97, 709. These were approximately equally divided between primary and post-primary schools.
However, asthere are almost four-and-a-half timesasmany primary schoolsaspost-primary schools,
the number of computersper school iscorrespondingly lower at primary level.
The censusalso collected data on the location of computersin schools. In primary schoolsand
special schoolsapproximately half the computersare in general classrooms. In post-primary schools
only 4% of computersare in general classrooms; in those schoolsalmost 60% of computersare in
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
12
10 Expenditure to August 2007.
11 Estimated cost of set-up and continuing coststo June 2008.
computer rooms. Computersat post-primary level were also found in a range of specialist rooms,
such asscience laboratoriesand technology rooms. The low penetration of computersin general
classroomsat post-primary level wascommented on in the evaluation reportsprovided by
inspectors. (Thisisdiscussed in chapter 6.)
Rather than the number of computersper school, a more appropriate indicator of the penetration
of the technology in schoolsisthe student-computer ratio (SCR).
12
The SCR in 2005 for the three
school sectors primary, post-primary, and special schools isshown in table 1.2. The table also
showsthe corresponding figuresfrom the previoustwo censuses, in 2002 and 2000. It isclear from
table 1.2 that there hasbeen a significant improvement in the SCR over the past five years,
particularly at primary level. At post-primary level the improvement islessmarked, though still
significant.
Table 1.2: Student-computer ratio (SCR) in each school sector in given years
Pr i mar y Post - pr i mar y Speci al
2005 9.1 7.0 3.1
2002 11.3 7.4 3.8
2000 16.3 10.9 5.7
While the improvement in the SCR iswelcome, the ratio isstill substantially below international
standards. For example, in 2003 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) gathered data on the numbersof
computersin schools.
13
At that time the OECD calculated a SCR for post-primary schoolsin Ireland
of 9:1. Thiscompared with an OECD average of 6:1. The SCR for the United Stateswas3:1, while
for a number of other countries, including Hungary and (South) Korea, it was4:1. Ascan be seen
from table 1.2, the SCR at post-primary level in Ireland wasestimated to be 7:1 in 2005. However,
thisisstill approximately twice what it wastwo yearsearlier in the other countriesmentioned, and it
islikely that those countrieswill also have shown improvementsin the interim.
Asnoted above, the stock of working computersin schoolshasincreased significantly in recent
years. However, thistechnology ischanging rapidly, and what wasconsidered state of the art in
2000 isnow of limited value for running modern software. The NCTE report showsthat in primary
schoolsalmost 29% of computersare more than six yearsold. The corresponding figuresfor post-
primary and special schoolsare 19% and 21% , respectively. While these computersmay be
adequate for basic tasks, such asword-processing, they are not capable of running much modern
software, and ascomputersage they become prone to technical problems.
Chapter 1
13
12 The student-computer ratio (SCR) isthe number of studentsenrolled in a school divided bythe number of computersin the school.
See note 19 (chapter 2) for further details.
13 PISA isadministered to fifteen-year-old pupils, and therefore the data refersto post-primaryschools.
1.4.2 Other ICT equipment in schools
The NCTE censusgathered data on other aspectsof schools ICT infrastructure aswell ascomputers.
The most commonly found ICT equipment after the computer wasa scanner. Thisequipment was
found in more than 80% of schoolsacrossall sectors, with close to 90% of post-primary schools
reporting having a scanner. The next most commonly found itemsof equipment acrossall sectors
were printersand digital (still) cameras. While printerswere commonly found acrossall sectorslaser
printerswere much more common in post-primary schools, with almost 90% of those schools
having a laser printer, compared with 38% of primary schools.
Post-primary schoolswere also better equipped in a number of other areas. Not surprisingly, very
few primary or special schoolshad a data-logger, while almost half the post-primary schoolshad this
equipment. Perhapsmore notable isthe discrepancy in the availability of data projectors, particularly
fixed data projectors, asillustrated in table 1.3. It isalso worth noting the low penetration of
interactive whiteboards. Only 5% of post-primary schoolshad an interactive whiteboard, while the
corresponding figuresfor special schoolsand primary schoolswere 3% and 2% , respectively.
Table 1.3: Proportion of schools having at least one fixed and one mobile data projector
Pr i mar y school s Post - pr i mar y school s Speci al school s
Mobi l e dat a proj ect or 31% 78% 28%
Fi xed dat a proj ect or 6% 51% 5%
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
14
In relation to special-needsprovision, the report showsthat, outside of the special schools, there is
relatively little provision of assistive technology devices. For example, other computer control
devices(e.g. touch-screens, alternative mice and keyboards) were reported in only 13% of schools
at both primary and post-primary level, compared with 55% of special schools. That such devices
are more commonly found in special schoolsisnot, of course, a surprise.
While the NCTE report doesshow a low penetration of some ICTsrelative to other countries, as
discussed above, it also showsthat, in relation to at least some of the technologies, there have been
significant improvementssince 2002. For example, the proportion of primary schoolsthat have at
least one data projector, either fixed or mobile, more than doubled, from 16.5% in 2002 to 36.4%
in 2005. A similar increase wasreported in special schools: from 13.3% in 2002 to 30.4% in 2005.
The increase in post-primary schoolswasmuch lessmarked, primarily because most of these schools
(84% ) already had a data projector in 2002. In 2005 some 93% of post-primary schoolshad a least
one data projector.
In contrast to the increasing prevalence of data projectorsthe change in the adoption of interactive
whiteboardshasbeen very slow. Thistechnology wasreported in about 2% of primary schoolsand
5% of post-primary schoolsin both 2002 and 2005. By contrast, a survey by the Department for
Education and Skillsin England in 2004 estimated that 63% of primary schoolshad interactive
whiteboards, while the corresponding figure in secondary schoolswas92% .
1.4.3 Expenditure on ICT and technical support
Asreferred to earlier in thischapter, the DES hasprovided financial support to schoolsfor
developing their infrastructure. The NCTE censussought to establish the level of expenditure by
schoolsin addition to grantsreceived from the Department. The response rate to the questions
relating to expenditure by schoolswasrelatively low, with the proportion of non-respondents
ranging from 20% to 45% . Asthe report suggests, data on schools expenditure must therefore be
interpreted with caution.
For schoolsthat did respond to the relevant question, the average additional expenditure on ICT in
the previousfull financial year was2, 129 per school for primary schools, 11, 583 for post-primary
schools, and 5, 679 for special schools.
In relation to technical support, the average amount spent by responding schoolswas741 for
primary schools, 3, 765 for post-primary schools, and 1, 239 for special schools. Asthe report
notes, approximately one-third of spending on ICTswasallocated to technical support at primary
and post-primary level and about one-fifth in special schools.
Chapter 1
15
1.4.4 Other areas covered in the census
Other areasexamined in the NCTE censusincluded networking, ICT planning, the professional
development of staff members, the certification of students, technical support and maintenance,
and use of the internet.
1.5 Summary
That ICT should be an integral part of the education system isno longer a matter for debate.
Studentsmust be provided with the opportunity to develop the competence required to equip them
for life in a knowledge-based society, while teacherscannot afford to ignore the potential of ICT for
enhancing teaching and learning in their classrooms. Yet achieving an appropriate level of
integration of ICT in teaching and learning presentsa number of challenges. These range from the
provision of the necessary physical resourcesto issuesof curriculum development and assessment
and the professional development of teachers. The remainder of thisreport describesthe current
stage of development of ICT in primary and post-primary schools. It presentsexamplesof good
practice aswell asareasof concern and providesa seriesof recommendationsfor policy-makersand
schoolsthat, if implemented, would serve to enhance the learning experience of the young people
in our schools.
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
16
Evaluation methods
Chapter 2
17
2.1 Introduction
The Inspectoratesevaluation on which thisreport isbased took place in both primary and post-
primary schoolsin the school year 2005/06.
14
Thischapter beginsby looking at different approaches
to evaluating ICT in schoolsand proceedsby giving an overview of the present evaluation. The
purpose and aimsof the evaluation are explained, and the research methodsused are also
described. An outline of the reporting proceduresthat pertained to the evaluationsin schoolsisalso
given.
2.2 Approaches to evaluating ICT in schools
The pivotal role of ICT in the development of the knowledge economy iswidely recognised. As
described in chapter 1, there hasbeen substantial investment in ICT in education over the past
decade. Ireland, of course, isnot unique in thisrespect: the integration of ICT in teaching and
learning hasbeen a feature of education systemsin developed countriesfor many years. Given this
level of investment, and the importance of ICT in a modern knowledge society, it isimportant that
the impact of that investment be evaluated to establish the extent to which students learning and
skillsare being enhanced.
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
18
14 Special schoolswere not included aspart of the evaluation.
Almost a decade ago Barton (1998) remarked, in relation to Britain, that despite the massive
investment of time and money in information technology it isdifficult to get clear evidence of
value-added in relation to IT use in our schools. M ore recently, despite continued high levelsof
investment, Tearle (2004) noted that, even today, the regular use of ICT by the majority of staff
[members] and studentswithin any one school isnot commonplace . In Britain the Office for
Standardsin Education, while noting that the importance of ICT asa tool for learning isnow widely
recognised, pointed out that the governmentsaim for ICT to become embedded in the work of
schoolsisa reality in only a small minority of schools (Ofsted, 2004).
One type of ICT evaluation that iswidely undertaken isthe evaluation of the infrastructural
development in schools. The NCTE censuses(which are referred to in chapters1 and 3) are an
example of thistype of evaluation. Thisisan essential type of evaluation, and such statisticsasthe
student-computer ratio are a useful indicator of the permeation of ICT in schools. However, it isa
mistake to equate the availability of hardware with itsproductive use. To do so isan example of
what Papert (1990) refersto as technocentric thinking and raisesthe question, What
contribution do these computersmake to achieving the stated goalsof education?
A different approach wasthat adopted by the authorsof the Impact2 report, who investigated the
correlation between the use of computersand attainment in National Testsand General Certificate
of Secondary Education (GCSE) resultsin Britain (Harrison et al., 2003). That research set out to
determine whether or not those studentswho used and were familiar with computersattained
better resultsin national teststhan their counterpartswho did not.
The most common qualitative approach to assessing the impact of ICT isby observation of teaching
and learning in classrooms. Thisisthe approach normally adopted by school inspectorates. The
report by the Office for Standardsin Education referred to earlier wasbased mainly on visitsto
schoolsby inspectorsbetween April 2002 and December 2003. A similar approach wasadopted in
the development of school portraitsaspart of the European Research Network for ICT in Schoolsof
Tomorrow (ERNIST) project, the purpose of which wasto identify and disseminate examplesof
innovative usesof ICT in the classroom. Van Oel (2004) reported that, in addition to observing
classroom practice, inspectorsexamined school planning documentsand discussed the issuesand
their findingswith the wider school community.
Haydn (2001) haspointed out that the typesof ICT that may add value to a lesson vary from subject
to subject. Similarly, some evaluation techniquesmay have specific applicability. For example, Barton
(1997) carried out a study in which he compared the time studentsspent drawing graphsmanually
with the time taken using data-logging equipment. Thistype of comparative study seemsattractive,
asit appearsto have the potential to demonstrate added value through the use of ICT.
The present evaluation may be described asa combination of the quantitative and the qualitative.
Evaluation methods
Chapter 2
19
The combination of the two approacheswasdesigned to provide a more comprehensive overview
of the impact of ICT in schools.
2.3 Overview and aims of the evaluation
There hasbeen little published research evidence on the efficacy of ICT initiativesin schoolsin
Ireland, particularly with regard to teaching and itsimpact on students learning. Thisreport aimsto
bridge that gap. The aim of thisevaluation wasto assessthe impact that ICT ishaving on education
in primary and post-primary schools. The evaluation also sought to assessthe knowledge, skills,
attitudesand beliefsof teachersand studentsin relation to the use of ICT in the teaching and
learning processand in schoolsin general. The objectivesof the evaluation may be summarised as
follows:
to assessthe extent of the use of ICT in primary and post-primary schools
to evaluate the impact of ICT on teaching and learning
to assessthe ICT skillsof studentsat selected pointsin the education system
to obtain the viewsof principalsand teachersabout their ICT skillsand their opinionsabout the
impact and future role of ICT in education
to assessthe extent to which ICT isused to support studentswith special educational needs
to make recommendationsthat will inform the development of Department of Education and
Science policy.
The evaluation examined the availability of ICT in schools, the extent to which ICT wasbeing used
by teachersto enhance and expand their teaching methods, and the extent to which studentsused
ICT to help them to learn, to obtain accessto information, or for communication purposes. Evidence
wascollected from a number of sources:
a national survey of primary (234) and post-primary (110) principalsthat elicited their viewson
the level and use of ICT in schools
a national survey of primary (1, 162) and post-primary (800) teachersdesigned to examine their
beliefsabout the effectivenessof computersand other formsof ICT in contributing to education.
The teacherswere also asked about their own skill levelsin using computersand the degree to
which computerswere used to support implementation of the curriculum
visitsby inspectorsto a sample of case-study primary and post-primary schoolsto evaluate ICT
provision (32 primary schoolsand 20 post-primary schools)
a questionnaire for students, administered by the inspectorsduring their evaluation visitsto the
case-study schools. The questionnairesasked studentsabout the frequency with which they used
computersat home and at school, the extent to which they believed they could perform basic
operationswith computers, and their expectationsabout whether their future studiesor career
would involve significant use of ICT
the use by inspectorsof ICT review schedulesduring classroom inspectionsaspart of whole-
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
20
school evaluation (WSE) at primary level (77 schools) and during subject inspectionsat post-
primary level (111 schools).
15
Thisreport presentsanalysesof quantitative and qualitative data collected from principals, teachers,
studentsand inspectorsat primary and post-primary level. Taken together, thiswide range of data
sourcesprovided a much richer data set than would have been possible from any one source alone.
It also allowed for cross-referencing and the triangulation of evidence.
2.4 National survey of primary and post-primary
principals and teachers
During the period OctoberDecember 2005 a national postal survey of school principalsand
teacherswasconducted.
2.4.1 Survey sampling methods
A total eligible population of 3, 024 primary schools
16
and 711 post-primary schools
17
were identified
for participation in the surveysof principalsand teachers. On the assumption of a minimum
response rate of 40% from each sector a systematic sample of 260 schoolswastaken from the
primary school population with a view to obtaining a statistically valid sample of at least 100
schools, while a sample of 155 schoolswastaken from the post-primary school population with a
view to obtaining a statistically valid sample of at least 50 schools. Both school sampleswere
selected using the following stratifying variables:
(1) region (North and Dublin North, South-East and Dublin South, West and M id-West, South,
M idlands, and Dublin West)
18
(2) school size (small, medium, large)
(3) school type (mixed, all boys, all girls)
(4) student-computer ratio (low, medium, high, not known)
19
(5) disadvantaged status.
Evaluation methods
Chapter 2
21
15 See www.education.ie for information and related publicationson whole-school evaluationsin primaryand post-primaryschoolsand
on subject inspectionsin post-primaryschools.
16 There were 3,284 recognised primaryschoolsin Ireland in the 2005/06 school year, but special schoolsand those schoolsparticipating
in whole-school evaluationsat the time of the postal surveywere excluded.
17 There were 735 recognised post-primaryschoolsin Ireland in the 2005/06 school year, but those participating in whole-school
evaluationsat the time of the postal surveywere excluded.
18 North and Dublin North Region (Cos. Cavan, Donegal, Dublin (Fingal), Dublin (North), Leitrim, Louth, M eath, M onaghan, Sligo);
South-East and Dublin South Region (Cos. Carlow, Dublin South, Dn Laoghaire and Rathdown, Kildare (North), Kilkenny, Wexford,
Wicklow); West and M id-West Region (Cos. Clare, G alway, Limerick, M ayo, Roscommon, Tipperary(North); South Region (Cos. Cork,
Kerry, Tipperary(South), Waterford); M idlandsand Dublin West Region (Cos. Dublin (West and South-West), Kildare (South), Laois,
Longford, O ffaly, Westmeath).
19 The student-computer ratio (SCR) for a school isthe total number of studentsenrolled divided bythe number of computersin the
school. The median SCR for all primaryschoolssampled wasapproximately9.7 studentsper computer. Accordingly, a school with
fewer than 9.7 studentsper computer wasclassified ashaving a low SCR (more favourable), while a school with more than 9.7
studentsper computer wasclassified ashaving a high SCR. The SCR wasobtained from the NCTE census(2005), and a SCR was
available for 92 % of all schoolssampled. In the case of post-primaryschoolsthe median SCR for those sampled wasapproximately
7.4. Accordingly, a school with fewer than 7.4 studentsper computer wasclassified ashaving a low SCR (more favourable), while a
school with more than 7.4 studentsper computer wasclassified ashaving a high SCR. Again, the SCR wasobtained from the NCTE
census(2005), and a SCR wasavailable for 80 % of all schoolssampled.
The populationsof primary and post-primary schoolswere sorted by these variables. For primary
schoolsa systematic random sample of 260 schoolswasselected by starting at a random point and
selecting every nth school. The starting point wasselected by choosing a number at random from 1
to 3, 024. The n wasdetermined by dividing the total number of schoolsby the total sample size, i.e.
3, 024 divided by 260. (To increase the likelihood of obtaining a minimum response rate of 40% , an
oversample wastaken to account for the fact that some schoolsmay not have been able to
participate.) The list wassubsequently treated ascircular, i.e. school 1 followed school 3, 024. This
wasapproximately equivalent to selecting a proportionate stratified sample in accordance with the
variablesdescribed above. The same selection principle wasapplied to the population of post-
primary schools.
2.4.2 Survey research methods
In each of the 260 primary and 155 post-primary schoolssurveyed the principal received a letter of
notification from the Inspectorate stating that their school had been chosen for participation in the
postal survey. Thisletter provided schoolswith the background to the survey and also stated that
survey questionnaireswould follow.
Subsequently, each school received one questionnaire for the principal and a number of
questionnairesfor the teachers. All teachersin primary schoolsthat had eight or fewer teachers
were asked to complete a questionnaire; primary schoolswith more than eight teacherswere asked
to ensure that one teacher per classgroup completed a questionnaire.
20
For post-primary schools, all
teachersin schoolswith nine or fewer teacherswere asked to complete a questionnaire; those
schoolswith more than nine teacherswere asked to ensure that one teacher from each subject
group completed a questionnaire.
21
These questionnairesfor principalsand teacherswere developed by a team of inspectors, in
collaboration with the NCTE, following a review of relevant literature and an analysisof the content
of previousquestionnaires. With the assistance of a small number of practising principalsand
teachers, all questionnaireswere piloted before being tested among a larger sample of principals
and teachers. Thispiloting helped to refine the questionnairesand ensured that all questionsasked
were specific and accurate.
Two weeksafter the questionnaireswere sent to schoolsa second mailing wasissued to those
schoolsthat, at that point, had not returned their questionnaires. Thiswasfollowed by a seriesof
telephone callsto schoolswhere the response rate among the chosen variableswaslower than
average.
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
22
20 Classgroups: junior infants, senior infants, first class, second class, third class, fourth class, fifth class, and sixth class.
21 Nine subject groups: (1) English; (2) M athematics; (3) Irish; (4) Foreign Languages; (5) Science (Physics, Chemistry, Physicsand
Chemistry, Biology, Applied M athematics, Science); (6) BusinessStudies(Accountancy, Business, BusinessStudies, Economics); (7)
Applied Science (Engineering and M etalwork, Technical Drawing and G raphics, Construction Studiesand M aterialsTechnology
(Wood), Agricultural Science, Agricultural Economics, Home Economics); (8) Social StudiesI (History, G eography, Art, Craft and
Design, M usic); (9) Social StudiesII (ReligiousEducation, Physical Education, Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE), Social,
Personal and Health Education (SPHE)).
2.4.3 Response rate
Responseswere received from 240 (92% ) of the 260 primary schoolssurveyed. Completed
questionnaireswere received from 234 principalsand 1, 162 classteachers(an average of almost
five teachersper school). At post-primary level, responseswere received from 114 (74% ) of the 155
schoolssurveyed. Completed questionnaireswere received from a total of 110 principalsand 800
teachers(an average of 7 teachersper school). Based on previousexperience of similar surveys, the
actual response rate in all schoolswasmore than double what wasprojected. Thishigh response
rate reflected the degree of interest in the survey, the perceived importance of the topic, and the
follow-up procedure adopted to ensure that replieswere received.
Fig. 2.1: Survey response rates
Evaluation methods
Chapter 2
23
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Pri mary (n= 260) Post - pri mary (n= 155)
92%
74%
Impact of ICT on teaching and learning response rates
2.4.4 Comparison of respondents and population
The profile of the final sample of primary and post-primary schoolswascompared with that of the
population. Thiscomparison isdescribed in tables2.1 and 2.2.
Table 2.1: Comparison of survey sample and population, primary schools
Pr i mar y School s
Si ze (st udent s) Respondent s
22
Popul at i on
(n = 240) (n = 3,024)
Smal l (< 100) 52% 53%
Medi um (100 199) 24% 23%
Large (200+ ) 24% 24%
Tot al 100% 100%
Type Respondent s Popul at i on
Si ngl e- sex 17% 17%
Mi xed 83% 83%
Tot al 100% 100%
St at us Respondent s Popul at i on
School s i n t he School Support Programme (under DEIS)
23
22% 20%
School s not i n t he School Support Programme 78% 80%
Tot al 100% 100%
Regi on Respondent s Popul at i on
Nort h and Dubl i n Nort h 23% 24%
Sout h- East and Dubl i n Sout h 15% 16%
West and Mi d- West 27% 26%
Sout h 19% 19%
Mi dl ands and Dubl i n West 15% 15%
Tot al 100% 100%
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
24
22 A respondent isdefined asa school in respect of which a response wasreceived either from the principal or from at least one teacher.
23 DEIS (Delivering Equalityof O pportunityin Schools), the action plan for educational disadvantage, waslaunched in 2005 and isbeing
introduced in a phased manner over the period 20052010. It addressesthe educational needsof children and young people from
disadvantaged communities, from pre-school to second-level education (age 318). The plan providesfor a standardised system for
identifying levelsof disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The SSP will bring together, and build
upon, a number of existing interventionsin schoolswith a concentrated level of disadvantage. M ore information on DEIS can be
found at www.education.ie.
Table 2.2: Comparison of survey sample and population, post-primary schools
Post - pr i mar y school s
Si ze (st udent s) Respondent s Popul at i on
(n = 114) (n = 711)
Smal l (< 400) 42% 45%
Medi um (400 599) 31% 28%
Large (> 600) 28% 27%
Tot al 100% 100%
Type Respondent s Popul at i on
Si ngl e- sex 36% 35%
Mi xed 64% 65%
Tot al 100% 100%
St at us Respondent s Popul at i on
School s i n t he School Support Programme (under DEIS) 26% 28%
School s not i n t he School Support Programme 74% 72%
Tot al 100% 100%
Regi on Respondent s Popul at i on
Nort h and Dubl i n Nort h 19% 19%
Sout h- East and Dubl i n Sout h 20% 21%
West and Mi d- West 21% 20%
Sout h 20% 20%
Mi dl ands and Dubl i n West 20% 20%
Tot al 100% 100%
The profile of respondentsclosely matched that of the population for both primary and post-primary
schoolsaccording to the key variablesof school size, type, status, and region.
2.5 Case-study school evaluations
A case study comprising an evaluation by inspectorsof ICT provision in a sample of 32 primary
schoolsand 20 post-primary schoolsformed part of the evaluation methodsemployed. These 52
schoolswere selected asa subset of the main sample chosen for participation in the survey of
primary and post-primary principalsand teachers. (See section 2.4.) Because the case-study schools
were a subset of the main survey sample and were selected randomly (aswasthe main sample), the
case-study schoolsalso reflected the known population profile according to the main stratifying
variables. However, it should be borne in mind that the sample size wastoo small to be considered
representative.
Evaluation methods
Chapter 2
25
Each of the fifty-two case-study schoolswasvisited by an inspector between October 2005 and
February 2006. The schoolswere notified by telephone and letter of their participation in the
evaluation two to three weeksbefore the inspectorsvisit. The inspectorsusually spent one day in
each school and undertook the following activities:
a tour of the schoolsICT facilitiesin the company of either the principal or the ICT co-ordinator
separate interviewswith the principal, the ICT co-ordinator and a small group of teachers,
normally four (the principal in each school wasasked to select the group to be representative of
the range of ICT use in the classroom and to include a teacher involved with special educational
needs)
interviewswith a small group of students, usually four (in primary schoolsthe studentswere from
fifth class, while in post-primary schoolsthey were Leaving Certificate year 1 students)
examination of samplesof students work in, or using, ICT; the studentsusually took such work
with them to their interview with the inspector
a review of relevant school documents; specifically, schoolswere asked to supply the inspectors
with
a copy of the schoolsICT plan and acceptable-use policy
an inventory of all ICT equipment, including ICT peripherals, in the school, indicating its
location in the different classroomsor areasin the school
a copy of the dutiesof the ICT co-ordinator
a copy of the timetable for any computer room (or rooms) in the school
feedback to the principal.
The inspectorsused a number of instrumentsaspart of the case-study school evaluationsto gather
evidence and data on a schoolsprovision of ICT. These included a quick tour review schedule that
helped to gather certain factual information on the schoolsICT infrastructure. Other instruments
used included schedulesfor the interviewsheld with the principal, the ICT co-ordinator, and the
small groupsof teachersand students.
The inspectorsalso reviewed relevant background documentsaspart of the case-study school visits.
Questionnairesfor the principal and teacherswere received from all fifty-two case-study schools,
and these were reviewed aspart of the study. Information held by the Department of Education and
Science wasalso consulted (for example information on ICT grantsawarded in recent years), aswas
ICT infrastructure censusinformation (2005) held by the NCTE.
On completion of the school visitsa brief report wasprepared and issued to each school. These
reportsaddressed the ICT facilitiesthat were found in the schools, aswell asICT planning and ICT in
the classroom. Aswell asemphasising the strengthsevident from the evaluation, each report
included recommendationsfor schoolsto addressaspart of their development plansfor ICT in the
school.
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
26
During the visitsto schoolsthe inspectorsalso administered a questionnaire to students. The
purpose of thisquestionnaire wasto determine the viewsof studentson ICT, not only with regard
to their interaction with ICT in school but also with regard to their use of ICT outside school time.
For primary schoolsan entire fifth classwasselected for participation, while for post-primary schools
an entire Leaving Certificate year 1 classwasselected. It wasdecided to select fifth-classstudentsin
primary schoolsbecause it wasthought that thisgroup would have enough experience of ICT in the
school to be able to give informative feedback; thisage group wasalso considered to be mature
enough to respond to such formal approachesasinterviewsand questionnaires. At the post-primary
level, Leaving Certificate year 1 studentswere selected because at that point in their schooling they
would have had three or four years experience of ICT in their school and so were considered to be
in a position to give informed responsesto questions. A total of 437 primary studentsand 450 post-
primary studentscompleted questionnaires. Reference ismade to the findingsof thissurvey of
studentsthroughout thisreport.
2.6 Observations during classroom inspections
(primary) and subject inspections (post-
primary)
During the period in which case-study schoolswere being visited by inspectors(October 2005 to
February 2006), the majority of the inspectorswho were engaged in evaluative work in mainstream
primary and post-primary schoolscompleted an ICT review schedule for each school they
visited.
24
These schoolswere not a subset of the schoolsthat participated in the survey of primary
and post-primary principalsand teachersbut were simply those selected for evaluation aspart of the
continuing work of the Inspectorate in the period in question. The ICT review schedulesused by the
inspectorswere a meansof gathering first-hand information on the use of ICT in those schools,
particularly with regard to teaching and learning in the classroom.
2.6.1 Primary schools
The ICT review schedule used by inspectorsat primary level contained three sections. The first two
sectionswere identical and were to be completed in respect of two individual mainstream class
teachers. The third section wasto be completed in relation to the work of a member of the special-
education team in a school (for example the resource teacher, the learning-support teacher or the
resource teacher for Travellers). The first part of each of the three sectionsin the schedule required
inspectorsto ask questionsof the individual teacher relating to their ICT planning and their use of
ICT. The second part of each section asked inspectorsto observe and evaluate the level of
integration of ICT in teaching and learning during the inspection period with that teacher.
Evaluation methods
Chapter 2
27
24 In the course of their work, inspectorsundertake WSEsin both primaryand post-primaryschools. These evaluationsare usually
conducted byinspectorsworking in teams. In addition and although subject inspectionsform part of the WSE processin a post-
primaryschool inspectorsalso undertake separate subject inspectionsin post-primaryschools.
In all, inspectorsvisited 77 primary schoolsduring the period in question and completed ICT review
schedulesin respect of 127 mainstream classteachers. Aseach schedule wascompleted during a
specific lesson, the inspectorsobserved 127 lessons. M ost of these lessonstook place in classrooms
with more than one classgroup (for example, one lesson in a small rural school might have had first,
second and third-classstudentsin the same classroom). The classesinvolved, however, ranged from
infantsto sixth class. Fig. 2.2 providesdetailsof the lessonsobserved.
Fig. 2.2: Mainstream lesson observations in primary schools
Inspectorscompleted ICT review schedulesin respect of 71 special-education team members
(resource teacher, learning-support teacher or resource teacher for Travellers), and therefore 71
lessonsconducted by a member of a special-education team were observed.
2.6.2 Post-primary schools
The ICT review schedule used by inspectorsat post-primary level wassubject-focused and contained
two sections. The first section comprised a short subject questionnaire that required the inspector to
ask questionsof the principal and the teacher (or teachers) of the particular subject (or subjects)
being evaluated. These questionsrelated to the use of ICT in the subject (or subjects), ICT in subject
planning, and the preparation and implementation of ICT in the assessment of students
achievement. The second section of the review schedule comprised two lesson observation forms
and asked inspectorsto record the level of integration of ICT in teaching and learning in the subject
area being evaluated. Inspectorsgenerally completed one of these formsfor a junior-cycle lesson
and one for a senior-cycle lesson.
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
28
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
20%
Inf ant s
19%
Seni or
Inf ant s
23%
Fi rst
Cl ass
17%
Second
Cl ass
26%
Thi rd
Cl ass
23%
Fourt h
Cl ass
30%
Fi f t h
Cl ass
31%
Si xt h
Cl ass
Class level(s) being taught
(Multiple response)
Base: Al l mai nst ream cl ass observat i ons (n= 127)
In total, 111 post-primary schoolswere visited by inspectorsduring the period in question. This
comprised both those schoolsthat participated in WSE and those that participated in a separate
subject inspection. Thisprocessyielded a total of 168 completed ICT review schedules. In essence,
thismeant that 168 subject questionnaireswere completed jointly by teachersand principals. The
subjectsreviewed are illustrated in fig. 2.3.
25
Fig. 2.3: Subjects reviewed at post-primary level
Arising from the 111 post-primary school visitsinspectorscompleted ICT review schedulesin respect
of a total of 311 lessons. Table 2.3 givesdetailsof the level of those lessonsobserved.
Table 2.3: Number and level of lessons observed, post-primary schools
Level Number of l essons obser ved Per cent age
Juni or Cert i f i cat e 154 49.5%
Transi t i on Year 38 12.2%
Leavi ng Cert i f i cat e 119 38.3%
Tot al 311 100%
Evaluation methods
Chapter 2
29
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
17%
Science
17%
Social
Studies I
16%
Applied
Science
13%
Foreign
Languages
11%
English
7%
Maths
5%
Business
Studies
4%
Irish
2%
Social
Studies II
8%
Other
Base: Al l post - pri mary subj ect quest i onnai res (n= 168)
25 In thisregard onlysubjectsin which inspectionstook place are included in the relevant subject groups, asfollows: Science (29 subject
questionnairescompleted for Science, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology); Social StudiesI (28 subject questionnairescompleted for
History, G eography, and M usic); Applied Science (27 subject questionnairescompleted for Engineering and M etalwork, Technical
Drawing and G raphics, Construction Studiesand M aterialsTechnology(Wood), and Home Economics); Foreign Languages(22
subject questionnairescompleted for French, G erman, and Classical Studies); English (18 subject questionnairescompleted for
English); M athematics(11 subject questionnairescompleted for M athematics); BusinessStudies(9 subject questionnairescompleted
for Accountancy, Business, and BusinessStudies); Irish (7 subject questionnairescompleted for Irish); Social StudiesII (4 subject
questionnairescompleted for Physical Education); other (13 subject questionnairescompleted for G uidance (8), Transition Year
modules(3), and computers(2)).
2.7 On-line evaluation
Twenty post-primary schools, asdescribed in section 2.5, participated in the case studies. In these
schoolsinspectorsinterviewed a total of 79 teachers. Each of these teacherswassubsequently
invited to take part in a follow-up on-line survey, which wasdesigned to build a profile of the
teachersinvolved and to obtain further insightsinto their viewson a number of specific issuesraised
in the interviews. The teacherswere asked to complete an on-line questionnaire based primarily on
responsesobtained in the interviews. A total of 37 teacherscompleted the questionnaire a
response rate of 47% . The profile of these teacherswascompared with that of the random sample
of 800 teacherswho completed the postal questionnaire. The profilesof the two groupswere
found to match quite closely on a number of significant variables, namely gender, age, and
computer ownership.
2.8 Evaluation outputs and terms
2.8.1 Outputs
All data gathered asa result of the evaluation wasanalysed using relevant statistical analysis
software. Each table and chart in thisreport presentsresultsusing percentagesand counts. All
percentagesare based on valid counts(that is, where questionswere answered by respondents,
unlessotherwise stated). Some rounding of percentageshasoccurred. The order of outputsin each
section generally followsthe order of questionsin the relevant questionnaires.
2.8.2 Junior and senior classes
At primary level the use of the term junior class referscollectively to junior infants, senior infants,
first class, and second class; senior class referscollectively to third class, fourth class, fifth class,
and sixth class. At post-primary level the term junior cycle referscollectively to first year, second
year, and third year; senior cycle refersto Transition Year, fifth year, and sixth year.
2.8.3 Quantitative terms used in this report
A number of quantitative termsare used throughout the report. Table 2.4 providesa guide to the
most frequently used terms.
Table 2.4: Quantitative terms used in the report
Quant i t at i ve t er m Appr oxi mat e per cent age of occur r ence
Al most al l More t han 90%
Most 75 90%
Maj ori t y 50 74%
Less t han hal f 25 49%
A smal l number 16 24%
A f ew Up t o 15%
ICT in Schools

Part 1 Introduction
30
ICT infrastructure in primary and post-primary schools
Chapter 3
31
Part 2
ICT infrastructure
and planning in
schools
3.1 Introduction
The effectivenessof ICT in any school isvery much dependent on the quality of the infrastructure
present. Thischapter examinessome ICT infrastructural issuesin schools. It beginsby taking a step
back from the school itself to look at the ICT advisory service and in particular the degree to which
schoolsengage with the service. ICT funding issuesare also considered, asschoolsfrequently raised
the issue of funding during the course of the evaluation. Issuesof ICT maintenance, technical
support and obsolescence are also examined, aswell asthe levelsof accessby teachersand
studentsto computer and e-mail facilitiesin schools.
The number and location of computersin schoolsisalso examined, and the issuesthat can arise as
a result are addressed. In thisregard reference ismade to ICT facilitiesin areasfor use by teachers
and studentsaswell asICT in special-education and school administration settings. With regard to
the post-primary level, specific reference ismade to the dedicated computer room and to ICT in
specialist and general classrooms. Finally, the chapter looksat the availability of ICT peripheralsin
schools, and it concludesby offering some commentson school web sites.
ICT in Schools

32
3.2 The ICT advisory service
The ICT advisory service isfunded by the NCTE but ismanaged and implemented by the twenty-one
full-time education centresaround the country. Itsobjective isto support the implementation of the
ICT in SchoolsInitiative (see chapter 1) at the local level and to help build a knowledge base on
good practice in relation to ICT in schools.
One element of the advisory service isthe provision of one full-time ICT advisor, aswell asone ICT
administrative assistant, in each education centre. The ICT advisors role isprimarily concerned with
providing pedagogical advice and support to schoolsand also (though to a lesser extent) technical
advice and support. The activitiesof ICT advisorsare monitored by the NCTE. In the national survey
of teachersa number of questionswere asked to elicit viewson the level and quality of interaction
between schoolsand the advisory service. In addition, the inspectorsasked principals, ICT co-
ordinatorsand teachersduring all fifty-two case-study school evaluationsabout the nature of their
schoolsinteraction with the advisory service.
In their questionnaire, teacherswere asked if they were aware of the ICT advisory service in their
local education centre and whether they had availed of it. Fewer than half (48% ) of the 1, 162
primary teachersreported that they were aware of the service. Awarenessamong post-primary
teacherswaseven lower, with only 37% of the 800 respondentsreporting that they were aware of
the service.
The survey found considerable disparity in the awarenesslevelsof teachers(both primary and post-
primary) in different partsof the country. Furthermore, at post-primary level it wasfound that
awarenessof the service also varied considerably between teachersof different subject areas, with
the lowest level of awarenessrecorded among teachersof applied science subjects.
The survey revealed that 63% of respondent primary teacherswere aware that the advisory service
offered fully funded ICT coursesthrough local education centres. Thisfigure fell to slightly more
than half (52% ) of all respondentsat post-primary level. At thislevel teachersof social studiesI
subjects(History, Geography, Art, Craft and Design and M usic) were most aware that such courses
were offered, with 57% of these teachersreporting thisawareness. Thisgroup wasfollowed by
teachersof M athematics(56% ), English (55% ), and languages(54% ). Teachersof Irish (42% ) and
the applied science subjects(37% ) were least aware that the service offered these courses.
In general, these figuresshow a substantial variation in levelsof awarenessamong teachersand
suggest that there isconsiderable scope for the service to promote itself more vigorously among
schools. In looking at waysto promote an increased level of awarenessof the support it offers, the
service should consider strategiesthat are applicable equally to primary and post-primary schools
and in all regions. At post-primary level, strategiesshould be inclusive of all teachers, that is,
irrespective of subject expertise.
ICT Infrastructure in primary and post-primary schools
Chapter 3
33
Of the 48% of primary teacherswho reported awarenessof the ICT advisory service, some 46%
(22% of all primary respondents) reported having ever used it. At post-primary level, of the 37% of
teacherswho reported awarenessof the service only 41% (15% of all respondentsat thislevel) had
ever used it. Thisrelatively low level of use among those teacherswho were aware of the service
may be ascribed to a number of factors:
insufficient knowledge on the part of teachersof the exact nature of the servicesoffered
the relatively small number of ICT advisors, making it difficult for teachersto obtain accessto the
service
the distance of some teachersor schoolsfrom their nearest education centre
lack of time on the part of teachersto engage with the service.
The survey also asked those teacherswho had engaged with the advisory service to rate the service
they received. It wasfound, asshown in fig. 3.1, that information on, and availability of, ICT
courses achieved high satisfaction ratings, with 92% of primary and 84% of post-primary teachers
stating that the quality of the service received waseither good or very good. The quality of the
technical advice provided by the ICT advisor also achieved relatively high satisfaction ratings, with
76% and 75% of primary and post-primary teachers, respectively, reporting thisaspect of the
service to be good or very good. The advice offered by the ICT advisor on classroom use of
ICT also achieved respectable ratings, with 68% and 69% of primary and post-primary teachers,
respectively, rating thisaspect aseither good or very good.
Fig. 3.1: Teachers ratings of NCTE and ICT advisory services
ICT in Schools

34
Pri mary
Post - Pri mary
Base: Al l pri mary t eachers who avai l ed of NCTE/ l ocal advi sory servi ce (n= 239)
Al l post - pri mary t eachers who avai l ed of NCTE/ l ocal advi sory servi ce (n= 114)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Inf ormat i on on, and
avai l abi l i t y of , ICT courses
92%
84%
Techni cal advi ce
provi ded by ICT Advi sor
76%
75%
Advi ce on cl assroom
use of ICT provi ded by ICT
Advi sor
68% 69%
School vi si t by ICT
Advi sor
58% 58%
How do you rate the NCTE service which you have availed of?
[% Good or Very Good]
School visitsby the ICT advisor received lower satisfaction ratings. Some 58% of both the 239
primary and 114 post-primary teacherswho reported having availed of thisservice provided a
good or very good rating. The corollary isthat 42% of both primary and post-primary teachers
who had received a school visit felt that the service received waseither fair or poor. Thisfinding
suggeststhat the nature of the work undertaken by ICT advisorsduring school visitsshould be
reviewed, perhapsin collaboration with schoolsthemselves, to ensure that the maximum benefit to
the school and teachersresultsfrom each visit undertaken.
At post-primary level, teachersof the applied science subjectsand the social studiesII group of
subjects(ReligiousEducation, Physical Education, CSPE, and SPHE) tended to provide more positive
ratingsfor servicesavailed of than teachersof other subjects. Teachersof BusinessStudiesprovided
the lowest ratings, in particular for technical advice, advice on classroom use of ICT, and the school
visit by the ICT advisor. Given thisfinding, it would be important for the NCTE and the ICT advisory
service to ensure that itsservicesat post-primary level take account of the needsof different subject
teachers.
The generally low level of awarenessof the work of the advisory service wasconfirmed by the
findingsfrom the case-study school evaluations. It wascommon for inspectorsto recommend in
reportsthat the advisory service be made use of asfully aspossible. The majority of the nineteen
case-study primary school evaluation reportsthat made reference to the ICT advisory service, for
example, encouraged schoolsto liaise more with the service, and other relevant services, particularly
with regard to advice on ICT planning and staff training issues. One of these reportsrecommended
that
support should be sought from relevant bodies the local education centre, NCTE and the cuiditheoir
attached to the primarycurriculum support service (PCSP) and school development planning (SDP) to
assist the school (i) to provide staff up-skilling in ICT, (ii) to develop a policyon ICT and (iii) to explore ways
in which ICT maybe integrated in teaching and learning in the school.
Almost half the twenty evaluationsconducted at post-primary level made reference to the advisory
service, and of those that did, approximately half again commented on the relatively low level of
interaction that existed between the school and the service. One inspector commented:
There isa relativelylow level of interaction with the ICT advisoryservice available in the local education
centre. Thisissurprising given the proximityof the school to the education centre. It isrecommended that
thisservice be used more extensively.
In one primary-school report it wasalso mentioned that the absence of an ICT advisor in the local
education centre to support the school and promote ICT projects wasseen asa factor that
constrained the development of ICT in the school. Thisalso affected local post-primary schoolsin a
similar fashion.
Chapter 3
35
Notwithstanding the generally low level of engagement by teacherswith the advisory service, there
were examplesof satisfaction with the service in some case-study schools. One primary school
report mentioned that the school had
engaged the ICT advisor to assist in the use of the data projector in the school. The school hasalso
engaged in a project through [the local institute of technology] with the assistance of the ICT advisor.
One post-primary school wasreported ashaving a high level of support from the local ICT advisor
in termsof advice and information, particularly in relation to training coursesfor teachers. In
another post-primary school the reason given for the low level of interaction with the advisory
service wasthat ICT provision in the school had progressed to the point where it wasfelt that the
support of the service wasno longer required.
An analysisof the surveysof teachersshowed that awarenessof the advisory service was
considerably higher among ICT co-ordinatorsthan other teachers, and that ICT co-ordinatorsalso
tended to avail more often of the service. Table 3.1 showsthe differencesin the level of use of the
NCTE and ICT advisory service servicesbetween ICT co-ordinating teachersand other teachersin
both primary and post-primary schools.
Table 3.1: Awareness and use of NCTE and ICT advisory services among teachers
Pr i mar y school s Post - pr i mar y school s
Teachers who Teachers who Al l Teachers who Teachers who Al l
were ICT were not ICT respondent were ICT were not ICT respondent
co- ordi nat ors co- ordi nat ors t eachers co- ordi nat ors co- ordi nat ors t eachers
Aware of ICT
advi sory servi ce 81% 45% 48% 84% 31% 37%
Avai l ed of ICT
advi sory servi ce 63% 18% 22% 61% 11% 15%
Accessed NCTE
web si t e i n previ ous
t hree years 69% 29% 33% 82% 19% 24%
Number of t eachers
26
115 938 1,162 46 524 800
The high levelsof awarenessand strong pattern of liaison with the NCTE and the ICT advisory
service among ICT co-ordinatorsreflectsthe nature of the work of co-ordinatorsin schools. This
level of communication could be considered an indicator of good practice, and co-ordinators
should, where relevant, encourage classroom and subject teachersin their schoolsto engage with
the NCTE and other relevant services.
ICT in Schools

36
26 A number of teachersdid not state whether or not theywere ICT co-ordinatorsin their school.
3.3 ICT and funding
National investment issuespertaining to ICT in education over recent yearsare described in chapter 1.
An examination of ICT funding issuesin individual schoolswasnot a priority of thisevaluation: the
prioritieswere more concerned with pedagogical issues. However, schoolsrepeatedly raised the
issue of funding during the evaluation, particularly in the case-study school evaluations.
It wasclear from the case-study school evaluationsthat ICT grantsreceived by schoolsthrough
relevant DES schemeshad encouraged schoolsto install or upgrade their ICT systems.
27
In particular,
grantshad led to improvementsin the quality of facilitiesavailable in computer rooms, to an
expansion in the range of ICT peripheralsavailable, and to the further integration of ICT in teaching
and learning. School principalsrepeatedly acknowledged that these grantshad facilitated the
development of their ICT systems, and in a small number of evaluation reportsspecific mention was
made of how the grantshad been used in developing the schoolsICT infrastructure. Where such
reference wasmade inspectorsgenerally noted that effective use had been made of the funds
received. One evaluation report commented that it wasclear that these grantshave been used
effectively to develop the ICT system in the school. It wasalso obviousfrom evaluation reports,
however, that not all schoolshad reached the same level of development.
A significant number of primary school evaluation reportsmentioned that progresshad not been
made towardsusing the grant made available for networking. In a few reportsreasonsfor such
delayswere cited, such asthe school having been approved for a significant building project, while
in the remainder no reasonsfor lack of progresswere offered.
While acknowledging the benefitsof the grantsreceived, schoolsgenerally reported spending more
on ICT than they received in grants. Evaluation reportsregularly referred to how schoolshad
augmented the financial support received through the NCTE with private funds; a little lessthan half
of the thirty-two primary school evaluation reports, for example, stated that financial assistance for
the development of their ICT systemswasalso received from other sources. Thisissue (referred to
also in chapter 1) wasparticularly emphasised in case-study schoolsduring interviewswith principals
and ICT co-ordinators. One post-primary school report commented:
The school isat an advanced stage in the development of ICT for teaching and learning. The facilitiesare
of a high standard and improving. The schoolsaccessto private fundsplaysa large role in the
achievementsto date, and into the future.
The most frequently reported source of private fundsin both primary and post-primary schoolswas
fund-raising by parents councilsor parents groups. Additionally, at primary level it wasalso
common for studentsto become involved in fund-raising activities. Primary schoolsalso reported
receiving contributionsof second-hand ICT equipment from businessesand third-level institutions
and of equipment received asprizesin competitions. Thisadditional expenditure on ICT displaysa
Chapter 3
37
27 See chapter 1 for detailsof ICT grant schemesfor schoolsto date, for example, SchoolsIT 2000 (1998), Blueprint for the Future of ICT
in Irish Schools(2001), and Networking Schools(2004). These grantswere primarilyfor the purchase of computersand software for the
development of networking, together with the installation of broadband connectivity.
particular commitment by schoolsto providing studentswith accessto ICT. There isthe danger that
in relying on private funding sourcescertain schoolsmay be at a disadvantage. Some students, for
example, are likely to be placed at a disadvantage relative to othersif their school community does
not provide additional funding for itsschool to purchase computers. The spending of private funds
by schoolson computerscould actually be contributing to an exacerbation of the digital divide in
society. Clearly, the widespread use of private funding suggeststhat the demand for ICT equipment
exceedswhat can be met from the public grantsprovided to date.
3.4 ICT maintenance, technical support, and
obsolescence
The problemsassociated with the lack of technical support and maintenance were commented
upon strongly in the national survey responsesfrom principalsand teachers. These respondents
commentsprovided an insight into the complexitiesfaced by some schoolsregarding thisissue. One
principal of a small primary school stated that the biggest problem encountered islack of technical
support. We have to take equipment to the nearest IT company for repair. Another primary school
principal mentioned that it was difficult to accessmaintenance in an isolated rural area, and its
hugely expensive. The DES should provide back-up in each county that we can use. One primary
teacher wrote that, while all multimedia equipment, laptopsand the interactive whiteboard have
been supplied by the Digital Hub, there should be financial support for itsmaintenance.
28
This
comment neatly summarisesthe fact that for thisschool the issue wasnot one of a lack of resources
but the lack of an efficient way of maintaining them. At post-primary level, one principal of a small
co-educational vocational school (0399 students) wrote:
All of the IT equipment in the school isold (pre-1999) and isconstantlygiving trouble. We have no
technical expertise amongst the staff so maintenance isa problem. Teachersare discouraged and
frustrated and the use of ICT becomesa negative experience for both student and teacher.
All case-study schoolsconsistently reported that the maintenance, upgrading and technical support
of their ICT equipment wasa cause of great strain, and that these were areasthat consumed
significant amountsof their budget. A little lessthan half of the thirty-two primary schools
evaluated had made provision for technical support and maintenance of their hardware, while
slightly lessthan half of the twenty post-primary schoolsvisited had a maintenance contract with an
external contractor. Arrangementsat primary level included responsibility for maintaining the ICT
system resting with the principal, with another member of the staff, or with a member of the board
of management, or subcontracting maintenance support. Reasonsoffered by those primary schools
that had no ICT maintenance scheme included: the cost; the fact that the ICT infrastructure wasso
small that itssize did not warrant a formal maintenance scheme; and the fact that no member of
the staff had the relevant skillsor expertise.
ICT in Schools

38
28 The Digital Hub isa G overnment initiative to create an international centre of excellence for knowledge, innovation and creativity
concentrated on digital content and technologyenterprises. The core development of nine acresisin the Libertiesarea of Dublin.
O ver the next decade thisinitiative hopesto create a mixed-use development consisting of enterprise, residential, retail, learning and
civic space. The project ismanaged bya G overnment agency, the Digital Hub Development Agency, established in July2003.
The maintenance contract at post-primary level generally entailed an IT consultant or technician
devoting one or two daysper month to maintaining the schoolsICT system. It wasusually the ICT
co-ordinator in these schoolswho wasresponsible for liaising with the contractor. While not ideal,
primarily because of the lack of a same-day call-out service, such contractsdid seem to assist these
schoolsin keeping their ICT system intact. In schoolsthat had no contract it wasusually the ICT co-
ordinator who had responsibility for some, if not all, of the maintenance of the ICT infrastructure.
Schoolswith no hardware maintenance system stated that thisacted asa significant impediment to
the development of ICT in their school. Inspectorsrecommended in these schoolsthat, wherever
feasible, an ICT maintenance policy be adopted.
The issue of obsolescence wasalso found to be a significant problem that schoolswere required to
deal with regularly. One post-primary evaluation report stated:
There isa lot of obsolete or near-obsolete equipment in the school. The laptopsseem to be problematic.
ICT equipment in the year head and deputyprincipalsofficesare old and largelyunused.
Obsolescence appeared to be a bigger problem at primary than at post-primary level. Inspectors
made reference to the age of computersin slightly lessthan half of the thirty-two primary case-
study school reports, compared with only a few post-primary reports. In some primary schoolsit was
reported that most of the desktop computerswere dated or that some hardware wasno longer
working. One report mentioned that the computersin the senior classroom did not appear to be
Chapter 3
39
functioning at the time of evaluation, while in another it wasstated that, despite the considerable
investment to date, most of the hardware in the school isquite old. A few reportsdrew attention
to the fact that some software wasincompatible with certain computers because the hardware
wasso old.
Taken together, these reportspaint a picture of schoolshaving computersthat, for all practical
purposes, are obsolete and should be disposed of. These findingsare supported by the resultsof the
NCTE census(2005), which found that 29% of computersin primary schools, 19% in post-primary
and 21% in special schoolsare over 6 yearsold. In reportsthat referred to obsolescence it was
sometimesstated that thisproblem could be reduced if computerswere used for taskscompatible
with their specification. In cases, however, where the technical specification of computersrendered
them unusable, their disposal (in line with proper practice) wasusually recommended. The ageing
profile of hardware, the lack of compatibility between hardware and software and the development
of network systemsbring the issue of technical support and maintenance even more to the fore.
In general, schoolsdo not have the expertise within their own staffing to maintain their ICT systems.
Where schoolshave established maintenance contractswith IT companies, on the other hand, thisis
having a negative impact on their budget and in particular on the level of spending they can afford
to devote to computer equipment. One principal of a medium-sized (400599 students) voluntary
secondary single-sex school responded in the questionnaire:
The major problem that occursin the IT area isthe need for ongoing technical assistance. One teacher
(part-time staff member) hasan allocation of two hours/week but thisisonlyable to service the basic
needsof the staff using the roomsand facilities. The school hasan IT service provider but thisiscostlyand
while good service isgiven it would be so much more efficient to have a technician on site or at least
shared between two schools. The area of technical support must be assessed and supported if we are to
progresswith increasing use of ICT acrossthe curriculum.
An appropriate increase in the DES student capitation grant paid to schoolsor direct grantscould be
used asa meansof furnishing schoolswith an annual ICT upgrading fund. It would be important to
make sure that such a budget wasreserved for thisspecific use. The purpose of thisbudget should
be to deal with ICT obsolescence so asto ensure that the ICT infrastructure isnot allowed to
become outdated. Advice regarding the spending of thisannual budget could be sought from the
NCTE or other relevant agencies.
It isclear also that the issue of maintenance in schoolsneedsto be addressed in a co-ordinated
fashion at system level so that all schoolscan benefit from having a secure and reliable infrastructure
that will support the integration of ICT throughout the school. A strategy isrequired to ensure that
a comprehensive ICT maintenance and support service isavailable to schools. A range of models
whereby thisservice could be delivered needsto be explored. These modelscould include clustering
schoolsfor the purpose of taking out maintenance contractswith commercial IT companies,
national or regional contractsfor technical support for schools, or other options. The effectiveness
ICT in Schools

40
of these modelscould be explored on a pilot basisinitially, so asto identify the most cost-effective
and efficient way in which the necessary support could be provided to schools. These solutions
would also require a review of the role and purpose of the local ICT advisory service.
3.5 Access to computers
In general, the surveysof teachersfound that schoolsprovided both teachersand studentswith
high levelsof accessto computer facilities.
3.5.1 Access by teachers
Accessby teachersat the primary level, asdepicted in fig. 3.2, wasprimarily provided in the
teachers own classrooms, with 86% of teacherssurveyed reporting thisto be the case. A similar
level reported having accessto their own computer at home. A little lessthan a third (29% ) of
teachers, however, reported that accesswasprovided in the staff room. Thislow figure in respect of
staff roomsisundoubtedly influenced by the fact that many small primary schoolsdo not have such
a room.
Fig. 3.2: Access to computers by primary teachers
A little lessthan a quarter of primary schools(24% ) were found to provide their teacherswith
computer facilitiesfor use at home (for example a laptop computer). Support of thistype wasfound
to be slightly higher for teachersof senior classes(29% of senior classteachers) compared with
teachersof junior classes(21% ). Primary teachersalso reported that only 10% of classeshad access
to their schoolscomputersoutside classcontact hours.
Chapter 3
41
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
St af f room
29%
Cl assroom
86% 86%
Home
Base: Al l pri mary t eachers (n= 1162)
Accessto computer facilitiesfor teachersat post-primary level, asshown in fig. 3.3, wasprimarily
through the staff room (85% of teachers), but a significant proportion (34% ) stated that they had
accessin their classroom. When the findingswere analysed by subject it wasfound that accessin
classroomswashighest for teachersof the science subjects(66% ), the applied science subjects
(43% ), and M athematics(41% ). Teachersof English (21% ), of foreign languages(17% ) and of Irish
(14% ) were least likely to have accessin their classroom. It would appear that many schoolshave
opted to give priority to supplying their specialist classroomswith computer equipment, in
preference to general classrooms, though the nature of the subjectsand the expertise of the
teachersmay also be explanatory factors.
Fig. 3.3: Access to computers by post-primary teachers
The survey also found that schoolswith a low SCR were more likely to provide their teacherswith
accessto a computer in their classroom (41% ) than schoolswith a high SCR (30% ). It islikely that
schoolswith a high SCR concentrate their ICT equipment in one or more areasin the school (for
example the computer room), asopposed to spreading it thinly throughout the school (for example
one or two computersin general classrooms). It isalso worth noting that 90% of post-primary
teachersreported using their own home computer for school activities. Support from their schools,
however, waslow, with only 18% of teachersprovided with computer facilitiesby their school (for
example a laptop for use at home).
3.5.2 Access by students
Fifth-year and fifth-classstudentsin all fifty-two case-study schoolsthat participated in the
evaluation (32 primary, 20 post-primary) were also asked about where they had accessto a
computer. All 437 respondentsat primary level, asshown in fig. 3.4, reported having accessto
ICT in Schools

42
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
St af f room
85%
Cl assroom
34%
90%
Home
Base: Al l post - pri mary t eachers (n= 800)
computersat school, but accessat home wasless, at 86% . Accesswasalso reported from other
places, such asa library or a friendsor relativeshouse.
Fig. 3.4: Access to computers by fifth-class students
M ore than three-quarters(79% ) of the studentssurveyed at primary level reported that they had
been using computersfor three or more years. Their present usage wasreported asbeing frequent:
79% reported using a computer at least two or three timesa week at home, while 88% reported
using a computer at least two or three timesa week at school. Studentsreported that computers
were usually in their classrooms, and that they generally used them individually or in pairs.
M ore than four out of five primary students(82% ) stated that using a computer helped them with
their school work. Thiswasmainly through use of the internet for projects. Only 39% reported
using their home computer to help them with their homework.
A very high proportion (97% ) of the 450 respondent fifth-year students, asshown in fig. 3.5, stated
that they had accessto a computer at school. A high proportion (89% ) also stated that they had
accessto a computer at home. Outside of school and home there wasalso accessin other places,
such asa local library, an internet caf, or a friendshouse.
Chapter 3
43
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
At home
86%
At school
100%
78%
At ot her pl ace(s)
Base: Al l pri mary st udent s (n= 437)
Fig. 3.5: Access to computers by fifth-year students
While it can be said that fifth-year studentsgenerally have high levelsof accessto computersin
school, the survey also found that approximately 50% used a computer in school at least once a
week. Thiswasslightly lower than computer use at home, where 62% of studentsreported using a
computer at least once a week. Interestingly, the survey also found that studentsin schoolswith a
high SCR reported using a computer just asoften asstudentsin those schoolswith a low SCR.
While thismay reflect the fact that computersin post-primary schoolsare concentrated in computer
rooms, it would also suggest that although one school may have more computersthan another it
doesnot directly follow that the former put itsextra computersto more productive use. Computers
in post-primary schools, especially those for the use of students, tend to be located mainly in
computer rooms. Students use of computers, therefore, ismore a function of accessto a computer
room than of accessto computersper se. In planning the development of their ICT infrastructure,
post-primary schoolsneed to give due consideration to maximising students accessto, and use of,
the facilities.
ICT in Schools

44
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
At home
89%
At school
97%
78%
At ot her pl ace(s)
Base: Al l post - pri mary st udent s (n= 450)
3.6 The use of computers in schools
The survey of principalsrevealed that 38% of primary schoolshad at least one computer room and
that 62% of schoolsprovided ICT facilitiesin classroomsonly. It also revealed that 10% provided
such facilitiesin computer roomsonly, while 28% provided these facilitiesin both classroomsand
computer rooms. At post-primary level, practically all schoolshave at least one computer room, and
traditionally computersin these schoolsare confined primarily to those rooms. The evaluation
found, however, that post-primary schoolsare increasingly moving towardsproviding other areas
with computer facilities.
Inspectorsnoted the number of usable computersin each of the case-study schoolsvisited. At
primary level thisranged from four computersin one two-teacher school to forty-eight in a 23-
teacher school. The SCR for the thirty-two schoolsvisited varied significantly, from an optimum of
2:1 in a small two-teacher school to 16:1 in a five-teacher school. The majority of reportsrecorded a
SCR of between 8:1 and 12:1, with the national average for primary schoolsin 2005 standing at
9.1:1.
29
The number of usable computersin the twenty post-primary schoolsvisited ranged from 124 in one
school with an enrolment of 699 studentsto twenty in a school with an enrolment of 289. The SCR
varied significantly among these twenty schools, from an optimum of 3.7:1 in a small community
school (fewer than 399 students) to 14.4:1 in a small secondary school. The majority of reports
recorded a SCR of between 5.2:1 and 8.4:1, with the national average for post-primary schoolsin
2005 standing at 7:1.
In planning for the use of ICT in schools, the location of computersisimportant.
30
Sections3.6.1
and 3.6.2 of thisreport provide an overview of the organisation of ICT facilitiesin the case-study
schoolsvisited, aswell asan overview of the issuesthat arise asa result. They draw predominantly
on information obtained from the case-study schoolsevaluated but also on the responsesto the
national surveysof principals.
3.6.1 Organisation of ICT facilities in case-study primary schools
ICT facilitieswere found in computer rooms, classrooms, staff rooms, administrative areas, school
librariesand general-purpose roomsin the case-study primary schoolsevaluated. The level of
permeation of ICT in classroomswasdescribed by inspectorsasbeing in all classrooms in twenty-
two of the thirty-two schoolsvisited, in the majority of classrooms in five schools, in some
classrooms in one school, and non-existent in the classroomsof four schools.
Chapter 3
45
29 See NCTE 2005 Censuson ICT Infrastructure in Schools: Statistical Report (July2006), page 3, table 4. The SCR in primaryschoolsfor
2000 was16.3:1, while in 2002 it stood at 11.2:1. Ascan be seen, there hasbeen an improvement on the SCR in schoolsbetween 2000
and 2005.
30 The installation of computersin new schoolsisgoverned bythe departmentstechnical guidance documents. These are Information
and CommunicationsTechnology(ICT) Infrastructure G uidelinesfor PrimarySchools(TG D 004), February2004, and Information and
CommunicationsTechnology(ICT) Infrastructure G uidelinesfor Post-primarySchools(TG D 005), February2004. Both documentscan
be found at www.education.ie.
ICT facilities in areas for students use
Eleven of the thirty-two case-study primary schoolshad one dedicated computer room each.
Enrolment in these schoolsvaried between 121 and 624 students. Of the twenty-one schoolsthat
did not have a computer room, enrolment varied from 14 to 209 students. Computer rooms,
therefore, tended to be found in the larger of the primary schoolsvisited.
The number of computersfound in computer roomsvaried from a minimum of ten to a maximum
of twenty-one networked computers. A few small schoolshad placed all their computersin a
dedicated area, which they referred to asthe computer room. In these casesthe number of
computerswasgenerally six or less, and usually they were not networked. The reasonsfor such
consolidation of facilitiesusually concerned lack of space, with one report stating that the school
originally located the computersin the two classrooms, but because of limited space it wasdecided
to relocate them to the staff room. Because of the lack of a suitable area for use asa computer
room, one school placed eight networked computersin a mainstream classroom; an ICT specialist
teacher directed lessonson these computerswhile the classteacher taught asnormal in the room.
In another situation the computer room wasused for a range of purposes:
While the timetable facilitatesuse of the computer room byteachers, there are a number of constraints
that adverselyaffect itsuse. Among these isthe multi-purpose use of the room to accommodate the
school secretary, learning-support teaching, resource teaching and the principalsadministration duties.
A few schoolswith a computer room had timetablesthat generally governed when classgroupsgot
to use the room. However, thisalso governed when other groupsdid not get to use the room. One
report, for example, stated that a timetable isprovided which allowsall mainstream classes, apart
from infants, at least weekly accessto the computer room. In another school it wasreported that
studentsin middle and senior classesleave their classroom in groupsto use the computersfrom time to
time. Studentsin first and second classoccasionallyuse the computersin the afternoon, when the infant
studentshave gone home.
In another report there wasclear evidence of restricted use of the computer room:
The computersin the computer room are used bythe senior classesonlyand appear to be in regular use.
The other mainstream teachersor studentsdo not generallyuse the computer room. Asthere are no
computersin either the junior or middle classroom, thismeansthat studentsdo not begin consistent
computer use until third class.
With regard to three schoolsinspectorsrecommended that the timetable for the computer room be
reviewed with a view to providing more studentswith access. Schoolswere encouraged to develop
a booking system (for example a notice or rota on the notice-board in the staff room) for the use of
the computer room whereby teacherscould book the room to take classgroupsat particular times.
In their national survey, 51% of principalsfelt that the main advantage of having a computer room
ICT in Schools

46
wasthat it allowed concurrent accessto the computersfor whole classes. Interestingly, 32% of
principalsalso felt that it wasa more conducive environment for learning ICT than the classroom.
M ost case-study primary schoolshad some level of ICT facilitiesin each of their classrooms. One
report pertaining to a five-teacher school, for example, stated that there are seven computers
shared between mainstream classrooms, while the report on a thirteen-teacher school noted that
there were over twenty computersin good repair, but of varying age, located in mainstream
classrooms.
In general, the distribution of computersin classroomsvaried significantly from school to school.
There wasno clear pattern asto how schoolsdecided to distribute their computers, assome
classroomshad generouslevelswhile othershad limited supplies. In schoolswhere computerswere
located in classroomsonly, however, reportsdid reveal that accessto, and use of, the technology
wasmore relaxed and more frequent. One report stated:
Teachersreported that all studentshad accessto, and made use of, computers. Thiswasassisted bythe
fact that computersare located in each of the classroomsin the school. All studentshave accessto the
computer on a weeklybasis. . . a computer rota system isused in classroomsto ensure that all students
accessthe computer. Filesof individual students work are maintained on the hard disk of the classroom
computers.
In their survey, principalsreported that, from a teaching and learning viewpoint, the advantagesof
having computersin classroomswere threefold:
there isconvenient and flexible access
it iseasier to supervise, control and assist students
individual attention can be managed more easily, especially for special-needsstudents.
Computersin classrooms, however, were not alwaysorganised optimally. One case-study school
report commented:
The organisation of the schoolsICT infrastructure, particularlywithin individual classrooms, should be
reviewed to accommodate further development of students writing skillsthrough the writing process,
the development of collaborative skillsthrough project work and the development of research skills
through the use of the internet.
The issue of infrastructural layout in primary school classroomsand how it impactson teaching and
learning isexplored in greater detail in chapter 5.
From the case-study schoolsevaluated it seemsthat while the computer room might be a more
efficient way of managing the computersin a school it doesnot alwaysguarantee regular accessto
the technology by students. It isalso clear that the computer room can sometimesbe used for
different purposes. It would appear that locating computersin classroomsprovidesgreater access
opportunitiesfor students.
Chapter 3
47
M ost case-study school reportsrecorded information about the internet connection that schools
were using. Only one report made explicit reference to a working broadband connection. M ost of
the remainder were connecting with a dial-up system, while in a few instancesit wasreported that
there wasno accessto the internet at all. In these reportsit wasstated that the relevant schools
were awaiting broadband connection before re-establishing an internet connection.
Internet connection in schools, where it did exist, appeared to be limited to one computer. This
restricted students access, with one report stating that internet accessisstrictly reserved for staff
[members] or for supervised groupsof students. The lack of accessto the internet in the classroom
wasregarded by many teachersasa barrier to the successful integration of ICT in their teaching. As
one inspection report stated, there iscurrently no internet accessin any of the five classrooms
which [the] staff identifiesasa barrier to the development of the students ICT skills.
Case-study schoolswere generally found to have restricted accessto the internet. It wasregularly
recommended in reportsthat schoolsupgrade their level of internet accessfor both studentsand
teachers. It isexpected, however, that thissituation will improve with the provision of broadband
and the networking of computersthat wastaking place at the time of school visits.
ICT facilities in special-education settings
ICT facilitiescomprising at least one computer were located in special-education settingsin the
majority of case-study primary schools. In one school the allocation wasparticularly good, with two
special-education teachershaving
the use of three computerstogether with two printersand two scanners. Two studentswith specific
learning needshave accessto individual laptop computers.
Case-study schoolsregularly acknowledged the benefitsthat DES grantshad in providing dedicated
technology for special education needs. A few reports, for example, noted that special-education
teachershad accessto laptop computersfor their work. One report referred to the learning-
support and resource teacherswho provide support to the school on a shared teaching basis
having laptopsfor use in variousschoolswithin their cluster. In another report it wasnoted that
there are also two laptopsavailable which are mainly used by teacherswho support studentswith
additional learning needs.
Commercially produced educational software wasalwaysused to facilitate teaching and learning in
special-education settings. Some schoolshad a commendable range of software packagesthat
[were] used regularly to support students, while othershad to make do with less. In the latter case
the schoolswere usually advised to expand their level of software resources. (Software issuesare
discussed further in section 3.8.)
ICT in Schools

48
ICT in areas for teachers use
Fifteen of the thirty-two case-study primary schoolshad computersavailable in their staff room that
were primarily for use by teachers. The number of such computersranged from one to five.
While more than half the case-study schoolsdid not provide computersin areasspecifically for
teachers use, it isrecognised that many of these were small schoolsthat did not have a staff room
in the first place. In those schoolsit wasusually reported that the teachershad the use of those
computersthat were also used by the students(i.e. those in a computer room or in classrooms).
The majority of computersin schoolsthat were specifically designated for teachers use only were
laptops. The learning-support/resource teacher featured prominently in thisregard. Aswill be seen
in chapter 4, school management personnel and teachersregularly spoke of how accessto such
facilitiescontributed to improvementsin the quality of lesson planning, preparation, and content.
ICT in school administration
The NCTE infrastructure census(2005) found that 95% of primary schoolsused computersfor
general office use, 60% used the technology for maintaining students records, and 48% used
computersfor accountswork. In thisevaluation it wasfound that only fifteen of the thirty-two case-
study schoolsvisited reported making use of computersin school administration work. The number
of computersdevoted to thiswork wasusually one or two. Of the twelve schoolsthat reported
devoting two computersto thiswork, one wasusually earmarked for the school secretary, while the
other wasfor the principal. Schoolsshould fully exploit the benefitspresented by ICT in school
administration.
3.6.2 Organisation of ICT facilities in case-study post-primary
schools
A general pattern emerged from the visitsmade to post-primary case-study schoolsregarding how
they organised their ICT facilities. Each of the twenty schoolsvisited, for example, had at least one
computer room.
31
Asalready noted (section 3.5), outside of computer roomsschoolstended to give
priority to supplying computersto specialist classroomsand workshopsover general classrooms. The
level of permeation of ICT in learning spacesin the case-study post-primary schoolswasdescribed
by inspectorsasbeing in all classrooms (both specialist and general) in two schoolsvisited. ICT
wasfound to have permeated the majority of classrooms in one school, while it wasreported to
have permeated some classrooms in fifteen schools. ICT wasreported to be non-existent in the
classroomsof two of the twenty schoolsvisited. Computersfeatured prominently in areasthat were
dedicated to working with studentswith special education needs. Facilitieswere also provided in
some schoolsfor the exclusive use of teachers, in staff roomsor other such areaswhere teachers
could undertake planning and preparation work. ICT facilitieswere also used in school
administration areas.
Chapter 3
49
31 Eleven schoolshad one computer room, one school had two computer rooms, five schoolshad three computer rooms, and three
schoolshad four computer rooms.
The dedicated computer room
The provision in post-primary schools schedulesof accommodation of a dedicated computer room,
now often referred to asthe multimedia learning laboratory, isa relatively new initiative. Up to 1999
most schoolswere provided with a room for commerce or businessmachines in their schedulesof
accommodation. These roomswere generally equipped with typewriters. From 1999 onwards,
however, computer roomswere formally provided, though before that many schoolshad converted
existing classroomsto serve ascomputer rooms.
The computer room isgenerally used for teaching computer skillsto full classgroups. The computer
room in a new school isgenerally equipped with seating for up to thirty computer users, with
computer hardware being allocated per capita.
32
While the total number of computersin the
computer roomsof the case-study schoolsvisited varied significantly, the number found wasnot
alwaysin proportion to the schoolsenrolment. One school with an enrolment of 289 students, for
example, wasfound to have only fifteen computersin itscomputer room; another, with an
enrolment of 397 students, had eighty-eight computersin itscomputer rooms; a third, with an
enrolment of 628, had seventy-six computers; while a fourth, with an enrolment of 699, had ninety
computersbetween itsfour computer rooms. The average number of computersin the computer
roomsof case-study schoolswastwenty-four. With regard to roomswith an above-average number
of computersinspectorsusually commented that such schoolshad a generously equipped or
well-equipped computer room. The proviso wasusually added, however, that the equipment was
not alwaysup to date.
Inspectorsfound that most of the case-study schoolshad availed of DES funding to either create or
develop the computer network in their school.
33
It wasfound, for example, that almost all the
schoolsvisited had a network system in their computer room (or rooms), but a few computer rooms
also included a number of stand-alone computers. Almost all the network systemsinstalled were
wired, though one report referred to a school having a wirelessnetwork. While no network was
installed in a small number of schoolsvisited, it wasreported that those schoolshad plansto have
one installed. Approximately a quarter of the schoolsvisited had two or more networking domains,
one usually administrative, the other devoted to use by the students. One school had four
networking domains, but the report on thisschool recommended the consolidation of these
networksso that all computers, with the exception of those used in administration, are on the
same network and have accessto the internet.
The introduction of the broadband initiative wasstill in progressat the time of the case-study school
visits. In some schoolsit wasreported that broadband accesswasalready available, while others
were in the processof acquiring such access. Nevertheless, all the schoolsvisited had some form of
internet access. In one school only one computer had internet access, but in all other schools
studentshad accessto the internet via the schoolscomputer network. Teachersinterviewed
reported the internet asbeing a very valuable teaching resource. In particular, they felt that the
ICT in Schools

50
32 See www.education.ie for layoutsand specificationsfor new computer rooms.
33 See chapter 1 for detailsof DES grantsto schools.
internet allowed for a wide range of digital resourcesto be brought into the classroom for activities
in which the studentsdid their own research or engaged in interactive activitieson-line. (Thisissue is
explored in greater detail in chapter 6.)
Almost all the case-study school reportsreferred to the timetabling arrangementsfor the computer
room (or rooms). Approximately half the reportsquantified the time for which computer rooms
were timetabled; occupancy ranged from 30% to almost 90% , with the average being slightly more
than 60% . In schoolswhere the timetabled occupancy waslow it wasgenerally reported that this
wasto allow teachersto use the room and itsfacilitiesasthe need arose. However, there was
regular mention during interviewswith teachersthat the practicalitiesinvolved in taking a group of
studentsto a computer room tended to discourage them from doing so. Furthermore, a few ICT co-
ordinatorsspoke of problemsthat tended to arise when there wasunplanned use by teachersof the
schoolscomputer room (for example technical problems, breakage, and tampering with systems).
For subject teachersto make greater use of computer rooms, school managementswould need to
ensure that a simple and accessible system existsfor booking the room. Such a booking system did
not exist in many of the case-study schoolsvisited; approximately a quarter of all evaluation reports
referred to the need for some form of booking system to be implemented. It isalso important that
rulesfor the computer room are established and that these are regularly brought to the attention of
all teachersand studentswho use the room.
ICT facilities in specialist and general classrooms
While a computer room isnormally used for teaching computer skillsto an entire classgroup,
computersin specialist or general classroomsare generally intended to support the use of ICT asa
teaching aid for subjects. ICT wasfound in one or more of the specialist roomsin the case-study
schoolsvisited. Specialist roomsin which such facilitieswere commonly found included science
laboratoriesand technology workshops, along with those roomsdedicated to Art, Craft and Design,
M usic, Geography, Career Guidance and Home Economics. In most reportsin which the number of
computersin specialist roomswasgiven it wasnoted that they contained only one or two
computers. In one report, however, it wasnoted that a science laboratory contained six computers.
Thislevel of provision allowed for the potential use of the computersby small groupsof students.
The more common situation of having a single computer in a room generally meant that it wasused
either solely by the teacher or in rotation by students, either in pairsor individually. M ost school
librarieswere also equipped with some ICT equipment.
In contrast with specialist rooms, the permeation of computersin general classroomswasfound to
be more limited. Only two of the twenty case-study schoolswere found to have computersin all
their general classrooms. Of the remaining eighteen schools, each principal generally expressed the
view that they would like to see thislevel of permeation of ICT throughout their school in the years
to come. The majority of principalswho responded to the questionnaire also expressed thisview in
the context of their vision for the development of ICT in their school. One principal, for example,
identified the following priorities: to increase the incidence of ICT usage by the teaching staff; to
Chapter 3
51
support and up-skill teachersin ICT usage; and to put ICT hardware and software in place in
classrooms.
Of these eighteen schools, one wasdescribed ashaving computer facilitiesin the majority of
general classrooms, while fifteen had computersin some general classrooms. In only two of the
schoolsvisited wasit reported that there were no computersin any general classrooms. In their
evaluation reportsit wascommon for inspectorsto recommend an expansion, asresources
permitted, of the number of computersmade available to general classrooms. A few reportsadvised
schoolsto consider, asan interim measure, setting up a mobile ICT facility that could be shared
between classrooms.
ICT facilities and special needs
The level of provision of ICT equipment in the area of special educational needsvaried considerably
from school to school at post-primary level. A few reportscommented on the high level of provision
of ICT for use in thisarea. One report, for example, commented that the learning support and
resource areasare particularly well catered for, while another noted that the learning-support
room hastwelve laptop computers. Conversely, one report spoke of the special-education teachers
having only a desktop computer and a printer. In addition to the availability of computersand
peripherals, a few reportsalso referred to the provision of software in thisarea. One report referred
to the availability of an extensive library of educational software for use with special needs
students, while another noted that educational software isconfined predominantly to the area of
special needseducation. (Further reference ismade to the issue of computer software in special
education in section 3.8.)
ICT facilities in staff rooms
Schoolsthat made dedicated computer facilitiesavailable for teachers use reported that it
encouraged the teachersto engage with the technology and that it also led to improvementsin the
quality of the resourcesused in teaching. The survey of teachers(asmentioned in section 3.5) found
that 85% used computersin the staff room for school-related activities. Of the case-study schools
visited, approximately a quarter provided one or two computersin the staff room, a quarter
provided between three and five computers, while approximately another quarter provided more
than ten computersfor the use of the staff. In a few schoolssome or all of the teacherswere
provided with their own laptops; one school reported that they intended to extend thisfacility to
students. In a few schoolsit wasreported that teachersused computersin the computer room for
lesson planning and preparation purposes; and in schoolsthat had computersin classroomsit was
reported also that the teachersbased in such classroomsgenerally used these for planning and
preparation purposes.
ICT in school administration
M ost evaluation reportson case-study schoolsmade reference to the level of ICT equipment in
administrative areas. In thisregard the inspectorsnoted the use of ICT equipment in the officesof
ICT in Schools

52
school secretaries, of senior and middle school management personnel, and of guidance counsellors
and chaplains. It wasnoted that computersused for administrative purposeswere usually on a
separate network from those available for academic use. The NCTE infrastructure census(2005)
found that 59% of post-primary schoolshad a separate network for school administration. Thisis
considered good practice, asit affordsa higher level of security for sensitive school data.
While not all post-primary schoolsuse computer applicationsto construct their annual timetables,
34
all the case-study schoolsvisited were found to do so. Indeed the majority of case-study schools
were also found to use suitable applicationsto keep detailed information on students; the NCTE
infrastructure census(2005) found that 94% of post-primary schoolsused ICT for thispurpose.
Schoolsfound thiscomputerisation of students recordsto be of particular benefit when liaising
with parentson such issuesasbehaviour, academic progress, and attendance and punctuality, asthe
school wasin a position to obtain accurate information quickly. With regard to attendance and
punctuality in particular, a few of the schoolsthat were visited implemented a computerised student
attendance system, whereby studentswere required to check in each morning using their own
swipe card. While such a system hascertain loopholes, these schoolsreported that the system had a
positive influence on attendance and punctuality patterns.
During interviewsa few school principalsspoke of the need for appropriate ICT training to be
provided for personnel in the efficient use of computersin school administration. The Education
ServicesInitiative (ESI) of the DES should extend schools use of ICT in itsadministrative work.
35
3.7 ICT peripherals
Teacherswere asked in their national surveyswhat peripheralsthey used in their teaching and how
often they used them. The range of peripheralsused and the extent of their use are shown in fig.
3.6 and fig. 3.7 for primary and post-primary schools, respectively.
Chapter 3
53
34 Asevidenced by(a) the NCTE infrastructure census(2005), which found that 89 % of post-primaryschoolsused computersto
construct their timetables, and (b) the fact that some schoolscontinue to make their O ctober returnsto the DES with conventional
methods. O ctober returnscomprise detailsof enrolmentsthat schoolsreturn to the Department of Education and Science at the
beginning of O ctober each year.
35 The purpose of the ESI isto develop a web-based one-stop shop portal and specific applicationsfor providing on-line servicesto
schools, replacing paper-based systems. The first application to be developed under thisproject isthe O n-Line ClaimsSystem. O ther
serviceswill be developed in a number of phases.
Fig. 3.6: Frequency of use of ICT peripherals by primary teachers
Fig. 3.7: Frequency of use of ICT peripherals by post-primary teachers
ICT in Schools

54
80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
22% 43% 16%
14% 33%
12% 23%
12%
10%
Pri nt ers
Di gi t al st i l l cameras
Scanners
Di gi t al vi deo cameras
Dat a proj ect ors - mobi l e
MP3 pl ayers
Dat a proj ect ors - f i xed
Int eract i ve whi t eboards
Base: Al l pri mary t eachers (n = 1162)
At l east once a week
About 2/ 3 t i mes a mont h
Less t han t wi ce a mont h
How frequently do you use the following peripherals/equipment in
your teaching?
40% 30% 50%
60%
20% 10% 0%
12% 33% 13%
11% 10% 17%
9% 6% 12%
3% 6% 17%
Pri nt ers
Scanners
Dat a proj ect ors - mobi l e
Di gi t al st i l l cameras
Dat a proj ect ors - f i xed
Di gi t al vi deo cameras
Dat al oggi ng sensors
Dat al oggers
Int eract i ve whi t eboards
Base: Al l post - pri mary t eachers (800)
How frequently do you use the following peripherals/equipment in
your teaching?
13% 4%
2% 9%
2% 8%
2% 8%
3%
6%
Printerswere found to be the most commonly used ICT peripheralsin both primary and post-
primary schools: 65% of primary and 45% of post-primary teachersreported making use of a
printer at least two or three timesper month. The use of the printer at primary level washigher
among teachersof senior classes(72% ).
The next most frequently used peripheralsat primary level were digital camerasand scanners, both
being used at least two or three timesa month by 19% of teachers. Again, the use of these
peripheralswasfound to be higher among teachersof senior classes(25% ).
Data projectors(fixed or mobile), scannersand digital (still) cameraswere the next most commonly
used peripheralsat post-primary level. When the data wasanalysed by subject area at post-primary
level it wasfound that a relatively low proportion of teachersof Irish used ICT peripheralsin
comparison with teachersof M athematicsand the science and applied science subjects. Interactive
whiteboardswere uncommon in both primary and post-primary schools.
While significant numbersof teachersat both primary and post-primary level use printers, the
general use of peripheralsisquite low. For example, 19% of primary teachersand 42% of post-
primary teachersreported never using a printer in their teaching, while approximately 50% of
primary teachersand more than 70% of post-primary teachersreported never using a digital still
camera in their teaching.
In the primary case-study schools, printerswere also the predominant peripheral. In one five-teacher
school in particular there were sixteen printers, while itsonly other piece of peripheral equipment
wasa digital camera. The prevalence of printersin primary schools, however, raisesquestions
relating to how schoolsmake decisionsconcerning the purchase of peripherals, and how they meet
their needswhile at the same time ensuring that good value isreceived. It would appear that
primary schoolsin particular need advice regarding the purchase of ICT peripherals. Indeed some
evaluation reportsmade recommendationsconcerning ICT peripherals. These usually encouraged
schoolsto consider expanding their level of ICT peripherals. Data projectorsfeatured strongly in such
recommendations, asthey were present in lessthan a third of the case-study schoolsvisited, almost
exclusively the larger schools. Scannersand digital camerasclosely followed data projectors.
Post-primary case-study schoolsreported making regular use of printersand data projectorsand, to
a lesser extent, scanners, digital cameras, digital camcorders, data-logging equipment, and CD
writers. Reference wasconstantly made during evaluationsto one of these peripheralsin particular,
namely the data projector. Teachersviewed the data projector asa tool that could significantly
enhance the teaching and learning process. M any described how the projector could bring the
subject matter to life through, for example, multimedia presentations(i.e. presentationsthat
include a combination of effects, such asanimation, music, and text). It wasalso regularly described
asbeing a visually effective tool, particularly from the students viewpoint, because of the larger
Chapter 3
55
screen it facilitates. Finally, the majority of teachersinterviewed mentioned that using the data
projector also allowed them more time to engage with students, asopposed to having to spend
time writing or drawing on the blackboard. In a few schoolsit wasreported that one or more data
projectorswere mobile, thusfacilitating their use by greater numbersof teachersin their own
classroom environments.
In more than a quarter of the evaluation reportsfor post-primary case-study schoolsthe inspectors
recommended the purchase, asfundsbecame available, of additional data projectors. In some cases
it wasrecommended that the projectorsbe mobile, so that they could be moved from classroom to
classroom asrequired, or that a specific room be equipped with a data projector so that teachers
could bring their studentsto that room asrequired. Such alternative arrangementswould be made
in accordance with a schoolsparticular circumstances. Given the undoubted benefitsof using a
data projector to facilitate teaching and learning, it isclear that every classroom should ideally have
accessto thisequipment.
3.8 Software
Teachersin all the case-study schoolsvisited reported making use of software asa teaching aid. The
most popular type of software used at primary level wascontent-rich.
36
Exploratory
37
and reference
software (for example encyclopaedias) were also available, but to a more limited extent. The most
popular type at post-primary level wassubject-specific software; thiswasparticularly so in the case
of special-education teachers(see section 3.6.2). The availability of these typesof software,
however, varied considerably from school to school.
In general, it wasfound that only limited areasof the primary school curriculum were supported by
software. A few reportsfrom the case-study schoolsmentioned software being available for
particular curricular areasonly. The more popular areassupported by software were the Visual Arts,
M usic, and Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE). In the area of SESE, History and
Geography were the more popular areassupported by software. Irish wasthe least-supported area.
Only one school report mentioned that Irish wassupported through the use of software, while
another mentioned that a satisfactory range of content-rich software isprovided for most areasof
the curriculum with the exception of Irish. All reports, however, mentioned that software was
regularly used to help develop students literacy and numeracy skills. It isof interest also that a small
number of reportsmade mention of the lack of software available in schools, despite grantsbeing
provided for the purchase of equipment, peripherals, and software.
It wasclear that many teachersin both primary and post-primary schoolswere unaware of the
range of software already available to them in their school. M any inspectorsrecommended,
therefore, that schoolsdevelop an inventory of the software, and in some caseshardware also,
ICT in Schools

56
36 Content-rich software can also be described astutorial-based software, usuallysubject-specific and with little or no interactivity.
37 Simulation-type software, usuallysubject-specific but with a high level of interactivity.
already available in the school. It wasfurther recommended that these inventoriesbe circulated to
teachersso asto create a greater awarenessof the ICT facilitiesreadily available to them. It wasalso
seen asimportant that such inventoriesbe regularly updated.
A few reports, particularly for post-primary schools, suggested that a tracking system be developed
for the movement of ICT facilitieswithin schools. It isalso worth noting that, of the teacherswho
reported having limited software resources, many admitted to not having submitted a request for
such software to their school management. In light of thisfact it isrecommended that teachersor
their subject departments(post-primary) draw up a list of software resources, perhapsannually and
in collaboration with their schoolsICT co-ordinator, that would be suited to the teaching and
learning in their classroom or subject (or subjects). The list should then be submitted to the
management of the school for consideration.
During interviewswith teachersin case-study schoolsmany of those who were membersof their
schoolsspecial-education team raised the issue of the appropriatenessof the match between the
equipment and software they used and the needsof their students. M any reported that they lacked
an awarenessof what support wasavailable and how they could acquire it. Thisisan area in which
the NCTE, in collaboration with the Special Education Support Service (SESS), could assist schools
even further, particularly with regard to advising them on the range and type of devicesand
software available for use with studentswith special educational needs. There isan opportunity
here, perhaps, to disseminate the outcome of such projectsasSolas
38
and the Laptop Initiative.
39
3.9 Use of e-mail
The first NCTE censusof ICT infrastructure in schools(2002) found that 16% of teachersin primary
schoolsand 23% in post-primary schoolswere provided with a personalised e-mail account by their
school. By 2005 these figureshad risen to 35% and 30% , respectively.
40
In the national surveys
used aspart of thisevaluation it wasfound that a little more than a third of teachersin both primary
(35% ) and post-primary (34% ) schoolswere provided with an e-mail addressby their school. At
primary level in particular the proportion washigher for male teachers(45% ), teachersover thirty-
five (45% ), teachersin schoolswith a low SCR (40% ), and teachersof senior classes(43% ).
Chapter 3
57
38 SO LAS wasan education research project, launched in 1997 and funded bythe NCTE, aimed at meeting the special educational
needsof pupilswith physical and sensoryimpairments, especiallyin mainstream education. The project involved the publication of a
document entitled Enabling Technologies: G uidelinesfor the Use of Assistive Technologyin Education. M ore information on this
project can be found at www.enabletech.ie.
39 Thisinitiative waslaunched in 2000 and wasaimed at identifying how laptop computerscould best be used to support second-level
pupilswith dyslexia or other reading difficultiesin inclusive environments. The initiative provided grantsfor the purchase of laptops
for individual pupilsand for the purchase of back-up equipment in each of the thirty-one schoolsinvolved. Specialist training for
teachersinvolved in the project in these schoolswasalso provided. The initiative wascompleted in 2005, and a book and CD entitled
Engaging Learners: M obile Technology, Literacyand Inclusion were published the following year. Further detailson the initiative are
available on a special web site, www.laptopsinitiative.ie.
40 See NCTE (2006), NCTE 2005 Censuson ICT Infrastructure in Schools: Statistical Report.
Despite the level of provision of e-mail for teachers, it wasfound that considerably fewer reported
using e-mail for class-related activities. Only 7% of all teachersat primary level and 8% at post-
primary level reported using e-mail with studentsaspart of class-related activities. At primary level,
use in classwasfound to be higher for senior classes(14% ) and for male teachers(13% ). At post-
primary level, when the findingsare examined by subject area, asshown in fig. 3.8, some
differencesbecome apparent.
Fig. 3.8: Provision and use of e-mail address by subject taught, post-primary schools
The provision of e-mail addressesto post-primary teacherswashighest for teachersof Irish (39% ),
BusinessStudies(37% ) and foreign languages(35% ). One reason for thiscould be that teachersof
these subjects, particularly the language and businessstudiessubjects, are likely to be engaged in
projectsthat involve communication with businesses, with other schools, or with teachersin
different countries. Interestingly, these categoriesof teachersdid not feature highly among those
teacherswho had accessto computersin their classrooms. A slightly lower proportion of English
teachers(27% ) and teachersof science subjects(26% ) received an e-mail addressfrom their school.
Teachersof BusinessStudies, foreign languagesand subjectsin the social studiesI group of subjects
(History, Geography, M usic and Art, Craft and Design) were found to be the best usersof e-mail for
class-related activities. Teachersof M athematics, English and Science had a relatively low proportion
of e-mail use, while use among teachersof Irish waslowest. In general, it can be said that the
provision of e-mail isnot alwayssynonymouswith itsuse.
ICT in Schools

58
60%
40%
20%
0%
Iri sh
E-mail address provision and usage by subject taught
39%
2%
Busi ness
St udi es
37%
11%
Forei gn
Languages
35%
10%
Mat hemat i cs
33%
6%
Soci al
St udi es I
32% 32% 32%
9%
Soci al
St udi es II
8%
Appl i ed
Sci ence
8%
Engl i sh
27%
5%
Sci ence
26%
4%
Base: Al l post - pri mary st udent s (n= 800)
Has your school provi ded you wi t h an e- mai l address?
Do you use e- mai l wi t h your st udent s f or cl ass rel at ed act i vi t i es?
Not surprisingly, the survey found a correlation between use in classand the provision of an e-mail
addressby a school. At primary level, 11% of teachersin schoolsthat provided their teacherswith
an e-mail addressused e-mail with their students, compared with 7% nationally; at post-primary
level the corresponding figureswere 13% and 8% . Given the fact (asnoted earlier) that slightly
more than a third of teachersat both levelsare provided with e-mail addressesby their schools, it is
clear that many teachersare using their own e-mail addresswith their students. However, when
schoolsprovide thisfacility for their teachersitsuse isgreatly increased.
Teacherswho used e-mail reported that it presented opportunitiesto communicate with other
teachersand schools, with parents, with industry, and with the local community. It provided
opportunitiesto enhance teaching and learning. Popular examplesof the use of e-mail at both
primary and post-primary level included e-mailing other studentsaspart of school twinning projects
and requesting information from companiesor agenciesfor research purposes. Communication
with companiesregarding work experience wasalso popular at post-primary level.
The provision of a dedicated e-mail service to schoolsand their teaching staff should be given
priority within the introduction of the NCTE-managed SchoolsBroadband AccessProgramme. With
regard to those schoolsand teacherswho are already provided with such a facility, effortscould
perhapsbe directed towardsencouraging itsuse aspart of classroom practice.
3.10 The on-line environment
3.10.1 The learning platform
While it isknown that some schoolsmake use of their own on-line learning platform, the evaluation
found no evidence of such platformsbeing used in any of the case-study schoolsvisited. Learning
platform isan umbrella term that describesa broad range of ICT systemsused to provide and
support learning and teaching. It usually combinesseveral functions, such asorganising, mapping
and implementing curriculum activities, aswell asproviding a facility for teachersand studentsto
have a dialogue about these activities, all by meansof ICT. The term issometimesapplied to a virtual
learning environment (VLE)
41
or to the componentsof a managed learning environment (M LE).
42
Learning platformsgive every student accessto personal on-line web space, where they can do such
thingsasstore work and record their achievements. They also give every teacher accessto teaching
resourcesand toolsto support lesson planning and teaching and learning. They also facilitate
personalised learning by enabling teachersto tailor the curriculum to the needsof individual
students. The experience of a learning platform can vary from school to school. However, where
Chapter 3
59
41 A VLE isa software tool that bringstogether resourcesfor curriculum mapping, implementation, assessment, tutor support,
communication, and tracking.
42 A managed learning environment (M LE) comprisesthe whole range of information systemsand processesthat facilitate learning and
the management of learning within an institution. It includesVLEsor other learning platformsand administrative and other support
systems.
there isa strong determination to embed the platform in the working practicesof a school, the
benefitsfor teachers, studentsand parentscan be impressive. An effective learning platform can
also support school management and administration.
Benefits of learning platforms for teachers
An effective learning platform can enable teachersto
create and share teaching materialsthat can be accessed on line, printed out, or used with an
interactive whiteboard or data projector
put their resourceson line page by page, lesson plan by lesson plan, so that colleaguescan
accessthem both in school and from home, thusfacilitating collaboration within their subject
area
obtain accessto a wide variety of learning materialsthat they can customise for the exact needs
of their students
obtain accessto lesson plansfrom colleaguesto facilitate cover for teacher substitution
assess, monitor and track individual and group progress
receive submissionsof work from studentsin one area that iseasy to manage
manage, within personal desktop space, their timetables, diary, e-mail, and discussions
increase their ICT competence and confidence.
Benefits of learning platforms for students
An effective learning platform can enable studentsto
obtain accessto learning materialscreated by their teachersand others, outside lesson time and
from locationssuch astheir local library or home
store their work and noteson line for use in assignments, homework and revision, outside
normal school hours
work at their own pace and with a wider choice of learning styles, through a more personalised
curriculum
create an on-line portfolio, including digital photographsand videosof performance, aswell as
text
improve their ICT skillsand on-line management of materials
submit homework and assignmentsfor marking and assessment
communicate by e-mail and participate in live discussionsand forumswith other studentsand
with teachers.
Benefits of learning platforms for parents
An effective learning platform can enable parentsto
play a greater part in their childslearning, where they have accessto the learning platform from
home
support children in learning that takesplace outside school
obtain accessto their childspersonal home page to keep track of their work and the curriculum
ICT in Schools

60
view reports, attendance data, and scoresin assessment activities
communicate effectively with teachers, school administratorsand otherssupporting their childs
learning
engage with wider school issuesthrough on-line communication tools
become active partnerswith the school.
Benefits of learning platforms for administration and management
An effective learning platform can
provide up-to-date management information on attendance and attainment
track the progressof individualsand groupsof students
collate summative and formative assessments
reduce the administrative burden on teachersby using transferable data
enable communication within school and beyond, one to one, one to many, or many to many
increase communication with parents.
When they are implemented effectively it isclear that learning platformscan have many benefitsfor
schools, including any time, anywhere learning, greater parental involvement, the development
of personalised learning, better use of teachers time, enhanced effectivenessof substitution
teachers, collaboration, cross-institutional working, and increased inclusion of studentsin both their
school and personal work. The school of the future will in all likelihood be operating itsown
learning platform; indeed some schoolsare already operating such systems, while othersare
experimenting with the technology. It isrecommended that schoolsthat have effectively
implemented their own learning platformsbe identified asmodelsof good practice for other
schools. The NCTE could play a role in identifying such schoolsand in disseminating their practices
and experiencesamong other schools.
3.10.2 The school web site
Schoolswith their own web site regard it asa meansof informing the public about their school and
asa way of promoting the work done in their school. Some websitescontain information on
initiativesand projectsthat the school isinvolved in, aswell asexamplesof students work.
The national surveysof teachersasked respondentsto state whether their school had a web site
and, if so, whether there were examplesof students work displayed on it. Fig. 3.9 and fig. 3.10
give detailsof the responsesreceived from primary and post-primary teachers, respectively.
Chapter 3
61
Fig. 3.9: The primary school web site: teachers responses
Approximately 39% of primary teachersstated that their school had a web site, and of these
approximately a third (32% ) stated that their site contained reference to, or detailsof, work done by
students. A higher proportion of teachersof senior classesstated that their web site contained
reference to work done by their students(41% of teachersof senior classes, compared with 29% of
teachersof junior classes).
The survey of fifth-classstudentsfound that 41% did not know whether their school had a web site
(even though approximately a quarter of these studentswere in schoolsthat did have one). Of those
who were aware (37% ), only 20% said that their work had appeared on the site. A much higher
proportion of girls(32% ) stated that their work had appeared on their school web site than boys
(11% ).
Fig. 3.10: The post-primary school web site: teachers responses
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62
Base: Al l pri mary t eachers (n = 1162)
Does your school have a school website?
No 61% Yes 39%
Base: Al l pri mary t eachers f rom school s
wi t h a websi t e (n = 425)
If yes, is there pupil project work on
the website?
No 68% Yes 32%
Base: Al l post - pri mary t eachers (n = 800)
Does your school have a school website?
No 18%
Dont
know
9%
Yes 73%
Base: Al l post - pri mary t eachers f rom school s
wi t h a websi t e (n = 567)
If yes, is there student project work on the website?
No 52%
Yes 20%
Dont
know 28%
Nearly three-quarters(73% ) of all post-primary teachersstated that their school had a web site. Of
those who did, however, only 20% reported that their site contained a reference to, or detailsof,
project work or other work done by students. A similar pattern of findingsemerged from the survey
of fifth-year students. Approximately 30% of studentsdid not know whether their school had a
web site (approximately half of these studentswere in schoolsthat did have a web site). Of those
who were aware that their school had a web site, only 36% had had the opportunity to contribute
to it.
While an awarenessof security issuesassociated with the internet must be borne in mind, these
findingsare disappointing. Firstly, a considerable proportion of schoolsdo not have their own web
site. Secondly, a sizable portion of those schoolsthat do have a web site do not seem to actively
promote it. Finally, some schoolsare opting, either consciously or unconsciously, not to present
students work or other work done in their school. Thisissurprising in an age when many people
automatically resort to the internet when looking for information on schools.
While numerousevaluation reportson case-study schoolsreferred to the desirability of a school
either establishing itsown web site or developing the use of itsexisting site, it wasalso clear that, of
those schoolsthat already had one, many experienced difficultiesin both developing and
maintaining the site. Difficultiesencountered at both primary and post-primary level included a lack
of technical expertise among staff members. At post-primary level it wasusually the ICT co-
Chapter 3
63
ordinator who wasresponsible for maintaining the site, and for those co-ordinatorswho were not
ICT expertsthistask proved difficult and sometimeseven frustrating. Even those co-ordinatorswho
were comfortable with web site development reported difficultiesin finding the time to devote to
such work. In a few schoolsit wasfound that some senior studentswere responsible for setting up
and maintaining the site. In those schoolsit wasreported that thisencouraged studentsin general
to contribute to the site. Security issueswith the internet also proved a problem, particularly at
primary level.
Despite the provision by the NCTE of dedicated support for schoolsfor web site development, it
would appear that most schoolsremain in need of advice, guidance or assistance regarding the
setting up and maintenance of a web site. The NCTE should explore optionsfor providing additional
support to schoolsin relation to web site development.
3.11Summary of findings and recommendations
3.11.1Main findings
Funding issues
The student-computer ratio (SCR) for the majority of the thirty-two case study primary schools
visited ranged from between 8:1 and 12:1. At post primary level, the SCR for the majority of the
twenty schoolsvisited ranged from between 5.2:1 and 8.4:1. These ratioswere broadly in line
with the findingsof the NCTE census(2005) of ICT in schoolswhich found a SCR in primary
schoolsof 9.1:1 and 7:1 in post-primary schools.
DES grantsmake possible a significant improvement in schools ICT facilities, but they are
frequently augmented by funding from other sources. Parents councilsand other parents
groupsusually play a significant role here. The spending of private fundson computers, however,
may contribute to an exacerbation of the digital divide, assome schoolsmay be able to raise
more private fundsthan others.
The lack of technical support and maintenance wasfound to be a major impediment to the
development of ICT by schools. Furthermore, a number of schoolshave equipment that is
obsolete and should be disposed of.
ICT advisory service
The impact of the present ICT advisory service islimited. While it isacknowledged that levelsof
awarenessof the service among teachersvaried, awarenessisgenerally low among both primary
(48% ) and post-primary (37% ) teachers. Awarenesswasmuch higher, however, among ICT co-
ordinators.
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The use of the ICT advisory service wasalso found to be low. Of the 48% of teacherswho
reported awarenessof the service at primary level only 46% (or 22% of all respondents) reported
availing of it. At post-primary level thisfigure fell to 15% of all respondents.
There washigh satisfaction with the information on, and availability of, ICT coursesamong those
teacherswho availed of the ICT advisory service. There were also high levelsof satisfaction with
the quality of the technical advice and the advice provided on classroom use of ICT.
A somewhat lower satisfaction rating, however, wasassociated with the quality of the school
visitsby the ICT advisor. At both primary and post-primary level, 42% of teacherswho had
received a school visit felt that the service received waseither fair or poor.
ICT access
All schoolswere found to provide both teachersand studentswith relatively high levelsof access
to computer facilities.
At primary level, the teachersof senior classeswere more likely than teachersof junior
classesto be provided with computer facilitiesfor use at home. Furthermore, the location of
computersin classrooms, asdistinct from computer rooms, provided greater ICT access
opportunitiesfor students.
At post-primary level a little over a third of the teacherssurveyed reported having accessto
computersin their own classroom. Teachersof subjectsthat require specialist roomswere
more likely to have ICT facilitiesin their classroom. There isa greater permeation of
computersin specialist roomsthan in general classroomsat post-primary level.
Case-study primary schoolswere generally found to have restricted internet access. M ost schools
had accessby meansof a dial-up connection only; in some schoolsaccesswaslimited to one
computer, while othershad no accessat all. Networking isdeveloping in primary schools,
although at a relatively slow pace.
Special-education teachers, particularly at primary level, were found to have good accessto ICT
facilitiesin their support settings.
Computer rooms
Computer roomsare generally a feature of larger primary schoolsbut are liable be used for a
range of purposes. M ost schoolsdo not have space for such rooms. Both the national survey of
principalsand case-study evaluationsfound, however, that accessto computerswasmore
frequent and more relaxed in situationswhere computerswere located in classrooms.
The average number of computersfound in the computer roomsof case-study post-primary
schoolswastwenty-four. M ost computer roomswere networked and had broadband accessor
Chapter 3
65
were working on acquiring such access. The timetabled occupancy of these roomsper week
ranged from 30% to 90% , with the average being a little over 60% .
Software and web sites
While computer applicationsare used often asa teaching aid, particularly in the area of special
educational needs, not all staff membersin schoolsare clear about the nature and range of
software that isalready available to them in their school. M ost of the software in primary schools
iscontent-rich and ispredominantly used to promote literacy and numeracy.
A sizable proportion of schoolsdo not have their own web site. Of those that do, many do not
actively promote it or use it to maximum effect. Schoolsdo, however, experience difficultiesin
developing and maintaining a web site.
3.11.2 Recommendations
Recommendations for policy-makers and policy advisors
Consideration needsto be given to improving the level of ICT resourcesavailable to schools.
Ireland should be working towardsenabling schoolsto equip all classroomswith an appropriate
level of ICT infrastructure. Consideration should be given to equipping all classroomswith a
computer for use by the teacher, broadband internet accesswith adequate bandwidth, and a
fixed data projector and screen for use by the teacher in presentations. Furthermore, to ensure
appropriate accessto ICT by students, Ireland should strive to reduce itsstudent-computer ratio
(SCR) from the present 9.1:1 in primary schoolsand 7:1 in post-primary schools. International
evidence suggeststhat countriesthat have taken a lead in thisarea are aiming for or achieving a
ratio of 5:1 or lessin all schools. Funding for ICT in schoolsshould seek to provide schoolswith
the capacity not only to acquire ICT facilitiesbut also to upgrade their ICT systemsand to
manage obsolescence of computersand other equipment on a planned basis.
ICT maintenance in schoolsneedsto be addressed in a co-ordinated fashion at system level so
that all schoolscan benefit from having a secure and reliable infrastructure that will facilitate the
integration of ICT throughout the school. Thiscould entail the introduction of a quality ICT
maintenance initiative for schools. (See section 7.3.1 for further comment on this
recommendation.) The role of the ICT advisory service should be reviewed within the context of
such an initiative.
Schoolsthat have effectively implemented their own learning platformsshould be identified as
modelsof good practice for other schools. The NCTE could play a role in identifying such schools
and in disseminating information about their practicesamong other schools.
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The NCTE, in collaboration with the SESS, should develop existing guidelines(and create new
guidelineswhere appropriate) for schoolsregarding the range and type of assistive technology
devicesand software available for use with studentswith special educational needs.
M ost schoolsrequire advice, guidance and assistance regarding the development and
maintenance of a school web site. The NCTE should explore how schoolsmight be further
supported in thisregard.
There isa lack of appropriate software in schoolsto promote Irish, aswell assoftware using Irish
instructions. Software companiesshould be encouraged to fill thisvoid.
Primary schoolsrequire guidance regarding the purchase of computer hardware and software,
particularly in relation to the purchase of ICT peripherals. The NCTE iswell placed to provide this
advice.
Recommendations for schools
Support services
Schoolsshould make use of relevant specialist support servicesasfully aspossible. School
principalsand ICT co-ordinatorsshould encourage classroom and subject teachersto liaise with
such serviceswhere applicable.
Funding
Schoolsshould endeavour to allocate a separate annual budget for the maintenance and
development of their ICT systems. Furthermore, schoolsshould use ICT grantspromptly when
they are received.
The usefulnessof older computersand equipment should be reviewed regularly. If it isdecided
that computersare obsolete they should be disposed of properly.
ICT equipment and resources
Asresourcespermit, schoolsshould work towardsproviding all teaching and learning spaceswith
ICT facilities. At primary level the emphasisshould be on locating computersin classrooms, asthis
seemsto provide greater accessopportunitiesfor students. At post-primary level, schoolsshould
ensure, asfar aspossible, an equitable distribution of facilitiesbetween specialist and general
classrooms. Asan interim arrangement schoolscould give consideration to setting up a mobile
ICT facility that could be shared between classrooms.
Asappropriate opportunitiesarise, schoolsshould develop the range of ICT peripheralsand
software available to facilitate teaching and learning. Consideration should be given to acquiring
data projectors, digital camerasand interactive whiteboards.
Chapter 3
67
Schoolsshould develop inventoriesof the ICT hardware and software facilitiesavailable to their
staff. These inventoriesshould be updated and circulated to staff membersregularly so asthat
teachersare fully informed at all timesof the range of ICT facilitiesavailable to them.
Schoolsshould carry out a regular ICT needsanalysisin the area of special educational needs.
Thiswould help ensure the best match possible between specialised technology and applications
and the needsof studentswith special educational needs.
ICT access
Schoolsshould ensure that staff membersand studentshave adequate accessto the internet.
Schoolswith a computer room (or rooms) should ensure maximum accessto the room for their
students. To facilitate this, in addition to appropriate timetabling, a simple and accessible system
for booking the room should be adopted for teachers. It isalso important that rulesfor the
computer room are established and that these are regularly brought to the attention of all users
of the room.
The provision of a dedicated e-mail service to schoolsand their teaching staff should be given
priority within the introduction of the schoolsbroadband network. Effortsshould also be directed
at encouraging teachersto use e-mail aspart of their classroom practice.
The on-line environment
Schoolsshould strive to develop their own on-line learning platform. In addition, schoolsshould
develop their own web sitesso asto facilitate better awarenessof school activities,
developments, and policiesin the school and the wider community.
Administration
Schoolsshould fully exploit the benefitsoffered by ICT in school administration, especially in the
areasof students recordsand timetabling.
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68
ICT planning in primary and post-primary schools
Chapter 4
69
4.1 Introduction
Thischapter isconcerned with ICT planning in schools. It beginsby reviewing the planning process
in schoolsand then takesa close look at the management and co-ordination arrangementsthat
prevail in schoolswith regard to ICT provision. In thiscontext, reference ismade to the work of ICT
steering committeesand ICT co-ordinators. The chapter then looksat the ICT plan or, more
specifically, how such plansare developed and what they contain. The acceptable-use policy (AUP) is
another important aspect of ICT planning, and thisisalso examined. The chapter also considersthe
implementation of ICT planning in schools, particularly with regard to teachers accessto, and take-
up of, ICT professional development training, the extent of usage by individual teachersof ICT for
lesson-planning purposes, and the level of planning conducted for the actual use of ICT in teaching.
The chapter concludesby looking at schools strategic planning for the development of ICT from the
viewpoint of principalsand teachers.
4.2 The planning process
The SchoolsIT 2000 initiative (referred to in chapter 1) wasin many waysthe catalyst for the
development of ICT planning by schools. Through a variety of methods, the initiative sought to
provide schoolswith support that would assist them in their ICT planning and in other areasof
technology integration and skillsdevelopment. The model of school planning encouraged under this
initiative wasone that integrated regular monitoring and periodic and systematic review. The
initiative also required schoolsto adopt an ICT plan in order to attract funding.
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In 2002 the NCTE issued an ICT planning and advice pack to all schools. The pack provided
information and advice to help schoolsin preparing and implementing their ICT plan. The pack also
offered schoolsa mechanism for the self-review of their ICT status. It also helped them to target their
ICT funding more strategically.
The pack advised schoolsto follow six stepsin developing their ICT plan:
(a) Consider what the educational objectivesand prioritiesof the school ICT plan should be. In
particular, the plan should emphasise the effective use of ICT in teaching and learning situations,
rather than concentrating exclusively on the acquisition of equipment or ICT skills.
(b) Convene an ICT steering committee to manage the development and implementation of the
plan and to make the planning processfully inclusive.
(c) Conduct an audit of the schoolsresourcesto determine the level of ICT provision and identify
the extent to which the provision ismeeting the needsof teachersand students.
(d) Consider the following five areasasa framework for the plan: ICT management and planning,
ICT and the curriculum, staff members professional development, schoolsICT culture, and ICT
resourcesand infrastructure.
(e) Consider budgetary mattersassociated with the implementation of the plan. When preparing
the budget, ensure that provision ismade for purchasing, developing and maintaining hardware,
peripherals, networks, and software.
(f) Ensure that the school hasan ICT co-ordinator whose role isclearly defined, particularly with
regard to the continuing implementation of the plan.
In general, it would appear from thisevaluation that the support documentsmade available by
agenciesand servicessuch asthe NCTE, the School Development Planning Support (SDPS) service at
primary level and the School Development Planning Initiative (SDPI) at post-primary level, coupled
most likely with a combination of other influencing factors,
43
have had a positive impact on the level
of ICT planning in schools. An analysisof the national survey of principals, for example, found that
more than three-quartersof primary schools(78% ), and nearly nine out of ten post-primary schools
(88% ), made use of the NCTEsICT Planning and Advice for Schools (2002). Furthermore, 65% of
primary schoolswere also found to have made use of other ICT planning documentsmade available
by the SDPS. The survey also revealed that 71% of primary schoolshad a written ICT plan. The
corresponding figure for post-primary schoolswasconsiderably lower, at 46% . It wasalso found,
however, that whole-school ICT planning wasmuch more prevalent than ICT planning at the level of
the individual teacher.
In the primary case-study schoolsresponsibility for managing and co-ordinating ICT normally lay with
the principal. However, in a number of these schoolsthe dutieswere undertaken by an ICT steering
committee, or the deputy principal, or an ICT co-ordinator, or a combination of personnel. At post-
primary level the role wasmore usually undertaken by a nominated ICT co-ordinating teacher. Few
schoolswere found to have convened ICT steering committeesto assist with planning for the
development of ICT in their school.
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71
43 Factorssuch asthe ICT planning daysthat were organised throughout the countryfor school principalsbythe NCTE, the advice
provided bythe NCCA on ICT planning for primaryschoolsin itsInformation and CommunicationsTechnology(ICT) in the Primary
School Curriculum: G uidelinesfor Teachers(2004), and the introduction of whole-school evaluation (WSE) and other inspection
activitiesbythe DES.
4.2.1 The ICT steering committee
The evaluation found that ICT steering committeeswere not prevalent in schools. Only four of the
thirty-two primary and twenty post-primary case-study schoolsvisited had established a permanent
ICT steering committee. A small number of schools, however, were found to have established a
temporary committee.
One of the two primary schoolsthat had an ICT steering committee had an enrolment of a little less
than two hundred students. In thiscase the permanent committee of teachersacted asa support to
the principal, who had the main responsibility in the school for the co-ordination of ICT. In the
second primary school, with an enrolment of fifty students, a temporary committee of three people
had been established to assist only in the review of the schoolsICT policy.
A number of factorscontributed to the lack of steering committeesin primary schools. Firstly, the
size of the school tended to affect whether such a committee wasestablished or not: small schools
tended not to have accessto sufficient personnel to convene a committee. Secondly, the size of a
schoolsICT infrastructure wasan influencing factor: small-scale infrastructurestended not to
warrant the convening of a committee. Thirdly, some schoolswere reticent about setting up a
committee because of peoplesnormal work load.
The ICT steering committee in one of the two post-primary schoolsthat had such a committee
comprised four people, while the second school had six on itscommittee. Each of these committees
included a member of the schoolssenior management, the schoolsICT co-ordinator, and
representativesof the teaching staff. One school visited committed itself in itsICT plan to setting up
an ICT planning team whose membership would comprise representativesfrom teaching and
administrative staff, studentsand parents.
In three case-study post-primary schoolsit wasfound that an ICT steering committee, or planning
group, had been convened for the sole purpose of managing the development of an ICT plan for
their school, and once thistask had been completed the meetingsof the committee ceased. One of
these schoolsdescribed itself ashaving an informal ICT steering group. In the evaluation report
the inspector commented:
Currently, there isan informal ICT steering group. However, the school intendsto set up a formal ICT
steering committee with representativesof all subject departments. Thisgroup will have the objectivesof
ensuring that all subject departments ICT needsare met, that there iseffective integration of ICT in the
classroom, that monitoring and consideration of technological developmentstake place and that
monitoring and review of the ICT plan and development of the schoolsICT plan in the areasof hardware
and software renewal are implemented. The formation of an ICT steering committee isencouraged. The
school hasdeveloped a system of rotating the position of committee chairpersonsaspart of itsschool
development planning processand implementation of thissystem with the ICT steering committee is
acknowledged asbeneficial.
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72
Notwithstanding the small number of schoolswith ICT committees, it isconsidered good practice to
have such a committee. An ICT steering committee in a school can contribute to the general
development of ICT. Furthermore, the development of an effective ICT plan becomesa shared
process, and the remit of such a committee can go beyond the development of the plan: it can also
include a monitoring role with regard to progressin implementing the plan.
To maximise participation by the school and the community in ICT planning, schools particularly
post-primary schoolsand larger primary schools should convene an ICT steering committee to
manage the development of an ICT plan and monitor itscontinuousimplementation. Consideration
should be given to involving membersof the board of management, parents, and the local
community.
4.2.2 The ICT co-ordinator
The job of managing and co-ordinating ICT in a school wasfound to be the responsibility of a
nominated co-ordinating teacher in all twenty post-primary case-study schoolsthat were evaluated.
Such a role for a teacher wasfound to be much lesscommon in primary schools, where the task fell
predominantly to the principal.
The vision and enthusiasm of the primary-school principal and teachers(or, in some instances, the
school management, comprising both the board of management and the principal) in engaging with
ICT and developing it in their school wascommended in 26 of the 32 case-study schoolsvisited. In
most of these schoolsthe principal had assumed responsibility for ICT and wasgenerally described as
having introduced it into the school. The principalspromoted itsuse throughout their schoolsand
were described by inspectorsas keen, committed, interested, and enthusiastic. It wasclear
from the reportsthat the successof the integration and development of ICT in schoolswas
dependent very much on the vision and commitment of the principal. One report stated that
the principalscommitment in termsof time and effort, and hisvision for infrastructural development, staff
development and management of routine ICT issuesare most commendable particularlyin view of the
manyconstraintsidentified byschool personnel during the visit.
The principalsin these twenty-six schoolswere usually aware of the benefitsto be had from using ICT
and were generally found to be actively considering how challengescould be met. They were
described asbeing open to new ideasand committed to embedding ICT in teaching and learning.
Schoolsvaried in the way they integrated the role of a nominated ICT co-ordinating teacher in their
school management structure. While there wasa nominated co-ordinating teacher in only a few of
the primary case-study schoolsevaluated, the work carried out by such a person wasusually either
part of the dutiesattached to the post of responsibility of a special-dutiesteacher (SDT) or the sole
duty of such a post.
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73
In the majority of the twenty post-primary schoolsvisited, the role of ICT co-ordinator wasattached
to a post of responsibility, and while most of those took the form of an SDT post, a few were
attached to an assistant principal post. In a few post-primary schoolsit wasfound that either the
principal or the deputy principal undertook the role of ICT co-ordinator, while in a smaller number of
schoolsit wasfound that the role of ICT co-ordinator wasnot part of the post of responsibility
structure at all. Finally, in one post-primary school visited the person acting asICT co-ordinator did
so in a voluntary capacity. It wasclear from all the evaluations, however, that there waslittle
consistency among the different schoolsin the work load attached to posts.
While it wasfound that teacherswho acted asICT co-ordinatorswere key playersin schools ICT
planning, planning dutieswere not the only onesattached to their role; indeed in some schoolsICT
planning constituted only a minor part of the role. In general it wasfound that, while the dutiesof
the ICT co-ordinator were clearly defined in only a small number of schools, there wasconsiderable
variety in the tasksundertaken. Examplesof dutiesattached to the role at both primary and post-
primary level included:
managing the development of the ICT plan and co-ordinating itsimplementation
involvement in curriculum development
ICT resourcesmanagement, to include the auditing and purchasing of resources
installing software
system administration, maintenance, and technical support
liaison with subcontracted technical support
liaison with the NCTE and other relevant support services
networking issues
identifying training needsand facilitating staff training
developing relevant linkswith outside agencies.
At first glance thislist might suggest that ICT co-ordinatorshad a relatively high level of technical
expertise. While some had, othersdid not have the capacity to manage and maintain modern ICT
equipment and resources. A number of schools(asreferred to in chapter 3) had external
maintenance contractors, and frequently in those schoolsthe ICT co-ordinator wassolely
responsible for collaborating with such contractors.
M ost of the interviewswith ICT co-ordinating teachersrevealed that they would like to see their role
having a greater emphasison pedagogy than on the area of systemsadministration and
maintenance. In the main it wasfound that opportunitiesdid not present themselvesregularly for
ICT co-ordinatorsto work with colleagueson relevant pedagogical ICT issues. Instead co-ordinators
found a lot of their time wastaken up with technical or troubleshooting issues. One co-ordinator
spoke of the role in the following terms:
I don t consider myself asa formal ICT co-ordinator, but more asan IT technician and advisor. I maintain
the IT system and network in the school; I service, repair and build computers. I install software, set up
equipment for presentations, source quotationsfor new equipment and submit projectsto management.
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74
Co-ordinatorscomplained that thisadvisory or troubleshooting role sometimesdistracted them
from their teaching duties, especially where colleaguescalled on them to solve technical issues
during teaching time. Another issue regularly reported by co-ordinatorswasthe lack of time
available to them for performing their dutieseffectively. Thiswasnoted particularly where a
significant element of technical support wasrequired of the co-ordinator.
It wasclear from the case-study school evaluationsthat the use of ICT wasmore efficient if
someone in the school had direct responsibility for itsmanagement and co-ordination. Furthermore,
efficiency wasfound to be optimal in those schoolswhere the role of the co-ordinator wasclearly
defined and the relevant taskswere discharged accordingly. In thisregard schoolsshould consider
the following duties:
co-ordinating the development and production of the ICT plan
developing strategiesfor the integration of ICT throughout the curriculum
liaison with senior management and advising on ICT strategies
evaluating the use of ICT and encouraging greater use by teachersand students
developing a meansby which the ICT infrastructure can be maintained and upgraded.
School management personnel should ensure that their ICT co-ordinating teacher hasadequate
time to perform their dutiesin an effective manner. The ICT co-ordinator hasa significant role to
play in the successful integration of ICT throughout the curriculum in any school, and to achieve this
they need to devote time to assisting their colleaguesin using ICT to aid teaching and learning. They
also need to liase with the NCTE and other relevant support services.
ICT co-ordinatorsin schoolswould benefit from engaging with one another on a professional level,
sharing information and learning from one another, aswell asorganising such activitiesastraining
and exhibitions. ICT co-ordinatorsshould therefore be facilitated in setting up an association or
network of schools ICT co-ordinators.
4.2.3 The ICT plan
An analysisof the national survey of principalsfound that 157 (71% ) of the 220 primary principals
who responded to the question reported that their school had a written ICT plan. At post-primary
level 50 (46% ) of the 108 principalswho responded had such a plan. Furthermore, the survey
revealed that slightly lessthan half (48% ) of primary schoolsand slightly more than half (55% ) of
post-primary schoolswith such plansupdated them at least annually. Larger schoolswere more
likely to have an ICT plan and to update it regularly than smaller schools.
Drawing up the ICT plan
The survey of principalsfound that a variety of practicesexist in schoolswith regard to the
development of ICT plans. The survey revealed, for example, that 96% of both the primary and
Chapter 4
75
post-primary schoolsthat had an ICT plan provided opportunitiesfor teachers involvement in the
formulation of their plans. At primary level the majority of schools(54% ) reported also involving
their board of management in the process, while fewer than half (42% ) reported involving in-school
management personnel. Some 58% of post-primary schoolsreported involving their board of
management in the process, while 78% involved senior in-school management personnel.
Parentsand local businessesor community representativeswere the two groupsleast likely to be
involved in the development of a schoolsICT plan. Only 24% of primary and 38% of post-primary
schoolsreported involving parentsin the development of their plan, while 4 % of primary and
20% of post-primary schoolsreported involving local businessesor their local community, or both.
Similar personnel were found to be involved in any review of the ICT plan that took place. The
survey found that practically all principalsin the primary and post-primary schoolsthat had an ICT
plan reported involving teachersin any review of the plan. Some 79% of post-primary schools
reported that senior in-school management personnel were involved in the review process, while
48% of primary schoolsreported that their board of management wasinvolved.
The case-study school evaluationsprovided a greater insight into how schoolsdevelop their ICT
plansand highlighted a number of significant issues:
In a small number of case-study schoolsthe ICT planning processinvolved only school
management personnel, usually a member of the schoolssenior management (for example
principal or deputy principal) and the ICT co-ordinator. It wasnoted in the evaluation reportsfor
schoolswhere thisoccurred that some teacherswere unaware of the existence of an ICT plan for
their school.
Teachersregularly reported during interviewsthat their school did provide them with
opportunitiesto get involved in the development of their schoolsICT plan. Thisusually took the
form of management inviting staff membersto contribute their viewson the plan asit went
through itsvariousstagesof development. M any teachers, however, spoke of not availing of this
opportunity. Thiswasgenerally attributed to their lack of time or lack of knowledge of ICT plans.
Few schoolswere found to have either sought or received support from their local ICT advisor
when developing their plan. Furthermore, while the NCTE provided seminarsaround the country
for school principalson school planning for ICT, few made reference to any benefitsthat they
gained from attending.
It isclear that schoolsshould seek the servicesof relevant support servicesto support their work in
ICT planning. Schoolsalso need to become more active in engaging teachersand relevant sections
of their community in the development of their ICT plan.
Contents of the ICT plan
Principalsof schoolsthat had an ICT plan were asked in their national survey to state the areasthat
were addressed in their plan. Fig. 4.1 and fig. 4.2 provide detailsof the common areasaddressed in
the ICT plansof primary and post-primary schools, respectively.
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76
Fig. 4.1: Contents of ICT plans, primary schools
Fig. 4.2: Contents of ICT plans, post-primary schools
Chapter 4
77
95%
82%
81%
68%
66%
59%
58%
51%
49%
42%
38%
37%
24%
23%
What is addressed in the ICT plan?
Base: Al l pri mary pri nci pal s wi t h an ICT pl an (n= 157)
20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0%
School vi si on wi t h regard t o use/ i mport ance of ICT
Int ernet usage
Access t o, and use of , comput ers and equi pment
Resources
Rol es and responsi bi l i t i es
Support f or pupi l s wi t h speci al needs
Hardware mai nt enance
Hardware repl acement
How ICT i s used t o support t eachi ng and l earni ng
Budget and purchasi ng
Teacher t rai ni ng and devel opment i n ICT
Programmes of work f or i ndi vi dual cl ass l evel s
Assessment of pupi l progress i n ICT
School websi t e
What is addressed in the ICT plan?
Base: Al l post - pri mary pri nci pal s wi t h an ICT pl an (n= 50 )
20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0%
Int ernet usage
School vi si on wi t h regard t o use and i mport ance of ICT
Access t o, and use of , comput ers and equi pment
Hardware mai nt enance
Hardware repl acement
Teacher t rai ni ng and devel opment i n ICT
Rol es and responsi bi l i t i es
Resources
Support f or st udent s wi t h speci al needs
School websi t e
Budget and purchasi ng
How ICT i s used t o support t eachi ng and l earni ng
Assessment of st udent progress i n ICT
Programmes of work f or i ndi vi dual cl ass l evel s
98%
94%
86%
72%
70%
68%
60%
60%
56%
52%
48%
30%
30%
18%
The main topicsaddressed in primary and post-primary ICT planswere school vision with regard to
the use and importance of ICT, internet usage, and accessto, and use of, computersand
equipment. Such issuesas hardware maintenance, hardware replacement, resources and
rolesand responsibilities were also common. Referencesto how ICT isused to support teaching
and learning, programmesof work for individual classlevels and assessment of student
progressin ICT did not feature prominently in plans.
Aswould be expected, the contentsof the ICT plansreported by principalsin their survey and those
reviewed by inspectorsin case-study schoolswere broadly similar. Some of the plansreviewed
included hardware and software inventories, and where these were not included inspectors
generally recommended that they be compiled. Some schoolswere also advised to consider the
possibility of using ICT to engage in collaborative projectswith schoolsfrom other countries. Also, in
contrast to the findingsof the survey of principals, detailsof how ICT wasused to facilitate teaching
and learning featured highly in the ICT plansof the post-primary case-study schoolsvisited. Thismay
have been influenced, however, by the fact that case-study schoolswere notified in advance of their
participation in the evaluation; there wasevidence that certain review or upgrading work was
undertaken in respect of some ICT plansbefore the visit of the inspector.
On the whole, schools ICT plansconcentrate more on infrastructural issuesthan on how ICT can be
used to enhance teaching and learning. Thisisevidenced by the fact that more plansreferred to
hardware maintenance and replacement issues, to rolesand responsibility issuesand to accessissues
than to issuesconcerned with the actual use of ICT in the classroom. Only 37% of the primary
schoolssurveyed and 9 of the 32 case-study primary schoolsevaluated, for example, included
programmesof work for individual classlevelsin their ICT plans. Furthermore, lessthan a quarter of
those surveyed and only four case-study schoolsincluded detailsof how they assessed students
progressin the development of ICT skills. At post-primary level few schoolsincluded detailsof how
they would assess, if at all, students progressin the area of ICT skillsdevelopment asthey moved
from junior cycle to senior cycle.
Furthermore, few school plansincluded detailsof the work their studentswere exposed to aspart
of their dedicated computer studieslessons. In effect, thismeant that little or no programme
planning existed with regard to students dedicated ICT lessons. In planning for dedicated ICT
lessons, best practice wasobserved when ICT plansoutlined the relevant aims, objectives, time
allocations, grouping of students, course materialsused, planning for studentswith special needs,
teaching methods, health and safety considerations, and assessment strategies. It wasalso
considered best practice when continuity and progression in work were clear from the programmes
of work in the ICT plans. Post-primary schoolsshould plan an appropriate curriculum for all class
groupsthat are provided with dedicated ICT lessons.
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78
The inspectorsregularly recommended to case-study schoolsthat they review their ICT plan and in
so doing that they recast the balance between the infrastructural and the educational focus. One
primary school evaluation report, for example, commented:
The school hasan ICT plan which takesinto account areassuch as: development of the ICT facilities,
timetabling, network, usage, assessment, teacher usage of equipment, staff development, educational
objectives, ICT and special needs, and an ICT roadmap which outlinessome of the skillswhich students
are expected to acquire during their time in school. Although thislist of skillsisverysuitable it could be
further expanded and developed and consideration should be given to delineating at what classlevel
these skillsare achieved bystudents.
One post-primary school report commented:
Though the plan describesin detail the hardware and software provision that isenvisaged the document
doesnot deal with how ICT isto be integrated into teaching and learning. It isrecommended that the
plan be reviewed to include a strategic vision for the development of ICT and itsintegration in teaching
and learning in the school.
A schoolsICT plan should emphasise the use of ICT in teaching and learning situations. The NCTEs
document ICT Planning and Advice for Schools (2002) providesadvice to schoolson what should be
included in an ICT plan. The planning matrix (see appendix) providesa suggested framework for the
contentsof a plan, including: ICT management and planning; ICT and the curriculum; staff
members professional development; schools ICT culture; and ICT resourcesand infrastructure.
It isrecommended that schoolsdevelop their own ICT plan. The processof developing the plan
should be a consultative one, with opportunitiesat post-primary level for appropriate consideration
to be given to subject-specific needsby relevant subject departments. Relevant support documents
should be fully used. Plansshould emphasise the use of ICT in teaching and learning. To thisend,
for example, plansshould include information on how ICT isused to facilitate teaching and
learning, detailsof programmesof work for individual classlevels, and particularsof how students
progressin ICT isto be assessed. Once agreed, the plan should be brought to the attention of all
membersof the staff, and itsregular monitoring and review should be implemented. Thisisan area
where more extensive use could be made of the the significant expertise of ICT co-ordinators.
4.2.4 The acceptable-use policy
With the introduction of broadband accessto schools
44
and the heightened awarenessof the risks
of studentshaving accessto undesirable material on the web, the evaluation showed that there was
a strong emphasisin schoolson developing an appropriate internet AUP.
The survey of principalsrevealed that more than 80% of both primary and post-primary schoolshad
an AUP. While practically all AUPsin schoolsapplied to students, the survey also showed that 80%
Chapter 4
79
44 Schoolsare required to certifythat theyhave an AUP before theyare connected to the schoolsnetwork under the SchoolsBroadband
AccessProgramme managed bythe NCTE.
of them at primary level and 75% at post-primary level applied also to teachers. At primary level
57% applied to ancillary staff members, while at post-primary level the corresponding figure was
55% . From the survey of teachersit wasfound that approximately 70% of primary and 63% of
post-primary teacherswere familiar with their schoolsAUP. Thisproportion tended to increase at
primary level with regard to those teacherswith more teaching experience, while at post-primary
level it wasunexpectedly lower for schoolswith a low SCR.
AUPswere prevalent in case-study schools, with almost all the schoolsevaluated having one.
Inspectors reviewsof these policiesfound that practically all of them covered the use of the
internet. Few, however, referred to the health and safety risks, predominantly ergonomic in nature,
associated with the use of computer hardware.
45
It isrecommended that schoolshave guidelinesto
cover such areas.
Devising a policy on acceptable use of the internet isan important step in addressing the issue of
internet safety in the school. All schoolsshould have their own acceptable-use policy for computer
hardware, software, and the internet. Aswasthe case in some case-study schools, thisshould be
developed in partnership with parentsand should address, among other things, all the rights,
privilegesand responsibilitiesassociated with use of the internet and on-line services. It should
incorporate a code of conduct that should be agreed by all participantsand be incorporated in the
schoolsICT plan. The NCTEsInternet Safety Pack (2007) and the template for developing an AUP
on the Departmentswebsite can act asa resource for all schoolsin thisregard.
46
The template isthe
latest version of one originally developed by the NCTE for inclusion in itspublication Be Wise on the
Net: Information and Advice for Schools(2002).
4.3 Implementation of ICT planning
It isimportant that schoolsdo not view the development of an ICT plan asan end in itself. However,
some schoolsclearly do so when they convene a team to develop a plan and then disband the team
once the task iscomplete. An effective ICT plan, if implemented daily and in accordance with its
underlying principles, will have an impact on the use and development of ICT in a school. Schools
should ensure, however, that they have proceduresfor the regular monitoring and review of their
ICT plan. There are a number of waysin which a school can do this, including (asalluded to in
section 4.2.1) the role that an ICT steering committee can play in monitoring itsprogress.
Two areaswere examined to provide an accurate indication of the extent of the implementation of
ICT planning. The first isconcerned with the professional development of teachers. For example, to
what extent were schoolsactively facilitating teachersin attending appropriate training that would
allow them to integrate ICT in their classroom practice? The second area explored wasthe extent of
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80
45 There maybe risksof eye strain associated with the prolonged use of monitors, aswell asrisksto a usersposture from the prolonged
use of computers.
46 See www.education.ie for the ICT policytemplate, along with templatesfor common school policies.
use of ICT by teachersin their lesson planning and preparation work, aswell asthe extent of their
planning for the use of ICT in the teaching and learning process. Wasthe schoolsICT planning
having an impact at the level of the individual teacher and classroom?
4.3.1 Teachers professional development
An analysisof the national survey of principalsfound that approximately 30% of primary schools
and 57% of post-primary schoolshad provided at least one in-school or external ICT training course
for their staff within the previousthree years.
Schools provision of ICT professional development for staff
Fig. 4.3 showsthat 17% of the 234 primary-school principalswho responded to thissurvey
question stated that in-school training wasprovided, while 16% reported that external training was
provided within thistime frame. Primary schoolswere found to rarely offer both in-school and
external staff training.
Fig. 4.3: Staff ICT training in primary schools within the previous three years
Fig. 4.4 showsthat slightly more than half (51% ) of the 110 post-primary principalswho responded
stated that in-school training wasprovided, while about a quarter (26% ) stated that external
training wasprovided within thistime frame.
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81
In- school Ext ernal
17%
16%
0%
10%
20%
30%
Base: Al l pri mary pri nci pal s (n= 234)
Fig. 4.4: Staff ICT training in post-primary schools within the previous three years
Schools ICT co-ordinators(aswell asthe principal in the case of primary schools) were generally
found to facilitate any in-school training provided, and sometimespresented the training also. At
post-primary level it wascommon for a member of the teaching staff to present such training. The
NCTE and the ICT advisory service were generally found to facilitate external training in local
education centres. Subject associationsalso played an important role in facilitating teacherswith
external training, especially in subject-specific software training.
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82
In- school Ext ernal
51%
26%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Base: Al l post - pri mary pri nci pal s (n= 110)
The survey found that a higher rate of in-school training wasorganised by larger schools(36% of
primary schoolswith more than 200 students, compared with only 5% with fewer than 100
students; 59% of post-primary schoolswith more than 400 students, compared with 41% with
fewer than 400 students). It islikely that thisisbecause of the higher concentration of staff
members, and therefore possible participants, in the larger schools. However, it ispossible for small
schoolsto work together in groupsto organise specific training for their staff members. In the case
of external training the survey showed no notable difference in the rate of provision between school
type, sector or size at either the primary or the post-primary level.
The type of ICT professional development courses attended by teachers
The extent of teachers attendance at ICT professional development courseswasgarnered from the
national survey of teachers. They were asked to state, from a list provided, what coursesorganised
by the NCTE or ICT advisory service they had attended. Table 4.1 revealssome patternsin relation to
attendance at these courses.
Table 4.1: Teachers attendance at NCTE and ICT advisory service training courses
Cour se Pr i mar y t eacher s Post - pr i mar y t eacher s
Pri mary phase 1 34.2% 65%
Pri mary phase 2 27% 50.3%
Basi c t roubl eshoot i ng 13.7% 8.8%
Comput er net worki ng 4.4% 7.5%
Int roduct i on t o di gi t al medi a 22.6% 7.8%
Di gi t al vi deo f or l earni ng 6.5% 2.1%
Empoweri ng mi nds: usi ng cont rol t echnol ogi es 2.3% 1.1%
Int ernet and e- mai l f or l earni ng 24.5% 13.1%
Web si t e desi gn and devel opment f or l earni ng 14.8% 8.8%
Int el Teach t o t he Fut ure 20.3% 20.6%
Support groups 5.7% 3.2%
ICT and speci al needs: t he basi cs 12% 4%
ICT and speci al needs: l earni ng support 5.7% 2.9%
ICT and speci al needs: mi l d GLD 1.1% 0.5%
ICT and speci al needs: moderat e, severe or prof ound GLD 0.4% 0.3%
ICT and speci al needs: deaf or hard of heari ng 0 0
ICT and speci al needs:vi sual i mpai rment 0.2% 0
ICT and speci al needs: aut i st i c- spect rum di sorders 0.4% 0.3%
ICT and Geography 5.1%
ICT and Mat hemat i cs 7.2%
ICT and Sci ence 5.9%
ICT and Gui dance 1.9%
Ot her (e.g. ECDL) 21.1% 5.1%
Chapter 4
83
It isclear from the responsesand from discussionswith teachersin case-study schoolsthat many
felt they had benefited from phase I and II training associated with IT 2000. Table 4.1 also shows
that generic programmesof professional development (for example IT 2000 phase I and II, Intel
Teach to the Future ) tend to attract a greater take-up among teachersthan those dealing with
particular topicsor specific subjects. Thisispresumably due in large part to the fact that generic
courseshave an appeal throughout the teaching profession, while topic or subject-specific courses
are relevant to defined groupswithin the profession.
While teachersin case-study schoolsreported during interviewsthat they had attended professional
development coursesprovided by relevant support services, a substantial proportion stated that they
had received limited training during these coursesin how to actually integrate ICT in their teaching.
While it isunderstood that such training isan integral part of current professional development
programmes, it isrecommended that greater attention be paid to thisarea in the future.
Training methods associated with ICT professional development courses
Primary teachersreported that their preferred training method wasa school-based course. Almost
four out of five teachers(79% ) of the 1, 162 respondentsrated thismethod in their top three
choices. Thismethod waspopular primarily because the training in these settingsgenerally makes
use only of equipment and resourcesthat are readily available to the teachers.
ICT in Schools

84
Post-primary teachersreported that their preferred training method wasa tutor-led course (or face-
to-face training) in their local education centre. Nearly three out of four post-primary teachers(73% )
of the 800 respondentsrated thismethod in their top three choices. The second choice for primary
teacherswastutor-led coursesin an education centre (74% ), whereasat post-primary level it was
the school-based course (69% ). The third most popular method for all teacherswasa tutor-
facilitated ICT support group in the education centre. Thisfinding isparticularly important from the
viewpoint of the school management: when organising ICT training for staff members, the
management should be aware of teachers preferred training methods.
Some issuesarose, particularly during interviewswith teachersat post-primary level, regarding the
coursesprovided in education centres. M any teachersexpressed dissatisfaction with the fact that
the majority of these coursestook place outside normal school hours, and many spoke of having to
travel long distancesto attend them. Othersalso mentioned that there wasa distinct lack of
joined-up-thinking or progression regarding the coursesthey attended or were offered. A further
issue concerned the wide range of abilitiesand experiencescommonly found in groupsof teachers
attending training courses. Given the varied levelsof proficiency of teachersin ICT, however, it is
accepted that thisisan issue that will inevitably arise. Neverthelessit isrecommended that course
organisersand presenterstake appropriate stepsto minimise itsimpact on the learning experience
of the teachersattending a course.
Teachers further ICT professional development needs
In their survey, principalswere asked to specify the areasin which they considered teacher training
to be necessary to further facilitate effective teaching and learning in the classroom. In their
questionnaire teacherswere asked separately to state what they felt were their personal
requirementsfor further professional development. Fig. 4.5 and fig. 4.6 show the responses
received from primary and post-primary principalsand teachersin relation to teacher education
needsregarding effective classroom practice.
47
In general, the findingssuggest that greater
communication between principalsand teachersregarding the content, and indeed the mode, of
ICT professional development would benefit teachers. The evaluation found considerable divergence
between the viewsof principalsand teachersregarding the extent and nature of the professional
development needsof teachers. Furthermore, it would appear from the findingsthat principals
perceive teachersto have somewhat greater training needsthan do the teachersthemselves. Thisis
not to suggest, however, that teachersdo not have a strong awarenessof their training needs.
Chapter 4
85
47 Although the wording of the prioritiesin the questionnaire for principalswasnot exactlythe same asthat in the questionnaire for
teachers, similar itemswere matched (where possible) between the questionnaires.
Fig. 4.5: Principals and teachers views on ICT training requirements, primary schools
Primary-school principalsidentified further professional development needsfor their teaching staff
in most items(especially the use of digital imaging and peripherals), while teacherswere more
interested in the software-specific use of ICT in the classroom. Recent changesto the primary
curriculum, coupled with the work of the PCSP, could be contributing to thisperceived further
training need of teachers.
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86
Base: Al l pri mary pri nci pal s (n= 234) and t eachers (n= 1162)
20% 40% 60% 80% 0%
Priorities for further professional development
[Principals and teachers]
Di gi t al i magi ng/ peri pheral s
Comput er t roubl eshoot i ng
Subj ect - speci f i c use of ICT/ sof t ware
Devel opi ng a school websi t e
ICT and speci al educat i onal needs
Comput er net worki ng
Use of Int ernet / emai l i n t eachi ng and l earni ng
Sof t ware speci f i c (i n cl assroom)
Proj ect - based l earni ng
Int ernet saf et y
77%
58%
66%
41%
60%
37%
59%
41%
53%
44%
53%
40%
50%
59%
40%
71%
43%
n/ a
n/ a
38%
Pri nci pal
Teacher
Fig. 4.6: Principals and teachers views on ICT training requirements, post-primary schools
Almost all post-primary principals(94% ) reported that teachersrequired training in the subject-
specific use of ICT, while thisarea of training wasgiven priority by fewer than two-thirdsof teachers
(62% ). Conversely, more than three-quartersof teachers(78% ) reported a need for training in the
use of specific software in the classroom, while fewer than half the principals(45% ) chose thisarea.
Table 4.2 showsthe further ICT professional development preferencesof post-primary teachersby
subject. It can be seen that teachersof Irish, foreign languagesand the social studiesI and II groups
of subjectswere most likely to select further professional development in the classroom use of
educational software. These teachers, along with teachersof English, were also slightly more likely
to select professional development in using the internet in teaching and learning, in using standard
applications, and in project-based learning. Thisfinding could be influenced by the fact that a
number of these subjects(for example, History and Geography) require accessto sourcesof
information that are most readily available electronically, and that teachersof these subjectswould
like to be in a position to obtain thiskind of information more easily. Recent changesto syllabuses,
along with the work of relevant subject support servicesin schools, could be contributing to this
perceived need for further training. The findingsalso show that there isscope for subject
associationsto organise or provide subject-specific professional development coursesfor teachers.
Chapter 4
87
Base: Al l post - pri mary pri nci pal s (n= 110) and t eachers (n= 800)
25% 50% 75% 100% 0%
Priorities for further professional development
[Principals and teachers]
Pri nci pal
Teacher

Subj ect - speci f i c use of ICT
ICT and speci al educat i onal needs
Peri pheral s, e.g. di gi t al camera
Comput er t roubl eshoot i ng
Int ernet / emai l
Sof t ware speci f i c (i n cl assroom)
Comput er net worki ng
School websi t e
Proj ect - based l earni ng
Int ernet saf et y
94%
62%
81%
25%
77%
48%
68%
34%
52%
64%
45%
78%
44%
31%
44%
22%
37%
35%
n/ a
n/ a
Table 4.2: Professional development preferences of post-primary teachers, by subject
% of subj ect t eacher s who opt ed f or f ur t her pr of essi onal devel opment i n t he par t i cul ar ar ea
Cl assroom use of
educat i onal sof t ware 74 72 85 83 65 73 74 79 82 75
Cl assroom use of
st andard appl i cat i ons
(e.g. deskt op
publ i shi ng,
spreadsheet s) 49 37 55 49 41 51 39 48 52 44
Comput er net worki ng 28 34 28 31 38 27 31 28 28 30
Comput er
t roubl eshoot i ng 37 33 29 24 42 27 41 35 32 33
Devel opi ng a school
web si t e 19 27 19 21 26 29 22 19 25 22
Di gi t al i magi ng (e.g.
di gi t al cameras,
di gi t al vi deo) 41 45 49 40 50 52 55 50 51 48
ICT and speci al
educat i onal needs 27 27 27 27 21 22 21 28 26 25
Int ernet saf et y 29 32 38 37 30 38 29 34 40 34
Proj ect - based l earni ng 44 30 46 37 37 30 42 42 42 37
Subj ect - speci f i c use
of ICT 64 64 67 74 65 64 54 63 62 63
Usi ng t he i nt ernet i n
t eachi ng and l earni ng 74 56 70 75 65 60 54 67 69 64
Good practice regarding teachers ICT professional development
The quality of a schoolseffortsto cater for the ICT training needsof itsteaching staff wassingled
out by inspectorsasbeing effective in lessthan half the primary case-study schoolsvisited and in
only a quarter of those post-primary schoolsevaluated. The use of the word effective in reports
usually meant that a school had plansto provide itsteaching staff with appropriate training and that
those planswere being realised, or that it wasactively developing training plansfor staff members.
The identification of the training needsof teachersin the use of ICT also featured strongly in whole-
school planning in these schools, asisappropriate. It wasalso usually noted in reportsfrom these
schoolsthat teachershad engaged at some level with variousprofessional development coursesin
ICT. One primary inspection report stated:
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88
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All staff membershave had a reasonable level of basic skillstraining, with some staff [members] currently
participating in ICT coursesemphasising the integration of ICT in the curriculum. Four teachershave
undertaken on-line in-service courseson issuesregarding special educational needsin the last term.
One post-primary school inspection report commented:
Thistraining included NCTE Phase 1 and Phase 2 education courses, VEC night classes, European
Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) courses, Joint Examining Board certification and Intel Teach to the
Future courses.
It wascommon in these reportsto read phrasessuch as There wasa good level of expertise among
staff or Teacherswere eager to engage in further training. It wasfrequently reported that
teachersin these schoolsregularly shared their ICT skills, expertise and experience with each other.
Some schoolseven provided ICT training for parents. M ention wasalso usually made of the
commitment displayed by teachersin attending professional development courses, which usually
took place after school hours.
In the remaining case-study schoolsvisited inspectorsgenerally recommended that effortsbe
directed towardscatering for the training needsof the teaching staff, particularly training that
would allow them to better integrate ICT in their classroom practice. In particular, schoolswere
advised:
to implement training plansthat existed, or consider short on-site training courses
to review the ICT training needsof their staff membersand develop appropriate training plans
for them
to monitor the training needsof staff members
to concentrate on the integration of ICT in teaching and learning in any training provided
to use the expertise already available among staff members, and even among students
to liaise with the ICT advisor in their local education centre with a view to seeking assistance in
developing and running ICT training coursesfor staff members; schoolswere also asked to
consider liaison with other support personnel
to include referencesto professional development plansin the ICT plan for their school
to develop a mentor system, whereby experienced teacherscould assist teacherswho were
unfamiliar with the technology.
Teachersin case-study schoolsgenerally reported that the ICT professional development courses
they attended had an effect on the extent of their use of ICT during teaching. While it isdifficult to
pinpoint the level of thisinfluence, it wasinteresting to note that when asked to state what factors
facilitated the development of ICT in their classrooms, teachersnearly alwaysmentioned their
attendance at relevant professional development courses.
Chapter 4
89
4.3.2 Using ICT in classroom and lesson planning and preparation
From interviewswith individual mainstream teachersand special-education teachersin primary
schools, the inspectorsfound that more than two-thirds(69% ) of mainstream teachersand 61% of
special-education teachersreported using ICT to plan and prepare for their teaching. Interestingly,
teachersin primary schoolswith a higher SCR were slightly more likely to use ICT to plan (78% )
than teachersin schoolswith a low SCR (65% ).
48
In post-primary schools, inspectorsfound that
nearly four out of five subject teachers(79% ) reported that they used ICT when preparing their
lessons.
The way in which teachersused ICT in their lesson planning and preparation wasexplored in some
detail through the survey of teachersand the case-study school evaluation reports. One area of
interest wasthe extent of teachers use of computersand applicationsaspart of their planning and
preparation work. An emphasiswasalso placed on examining whether teachersused internet
resourceswhen preparing lessons. Particular attention wasgiven to teachers use of the Scoilnet
web site, the education portal developed and maintained by the NCTE.
49
Use of computers in lesson planning and preparation
Teacherswere asked in their national survey how frequently they used computersfor lesson
preparation. Thiscould be for creating templatesor producing students worksheets, hand-outs,
revision notes, or similar resources. Asillustrated in fig. 4.7, 82% of primary and 78% of post-
primary respondentsreported using computersfor thispurpose, though at different frequencies.
Fig. 4.7: Use of computers for lesson preparation
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90
48 See note 19 (chapter 2) for a definition of SCR.
49 Scoilnet, according to the NCTE web site (September 2006), isone of the most popular sitesdevoted to facilitating the work of
education professionals. The site waslaunched in 1998 and ismanaged bythe NCTE. It activelypromotesthe integration of ICT in
teaching and learning bymaking resourcesavailable for downloading, such aslesson plans, interactive and printable worksheets,
notes, and multimedia resources. The learning materialsfor pupilsavailable from the site are curriculum-focused and are selected and
reviewed bycurriculum specialistsand teachers.
Pri mary t eachers
Post - pri mary t eachers
Base: 1,162 pri mary and 800 post - pri mary t eachers
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
At l east once a week About 2/ 3 t i mes
a mont h
Less t han t wi ce
a mont h
Never
40% 40%
20% 20% 21% 21%
18% 19%
The use of the computer for lesson preparation wasrealated the teachersage. Of those under
thirty-five, 90% of primary teachersand 92% of post-primary teachersreported using computers
for preparation purposes, compared with 71% (primary) and 68% (post-primary) of teachersover
forty-five.
The post-primary survey showed that teachersin schoolswith a low SCR were more likely to use
computersfor lesson preparation (84% ). It would be reasonable to assume that thiswasbecause of
the higher number of computersavailable for use. While there waslittle variation in the level of
computer use in preparation for teaching and learning in different subject areas, it wasfound that a
lower than average proportion of teachersof Irish reported using computersfor thispurpose.
Fig. 4.8 givesan indication of the type of resourcesthat primary teachersgenerate asa result of
their use of computersfor lesson planning and preparation. It providesdetailsof the responses
received from the 104 mainstream primary teacherswho reported during interviewswith inspectors
that they used ICT to provide resourcesfor teaching. Interestingly, those interviewsfound that
teachersin schoolswith a higher SCR were slightly more likely to use ICT to provide resourcesor
aidsfor their teaching (89% ) than teachersin schoolswith a low SCR (78% ).
Fig. 4.8: Resources provided by mainstream primary teachers using ICT
The reasonswhy teachersused these resourcesare varied and consistent with good practice:
to reinforce existing teaching and learning methods(especially for teachersin schoolswith a high
SCR)
to improve the teaching and learning of specific curriculum areas(especially for teachersof senior
classes)
Chapter 4
91
Base: Al l mai nst ream cl ass t eachers usi ng ICT t o provi de resources f or t eachi ng (n= 104)
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Workcards Fl ashcards Chart s Powerpoi nt
present at i on/ graphi cs
Web/ i nt ernet
56%
47%
27%
16%
9%
to improve literacy, reading and writing skills(especially for teachersof junior classes)
to introduce more visual and interactive aspectsinto lessons(especially for teachersin schools
with a low SCR).
Computerswere found to be used by teachersin their classroom or lesson planning and preparation
work in most of the fifty-two case-study schoolsevaluated, even in those schoolswhere the teacher
may not have been included in ICT planning at the school level (asdiscussed in section 4.2.3). The
use of computersfor such work in these schoolswasgenerally found to be a matter for individual
teachers. One post-primary report stated:
At a classroom level it isa matter for individual teachersto plan for the use of ICT in lessonsand from
discussionswith a small group of teachersit wasclear that planning for use of, aswell asactual usage of,
ICT in teaching isuniformlystrong. Thisisfacilitated bythe existence of ICT hardware and software in
certain classrooms.
The use of computersfor lesson planning and preparation in the case-study schools, however, was
found to vary considerably. At post-primary level in particular their application varied according to
the subject being taught. In one primary school it wasnoted that while each teacher had a copy of
their schoolsICT plan, there waslittle evidence to suggest that the ICT plan impacted on individual
teachers planning or that teachersplan formally for the use of ICT. However, a more typical report
wasasfollows:
[Teachers] wished to further expand their skillsin order to become more au fait with the hardware in
order to make active use of ICT during lessons. Teachers. . . noted [that] technical difficulties, while using
ICT equipment, were a major problem for them and resulted in a negative outlook towardsthe whole ICT
area and their willingnessto use the technology.
Practically all twenty case-study post-primary school evaluation reportsreferred to the fact that
teachersreported using ICT for classpreparation, including use of the internet asa resource, or at
worst that teachers use of ICT in planning or preparation for their teaching wasmixed, or that
planning for [the] use of, aswell asactual usage of, ICT in teaching occursat varying levels.
The use of ICT in planning for teaching in special education or learning support wasparticularly
prevalent in case-study primary schools, and thiswasconsidered good practice. Inspectors
recommended in many instancesthat such good practice be replicated throughout mainstream
teaching settings.
Internet resources
In their survey, teacherswere asked about the use they made of internet resourcesin their lesson
planning and preparation. Table 4.3 showsthat 69% of both primary and post-primary teachers
reported making use of such resources.
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92
Table 4.3: Teachers use of internet resources in planning and preparation for teaching
I nt er net r esour ces
Age Gender SCR Tot al
Under 35 35 45 Over 45 Mal e Femal e Low Hi gh
Proport i on of pri mary t eachers
answeri ng yes t o usi ng i nt ernet
resources i n pl anni ng and
prepari ng f or t eachi ng 82% 63% 47% 68% 69% 71% 67% 69%
n (pri mary) 569 270 281 155 893 533 534 1,162
Proport i on of post - pri mary
t eachers answeri ng yes
t o usi ng i nt ernet resources
i n pl anni ng and prepari ng
f or t eachi ng 83% 65% 59% 68% 70% 67% 73% 69%
n (post - pri mary) 272 210 290 260 468 323 321 800
The survey found that there wasa strong correlation between internet use and age: younger
teacherswere more likely to make use of internet resourcesthan those over thirty-five. It can be
assumed that thiswaspartly influenced by their exposure to the benefitsof ICT during their teacher
training experience. A higher level of use wasalso associated with those teacherswho had
computer facilitiesand internet accessin their own classrooms. At primary level the survey also
showed that teachersof senior classeswere slightly more likely to use internet resourcesin planning
for teaching (74% ) than teachersof junior classes(69% ). At post-primary level some differences
emerged in the use of the internet by teachersfor planning and preparation purposesin different
subjects, asshown in fig. 4.9.
Fig. 4.9: Use of the internet in planning and preparation for teaching, by subject
Chapter 4
93
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Soci al
St udi es I
Soci al
St udi es II
Engl i sh Forei gn
Languages
Sci ence Appl i ed
Sci ence
Mat hs Busi ness
St udi es
Iri sh
Base: Al l post - pri mary t eachers (n= 800)
78%
76%
74% 73%
73%
68%
63%
62%
54%
A relatively low proportion (54% ) of teachersof Irish reported using the internet in planning and
preparation for teaching, compared with teachersof social studiesI and II subjects(7876% ) and
English (74% ).
Case-study school evaluationsfound considerable use of the internet by teachersin their planning
work. They generally used it asa meansof accessing planning resourcesand ideaswhich served as
a stimulusfor students. For example, teachersused the internet to find planning and progress
record templatesand suggestionsfor teaching activities. Teachersalso mentioned, however, that
significant time and work wasrequired to identify, find or generate appropriate materials.
Scoilnet
The survey found that relatively high proportionsof teachersuse Scoilnet, with some 77% and 67%
of primary and post-primary teachers, respectively, reporting that they had visited the site within the
previoustwo years. Use wasfound to be slightly higher for teachersunder thirty-five. While the level
of use wassimilar for primary teachersof both junior and senior classes, the survey showed that
there were differencesin use by post-primary teachersamong the subjectstaught. A higher
proportion of teachersof the social studiesI and II (7572% ) and science subjects(74% ), for
example, reported making use of the site than teachersof the applied science subjects(60% ), Irish
(63% ), and BusinessStudies(62% ).
In general, however, teachersmay be considered asinfrequent usersof the Scoilnet web site. Ascan
be seen from fig. 4.10, some 63% of primary teachersand 62% of post-primary teacherswho used
the site stated that they had visited it lessthan twice a month in the previoustwo years.
Fig. 4.10: Scoilnet visits by teachers
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94
How frequently do you access Scoilnet?
7%
10%
30%
28%
63%
62%
Base: Al l pri mary (n= 859) and post - pri mary (n= 532) t eachers who used Scoi l net duri ng t he l ast t wo years
Pri mary
Post - pri mary
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
The teachers resourcesarea of Scoilnet wasvery popular, with more than 90% of both primary and
post-primary respondentswho stated that they had visited the site reporting that they had visited
thissection. Thiswould suggest not only that significant numbersof teachersare already using ICT
to help them with their lesson planning and preparation work but also that significant numbersare
keen to vary their teaching resourcesand to explore new waysof engaging studentsin lessons. All
other areasof Scoilnet (except perhapsthe post-primary students section) proved to be much less
popular, ascan be seen from fig. 4.11.
Fig. 4.11: The most popular sections of Scoilnet among teachers
In general, Scoilnet achieved high ratingsfrom those who visited it. Fig. 4.12 showsthat 82% of the
858 primary teachersand 67% of the 531 post-primary teacherswho rated the site stated that the
quality of the sitescontent waseither good or very good. Furthermore, 78% and 61% of
primary and post-primary teachers, respectively, rated the relevance of materialsto their work or
interestsas good or very good. Teachersof M athematicsand English at post-primary level
rated Scoilnet more positively, while teachersof the applied science subjectsrated it lesspositively.
These teachersexpressed disappointment with the relevance to their subject areasof the materials
available on the site.
Chapter 4
95
Teachers
resources
What parts of Scoilnet do you visit?
96%
94%
St udent areas
(e.g., exam
cent re)
14%
56%
Speci al needs
22%
9%
School s on- l i ne
16%
10%
Parent s
i nf ormat i on
4%
4%
Ot her
1% 1%
Pri mary
Post - pri mary
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Fig. 4.12: Teachers ratings of Scoilnet
Teacherswere of the view that teaching resources(for example lesson plansand classactivities) and
learning resourcesand materialsfor use by studentswere important content itemsfor Scoilnet. Fig.
4.13 providesdetailsof the level of importance teachersattached to a range of content types.
ICT in Schools

96
Ease of f i ndi ng rel evant
i nf ormat i on
How do you rate certain elements of Scoilnet?
[% Good or Very Good]
81%
75%
Organi sat i on of
i nf ormat i on
85%
76%
Qual i t y of t he
cont ent
82%
67%
Rel evance of mat eri al s
t o your work/ i nt erest s
78%
61%
Pri mary
Post - Pri mary
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Fig. 4.13: Teachers views on what Scoilnet should contain
Teachersregarded class-planning materials(for example lesson plansand guidelines) asthe most
important type of teaching resource that Scoilnet should provide. Other teaching resources
mentioned by primary teacherswere assessment materials, classroom management information,
and project ideas. The majority of other teaching resourcesmentioned by post-primary teachers
were related to examinations(for example revision notesand activities, and marking schemes) and
reviewsof educational web sites(by subject). A low level of interest wasshown in teacher-only
forumsasa teaching resource.
In general, the findingssuggest that teachersare partial to using the internet to help them with
their lesson preparation work, and that Scoilnet, and other such web sites, can act asa very helpful
resource in thisrespect. It isequally clear, however, that a significant proportion of teachersdo not
exploit the benefitsof the internet in preparing for their lessons. These include teachersover thirty-
five, teacherswho do not have ready accessto appropriate ICT facilities, and teachers(at post-
primary level) of certain subjects. Furthermore, of those who make use of the internet, for example
for visiting such web sitesasScoilnet, their use isinfrequent. It isclear that there issignificant scope
for the further development of the use of ICT in the area of lesson preparation. The continued
effortsof schoolsat providing teacherswith appropriate accessto computersand the internet are
considered good practice. It isalso clear that teacherswould like to see more teaching and learning
resourcesbeing made available for downloading, and thisisperhapsan area that could be reviewed
by the NCTE.
Chapter 4
97
Base: Al l pri mary t eachers (n= 1162) and post - pri mary (n= 800)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Top three most important content types
Pri mary
Post - pri mary
95%
88%
90%
92%
45%
38%
34%
33%
18%
27%
17%
26%
5%
4%
Teachi ng resources (e.g., l esson pl ans, cl ass act i vi t i es)
Learni ng resources/ mat eri al s f or st udent s
Prof essi onal devel opment i nf ormat i on
Educat i onal news and current event s
Educat i onal research
Academi c exchange or di scussi on
Job vacanci es
4.3.3 Planning for using ICT in teaching and learning
While the use of ICT in planning for teaching and learning wasprevalent in most case-study schools,
planning for the actual use of ICT in the teaching and learning processwasnot universal,
particularly in primary schools.
50
Where it did occur at post-primary level it wasgenerally confined to
a small group of subjects.
Inspectorsreported frequently in the inspection reportson case-study primary schoolsthat
individual teachersdo not generally plan formally for the use of ICT in their classrooms, or at best
that planning for [the] use of ICT appearsto be incidental rather than formal. There were a
number of reasonsfor thisparticular lack of planning, not least being the lack of ICT facilitiesin
classroomsor the lack of the ICT skillsneeded by teachersto integrate the technology effectively in
their classroom practice. One report, for example, noted:
ICT israrelymentioned in the lesson plansin termsof a discrete subject area or for skillsdevelopment. ICT
ismore likelyto appear in teachers lesson plansbywayof reference to varioussoftware packages
[applications] that support teaching and learning, including those that come with a textbook. It was
indicated bythe teachersinterviewed that teachers knowledge and confidence in using ICT greatly
influencesthe extent to which ICT featuresin their written preparation and the degree to which theyuse
ICT in the classroom.
At post-primary level, inspectorscommented regularly in a positive way on the extent of planning
for the use of ICT in teaching and learning, but only in the case of certain subject areas. Thiswas
particularly strong among teachersof the science and applied science subjectsand guidance
counsellors. In one evaluation report it wasmentioned that
in addition to having an input into the schoolsICT plan the teachersinterviewed stated that theyalso
planned for the use of ICT in their own classes. In thiscontext the use of the internet asa source of
animations, word processing to produce worksheetsand CAD software were mentioned asresources,
while reference wasalso made to the use of [careerssoftware] with students.
In another post-primary school report reference wasmade to the fact that informal training and
collaboration isongoing between teacherswho plan for the use of ICT in their lessons, and that
some of these work acrosssubject divisions.
It wasalso noted in case-study post-primary school evaluation reportsthat Transition Year, the LCVP
and the LCA programme all encouraged increased planning for the use of ICT in teaching and
learning.
Where limited planning for the actual use of ICT in teaching and learning wasobserved in schools,
both primary and post-primary, it wascommon for inspectorsto recommend that thisarea be
developed. One primary school evaluation report stated:
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50 For example, only43 % of the 127 mainstream teachersinterviewed byinspectorsduring their visitsto 77 schoolsreported that their
planning showed how theyintended to use ICT in their teaching. Thiscompareswith 69 % who reported that theyused ICT to plan
and prepare for teaching. In the case of the 71 membersof special-education support teamsinterviewed, 57 % stated that their
planning showed how theyintended to use ICT in their teaching. Thiscompareswith 61 % who reported that theyused ICT to plan
and prepare for teaching.
Teachersreported that personal long-term and short-term planning doesnot include referencesto how it
isintended using ICT to assist the teaching and learning processin the classes. Thisisan area that the
teachersshould include in future planning. Asthe number of studentsissmall and the ratio of students
to computersisgenerous(two studentsto one computer in the junior room and five studentsto one
computer in the senior room) there isscope for the teachersto promote the use of ICT acrossa wide
range of curricular areasusing programmestailored to meet the individual learning needsof the
students.
Evaluation reportssuggest that where there wasease of accessto ICT hardware and software in
classroomsmore frequent use wasmade of these resourcesin teaching and learning. It wasalso
clear from post-primary evaluation reportsthat teacherswere more likely to use ICT in the teaching
and learning of those subjectsin which there wasrecent syllabusrevision and consequent in-service
support training. The use of the internet, word-processing programsand CDsdistributed during in-
service courseswasfrequently described. Teachersin the different case-study schoolsalso reported
that significant time and work were required to identify, find or generate appropriate subject-
specific teaching and learning materials.
The fact that more teachersuse ICT in their planning than plan for the actual use of ICT in their
teaching suggeststhat teacherswould benefit from training in teaching methodsthat incorporate
ICT. Thisisan area where the NCTE and the relevant support servicescould assist schools, but it is
also an area in which the ICT co-ordinator (or teacherswho use ICT competently) can play a role.
4.4 Forward planning
The national surveysof both principalsand teachersasked respondentsto state what prioritiesthey
had identified with respect to the development of ICT in their school (in the case of principals) and
their classroomsor subjects(in the case of teachers). The responsesgive an insight into the thinking
and strategic planning in schoolsasthey move into a future where students daily environment
outside school becomesincreasingly dominated by computing technology.
4.4.1 Principals priorities for ICT development
Through their questionnaire (and the case-study school evaluations) principalsidentified the
following issuesasimportant in relation to the development of ICT in their schools:
the upgrade and maintenance of existing hardware (primary and post-primary)
the integration of ICT in the curriculum (primary and post-primary)
the provision of teacher training in ICT (primary and post-primary)
the upgrade or provision of internet accessand web site presence (primary).
Tables4.4 and 4.5 provide samplesof commentsmade by school principalsin relation to their
prioritiesfor ICT development. When these are examined they give a good insight into the range of
prioritiesthat exist in schools, and into the commitment and far-sightednessof principals.
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Table 4.4: Primary principals views on the strategic development of ICT
School t ype and si ze Comment f r om pr i nci pal r egar di ng pr i or i t i es f or devel opment
Co- educat i onal , l arge (200+ ) Broadband; rest orat i on of server af t er bui l di ng work; ref resher courses f or t eachers.
Co- educat i onal , medi um (100- 199) Comput er f or each t eacher; broadband; school web si t e.
Co- educat i onal , l arge (200+ ) Encourage t eachers t o obt ai n and use mat eri al i n a more st ruct ured way; encourage
use of i nt ernet as a cl assroom t ool , t eachers f ami l i ari t y wi t h IT.
Co- educat i onal , l arge (200+ ) Eval uat i on of current pract i ces and procedures; provi si on of second comput er t o
each cl assroom; f urt her devel opment of school web si t e.
Co- educat i onal , medi um (100- 199) Expand current provi si on t o upgrade or repl ace some exi st i ng equi pment ;
mai nt enance; net worki ng and broadband compl et i on; web si t e.
Co- educat i onal , medi um (100- 199) In- school i n- servi ce day; revi ew ICT pl an; updat e comput ers; net worki ng; mobi l e
proj ect or.
Co- educat i onal , l arge (200+ ) Int egrat i on of ICT i n vari ous aspect s of curri cul um; provi si on of comput er i n each
room.
Co- educat i onal , l arge (200+ ) More comput ers i n cl assrooms; f urt her i nt egrat i on of peri pheral s; broadband;
net worki ng; acqui re di gi t al proj ect or; i nt egrat e ICT i n curri cul um.
Co- educat i onal , l arge (200+ ) One t eacher wi t h responsi bi l i t y f or ICT room; ICT curri cul um; web si t e; mai nt enance.
Si ngl e- sex, l arge (200+ ) Revi ew general pl an; accept abl e- use pol i cy; up- ski l l i ng; encourage great er use by
al l .
Co- educat i onal , smal l St af f t rai ni ng; broadband; net worki ng; hardware repl acement ; support f or speci al -
(f ewer t han 100) needs st udent s.
Si ngl e- sex, l arge (200+ ) Teachers ski l l s; purchase of sui t abl e sof t ware; t i met abl i ng of use of comput er room.
Si ngl e- sex, medi um (100- 199) Regul ar use of comput er room; use of dat a proj ect or as t eachi ng t ool ; provi si on of
l apt op f or each t eacher.
Co- educat i onal , l arge (200+ ) Up- ski l l i ng of t eachers; make more use of what s avai l abl e.
Table 4.5: Post-primary principals views on the strategic development of ICT
School t ype and si ze Comment f r om pr i nci pal r egar di ng pr i or i t i es f or devel opment
Vocat i onal co- educat i onal , Great er use of ICT when t eachi ng subj ect s not speci f i cal l y rel at ed t o ICT; i ncreased
l arge (600+ ) use of ICT as a t eachi ng ai d f or speci al - needs st udent s; provi si on of ICT f aci l i t i es i n
every t eachi ng area; expansi on of ICT f aci l i t i es i n t he school l i brary.
Secondary co- educat i onal , Devel opment of accept abl e- use pol i cy; access t o, and use of , comput ers and
medi um (400 599) equi pment ; det ai l s of how ICT can be used t o f aci l i t at e t eachi ng and l earni ng.
Secondary si ngl e- sex, Ext end t he net work t o al l cl assrooms; provi si on of i nt ernet access i n each cl assroom;
medi um (400 599) f urt her comput ers needed and anot her comput er room.
Secondary si ngl e- sex, l arge (600+ ) Promot e use of t he school s net work (wi red and wi rel ess) by st af f members; upgrade
ICT ski l l l evel s of st af f members; i mprove access t o ICT f aci l i t i es f or al l st udent s;
provi de l apt op comput ers t o st af f members and dat a proj ect ors f or each cl assroom.
Secondary si ngl e- sex, smal l ICT support f or st udent s wi t h speci al educat i onal needs; i n- servi ce t rai ni ng f or
(f ewer t han 400) t eachers usi ng ICT i n subj ect pl anni ng and cl assroom t eachi ng; t echni cal support
i n- servi ce t rai ni ng; t i me and resources a cont i nui ng requi rement .
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Secondary si ngl e- sex, smal l Int egrat i on i n t eachi ng and l earni ng; ext ensi on of communi t y access t o ICT
(f ewer t han 400) f aci l i t i es; hardware repl acement and mai nt enance.
Secondary si ngl e- sex, medi um Increased access t o ICT f aci l i t i es f or al l st udent s; i ncreased use of ICT by al l
(400- 599) t eachers t hroughout t he curri cul um; provi si on of t rai ni ng on si t e and cont i nuous f or
st af f members; maki ng use of ICT t he norm rat her t han f or speci al event s.
Secondary, co- educat i onal , l arge Great er use of ICT i n t he cl assroom as part of t eachi ng and l earni ng; provi si on of
(600+ ) t rai ni ng and awareness f or st af f members; draf t i ng of ICT pol i cy; maki ng l arger
number of comput ers avai l abl e i n cl assrooms and ot her t eachi ng areas.
Secondary co- educat i onal , smal l St ruct ure ICT courses so t hat each year group recei ves cert i f i cat i on f rom an
(f ewer t han 400) appropri at e cert i f i cat i on body at progressi ve l evel s as st udent s progress t hrough
school ; connect i on of broadband and net worki ng of as many cl assrooms as possi bl e;
prof essi onal devel opment of t eachers.
Communi t y co- educat i onal , l arge Mai nt enance, access, sof t ware, admi ni st rat i on; provi si on of hardware t owards
(600+ ) enhanced t eachi ng and l earni ng envi ronment i n cl assrooms.
Secondary co- educat i onal , l arge Upgradi ng hardware; t eacher t rai ni ng; i nst al l i ng broadband; i nt egrat i ng comput ers
(600+ ) i n subj ect programme areas; f i nal i si ng a wri t t en ICT pl an.
4.4.2 Teachers priorities for ICT development
Through their survey (and through interviewsin case-study schools) teachersidentified the following
issuesasimportant to them in relation to the development of ICT in their teaching:
the provision of ICT in their classroom: hardware, software, broadband internet access(primary
and post-primary)
teacher training in ICT (primary and post-primary)
updating of specific software, particularly for recently qualified teachers(primary)
timetabling of ICT lessons(primary).
Table 4.6 outlinesthe priority areasidentified by the 844 primary and 571 post-primary teachers
who gave a response to thisquestion.
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Table 4.6: Teachers priority areas for the development of ICT
Pr i or i t y Ar ea Number of r espondent s r epor t i ng Pr opor t i on of r espondent s
t hi s ar ea t o be a pr i or i t y
Pr i mar y Post - pr i mar y Pr i mar y Post - pr i mar y
Teacher t rai ni ng i n ICT 170 80 20.1% 14%
Improved use of resources i n t eachi ng 154 34 18.2% 6%
Updat e or obt ai n (appropri at e) sof t ware 153 82 18.1% 14.4%
Hardware or equi pment 150 110 17.8% 19.3%
Int egrat i on of ICT i n curri cul um 127 26 15% 4.5%
Personal ski l l devel opment 119 21 14.1% 3.6%
Teach ICT t o st udent s 106 5 12.6% 0.8%
Improved pl anni ng or t i met abl i ng 91 14 10.8% 2.5%
Int ernet 72 56 8.5% 9.8%
Faci l i t at e access t o ICT, especi al l y i n cl assroom 47 50 5.6% 8.8%
Inf ormat i on on or revi ews of ICT 44 14 5.2% 2.5%
IT support 43 2 5.1% 0.4%
Provi de or updat e comput er room (pri mary) 18 15 2.1% 2.5%
Gi ve access t o comput er room (post - pri mary)
The main prioritiesof principalswere infrastructural in nature, while teacherswere more concerned
with being able to effectively integrate ICT in their teaching. It isalso encouraging to see that
principalsand teachersshare some of the prioritiesidentified regarding the development of ICT in
schools, that is, the upgrading of equipment and professional development training.
4.5 Findings and recommendations
4.5.1 Main findings
ICT co-ordination in schools
The responsibility for ICT in primary schoolscan lie with an ICT steering committee, the principal,
the deputy principal, an ICT co-ordinator, or a combination of these personnel. At the post-
primary level it usually lieswith the ICT co-ordinator; all case-study schoolshad an ICT co-
ordinator. ICT steering committeesare not prevalent in schools.
The evaluation found that greater efficiency wasachieved where a named person had the
responsibility for ICT within a school, and where their role wasclearly defined. The dutiesof the
ICT co-ordinator were not alwaysclearly defined.
Few ICT co-ordinatorshad opportunitiesto work with colleaguesregarding relevant ICT
pedagogical issues.
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The vision and commitment of the principal contributessignificantly to the successful integration
and development of ICT throughout the curriculum.
The ICT plan and the AUP
The majority of primary schools(71% of survey respondents) have a written ICT plan, while
fewer than half of post-primary schools(46% ) reported having such a plan.
The ICT planstend to concentrate on hardware issuesand their organisation rather than on how
ICT can be used in the teaching and learning context.
In those schoolsthat engage in ICT planning there isa greater emphasison whole-school ICT
planning than planning for ICT by individual teachers.
A variety of practicesexistswith regard to how schoolsdevelop and review their ICT plan. In
most instances, however, teachershave opportunitiesto participate in the process. Few schools
seek or receive support from their local ICT advisor.
ICT plansin case-study post-primary schoolsrevealed that limited planning existed with regard to
dedicated ICT lessons. Best practice wasobserved where there were comprehensive plansthat
showed continuity and progression in students work.
M ost schoolshave an AUP (83% and 87% of primary and post-primary survey respondents,
respectively). Thisisa product perhapsof the requirementsof the SchoolsBroadband Access
Programme and the safety awareness-raising initiativesof the NCTE. It can also be taken asan
indication of the seriousnessthat schoolsattach to the risksassociated with use of the internet.
Continuing professional development
Approximately 30% of primary schoolsand 57% of post-primary schoolswere found to have
provided their staff with an in-school or external ICT training course within the last three years.
Primary teachersprefer in-school training, while post-primary teachersexpressed a preference for
tutor-led coursesin education centres.
Teachersand principalshave different prioritiesregarding the ICT professional development needs
of staff members. Primary principalssuggested coursesin the use of digital imaging, in
peripherals, and also in computer troubleshooting, whereasprimary teacherssuggested training
in the use of software-specific applicationsin the classroom and the use of the internet and e-
mail in teaching and learning. Post-primary principals, on the other hand, gave priority to training
for teachersin specific subject areasand in the area of special educational needs. Post-primary
teachersconsidered that training wasrequired in the use of educational software, use of the
internet in teaching and learning, and subject-specific use of ICT.
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103
Teacherswho had attended new or revised syllabusin-service coursesregularly, particularly post-
primary teachers, commented that they had received little or no training in how to integrate ICT
in their teaching in the subject concerned.
Scoilnet
While relatively high proportionsof teachersuse Scoilnet, they do so infrequently. The majority of
those who do use it, however, rate it highly. The more popular sectionsof the site include the
teachers resourcesand students areas.
Teacherswould like to see more teaching and learning resourcesmade available on the site for
downloading.
ICT and teacher planning and preparation
The majority of teachersuse ICT in their lesson planning and preparation work, for example they
use computersfor preparing teaching materialsand the internet for finding suitable teaching
materials.
Younger teachersare more likely to use ICT for their lesson planning and preparation than their
more experienced colleagues.
A higher level of use of ICT in lesson planning wasfound among teacherswho had ready access
to computer facilitiesand the internet.
Planning for the use of ICT in teaching and learning
Fewer teachersplan for the use of ICT in teaching and learning than use it in their planning and
preparation for teaching. Planning for itsuse in the classroom at the post-primary level varies
considerably, depending on the subject being taught.
The Transition Year, LCVP and LCA encourage increased planning for the use of ICT in teaching
and learning. Teachersof these programmesregularly reported that their involvement also
encouraged them to use ICT in their teaching with other classgroups.
Priorities for ICT development in schools
Principalsand teachersin both primary and post-primary schoolsidentified the provision and
maintenance of hardware and the provision of teacher education in ICT asbeing strategically
important with regard to the development of ICT in their school.
Principalsalso felt that the further integration of ICT in the curriculum wasimportant, while
primary teachersfelt that the updating of relevant educational software and the timetabling of
ICT lessonsfor studentswere crucial.
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The NCTE and relevant support and advisory servicesshould work more closely with schoolsto
determine the training needsof staff membersand to help them to organise appropriate training
programmes. Particular attention should be given to organising training coursesin teaching
methodsthat incorporate ICT.
School support servicesshould include more examplesof how ICT can be used to facilitate
teaching and learning in any training programmesthey provide. Furthermore, course organisers
and presenters, when organising courses, should take account of the wide range of ICT abilities
and experience commonly found in groupsof teachers, employing strategiesfor working with
mixed-ability groups.
The contentsof Scoilnet should continue to be developed with a view to making more teaching
and learning resourcesavailable for downloading and to encouraging greater use of thisresource
by teachers.
Consideration should be given to conducting a review of the LCVP, LCA and Transition Year with
a view to learning lessonsfrom these programmeswith regard to how they have encouraged
teachersto use ICT in their lesson planning and preparation and in their teaching. Consideration
needsto be given at second level to extending the use of ICT for such work in other programmes
and subjects.
ICT co-ordinatorsin schoolsshould be supported in setting up an association or network of ICT
co-ordinators. Thiswould act asa forum whereby co-ordinatorscould share information with one
another, organise training, and engage with a community of practice and learn from others.
ICT co-ordination in schools
Schoolsshould, wherever practicable, convene an ICT steering committee, which could assist in
managing the development of their ICT plan and monitor and review itscontinuous
implementation.
One member of staff should take the lead in managing and co-ordinating ICT in a school. The
dutiesof the co-ordinator, where appropriate, should be clearly defined and regularly reviewed
and should include a significant emphasison developing strategiesfor integrating ICT in the
curriculum.
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The ICT plan and the AUP
Schoolsshould have an ICT plan. The plan should be formulated by meansof a consultative
processinvolving teachersand relevant personnel (for example the ICT advisor) and should draw
from guidelinesprovided by the NCTE and other support services.
A schoolsICT plan should emphasise the use of ICT in teaching and learning, rather than
concentrating exclusively on the acquisition of equipment or on teachers continuing professional
development in ICT. Ideally it should include guidelinesfor teacherson setting out appropriate
learning objectivesfor each classlevel in relation to the use of ICT in supporting the
implementation of the curriculum.
Schoolsshould have an acceptable-use policy for computer hardware, software, and the internet.
The AUP should be drawn up in consultation with all relevant stakeholdersand should addressall
usersof the technology.
Continuing professional development
Schoolsshould regularly monitor the ICT training needsof their staff and develop and implement
training plansasappropriate. Training should concentrate on the integration of ICT in teaching
and learning.
Schoolsshould consider liasing with the local education centre and relevant support servicesfor
the provision of specific courseson site, where possible. The clustering of small schoolsfor the
purpose of such coursesmight be explored in certain circumstances.
ICT and teachers planning and preparation
All teachersshould exploit the benefitsto be gained from ICT in their lesson planning and
preparation. They could endeavour, for example, to make greater use of Scoilnet aspart of their
lesson preparation work.
It isrecommended that teachersplan systematically for the use of ICT in teaching and learning.
Teachers(or subject departmentsin post-primary schools) should work in collaboration with their
ICT co-ordinator in identifying and acquiring suitable software resources.
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ICT and teaching and learning in primary schools
Chapter 5
107
Part 3
ICT and teaching
and learning in
schools
5.1 Introduction
Thischapter dealswith ICT and itscontribution to teaching and learning in primary schools. It
examineshow familiar teachersare with the relevant technology and itsapplicationsby looking at
their ICT qualificationsand skills. The chapter then reviewsthe use of ICT in both mainstream and
special-education settingsand itsuse in assessment, drawing on information collated from 127
classroom observationsmade by inspectorsduring WSE inspections, national questionnaire returns
made by principals, teachersand students, and inspectors reportson thirty-two case-study schools.
The chapter continuesby examining the nature of the impact that ICT hason teaching and learning
in the classroom. In thisregard the viewsof inspectors, principals, teachersand studentsare all
explored. Finally, the chapter drawsattention to factorsthat were found by the evaluation to
contribute to the successful integration of ICT in classrooms, aswell asthose that tend to constrain
itsdevelopment.
5.2 Teachers ICT qualifications and skills
The national survey of teachersshowed that a relatively small proportion of primary teachersheld a
formal qualification in ICT. Approximately 4% of primary teachershad a postgraduate qualification
in ICT in education, while a further 6% had other informal qualificationsin ICT.
51
The proportion of
teacherswith qualificationsin ICT increased to 15% when other academic qualificationsin ICT were
included.
52
The survey showed that 48% of all teachersstudied a module in ICT aspart of their pre-
service preparation. Thisproportion washigher for teachersunder the age of thirty-five (81% ) than
for teachersover thirty-five (14% ). It may be assumed that teacherswho have no formal
qualification will have developed their ICT skillsthrough personal interest or by availing of relevant
professional development courses.
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51 Informal qualificationsrefer to such coursesasthe European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL).
52 O ther academic qualificationsin ICT might include a BSc in computer science.
Teacherswere asked to state their perceived level of proficiency in a number of important ICT skills
areas.
53
An analysisof the responsesto thisquestion showed that the majority of teachersdo not
consider themselvesproficient in a wide range of ICT skillsand applications. In addition, the majority
of teachersreport their ability to use ICT-facilitated methodsand to assessthe potential of computer
applicationsand the internet aslow. The highest levelsof proficiency were reported in word-
processing, the internet, and e-mail. Table 5.1 showsthat more than 60% of all teachersrated their
proficiency as intermediate or advanced in each of these areas. The lowest levelsof proficiency
were reported for networking, data-logging, assistive technology software, and programming or
scripting. In general, proficiency correlated with age: younger teachers(under thirty-five) reported
higher levelsof ICT proficiency and use than their more experienced colleagues. Thisprobably
reflectsa growing emphasisin teacher education on developing the ICT skillsof student teachers, as
well asthe impact of an increasingly technological society. In the light of the importance of ICT in
promoting a wider range of teaching and learning methods, including inquiry-based approaches,
the education departmentsin third-level collegesshould consider giving further priority to the
inclusion of ICT in the preparation of studentsfor teaching variousaspectsof the curriculum.
Table 5.1: Proportion of primary teachers who rated their proficiency in ICT skills as either
intermediate or advanced
Age Gender
Under 35 35 45 Over 45 Mal e Femal e Tot al
Word- processi ng 79% 63% 48% 68% 67% 67%
Int ernet 83% 57% 42% 72% 67% 66%
E- mai l 79% 53% 40% 71% 63% 63%
Ref erence sof t ware 52% 42% 33% 51% 44% 45%
Operat i ng syst ems 48% 32% 21% 38% 39% 38%
Pai nt i ng or drawi ng programs 45% 28% 23% 43% 35% 36%
Fi l e management 45% 30% 20% 47% 34% 35%
Expl orat ory sof t ware 36% 36% 27% 47% 32% 34%
Present at i on 47% 23% 16% 39% 33% 33%
Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware 37% 30% 29% 37% 33% 33%
Spreadsheet s 35% 13% 13% 28% 24% 24%
Graphi cs programs 33% 17% 11% 32% 23% 24%
Mul t i medi a 33% 12% 11% 31% 21% 23%
Troubl eshoot i ng 23% 13% 11% 26% 17% 18%
Dat abases 24% 10% 9% 24% 16% 17%
Assi st i ve t echnol ogy sof t ware 12% 10% 12% 16% 11% 11%
Programmi ng or scri pt i ng 17% 7% 3% 14% 11% 11%
Dat a- l oggi ng sof t ware 13% 6% 5% 15% 9% 10%
Net worki ng 10% 5% 3% 11% 7% 7%
n 569 270 281 155 893 1,162
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109
53 Respondentswere able to describe their level of proficiencyin the different skillsareasas none, basic, intermediate, or
advanced.
However, when teachers reported use of the relevant applicationswascorrelated with their
reported proficiency, asdepicted in fig. 5.1, it wasfound that the level of proficiency wasnot
reflected in actual use of the application. For example, the relatively low level of use of the internet
and e-mail in classroom practice doesnot reflect teachers reported high levelsof proficiency in their
use. Hence it can be assumed that other factors, such asindividual teachers motivation and access,
influence the transfer of competence in individual applicationsto classroom practice.
Fig. 5.1: Use and related proficiency of applications in teaching
When asked about their ability to use teaching and learning methodsthat are facilitated by ICT,
30% of primary teachersfelt they had intermediate or advanced ability. Table 5.2 also shows
that approximately four out of ten teachersreported that they had intermediate or advanced
ability to assessthe potential of educational software (40% of teachers) or internet material (41%
of teachers) to facilitate teaching and learning. Younger teachersand male teacherswere more
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100% 75% 75% 25% 100% 75% 75% 25% 0%
Base: Usage i s based on t eachers usi ng appl i cat i ons i n t hei r t eachi ng (n > 793)
Prof i ci ency i s based on t eachers usi ng appl i cat i ons i n t hei r t eachi ng (n > 63)
Usage i n t eachi ng (at l east once) Prof i ci ency of user (Int ermedi at e or advanced)
84%
80%
71%
62%
62%
46%
32%
31%
29%
28%
27%
22%
21%
12%
8%
77%
47%
48%
63%
52%
76%
48%
31%
72%
67%
50%
47%
38%
28%
43%
Word processi ng
Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Pai nt / drawi ng packages
Ref erence sof t ware
Expl orat ory sof t ware
Int ernet
Graphi cs packages
Assi st i ve t echnol ogy sof t ware
E- mai l
Present at i on
Mul t i medi a
Spreadsheet s
Dat abases
Dat al oggi ng sof t ware
Programmi ng/ scri pt i ng
positive in the assessment of their abilitiesin all three areas. The SCR ratio had a negligible effect on
teachers self-assessment.
Table 5.2: Proportion of primary teachers who rated their ability in each of three ICT tasks
that facilitate teaching and learning as either intermediate or advanced
Age Gender SCR
Under 35 35- 45 Over 45 Mal e Femal e Low Hi gh Over al l
Usi ng t eachi ng and l earni ng 38% 25% 20% 34% 29% 28% 32% 30%
met hods t hat are f aci l i t at ed by ICT
Assessi ng t he qual i t y of 46% 37% 27% 48% 38% 40% 41% 40%
educat i onal sof t ware t o support
t eachi ng and l earni ng
i nt ernet mat eri al t o support
n 569 270 281 155 893 533 534 1,162
The analysisalso showsthat teachers competence isnot of itself enough to ensure the transfer of
that competence into practice. Obviously other factors, such asthe availability of resources,
teachers motivation, and the school culture, will affect actual use in teaching and learning. If ICT is
to be effectively integrated in teaching and learning it isclear that a holistic approach, embracing
awareness-raising, professional development (pre-service, induction and in-service), planning, and
infrastructure, will be required.
5.3 Classroom practice and ICT
5.3.1 Planning
Inspectorsasked teachersduring WSE inspectionsabout their planning for the use ICT in their
teaching. Some 43% of mainstream teachers, asshown in fig. 5.2, reported that their planning
showed how they intended to use ICT in their teaching.
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Fig. 5.2: Extent to which mainstream teachers plan for the use of ICT
Of those teacherswho showed how they intended to use ICT in their teaching, the main planning
emphasiswason curricular areas(96% ), followed by planning for the development of discrete ICT
skills(74% ), and the use of ICT to provide for studentswith special needs(56% ). English wasthe
most prominent curricular area for teacherswho planned to use ICT in their teaching (94% ),
followed by M athematics(64% ). Teachersof senior classeswere more likely than teachersof junior
classesto plan for the use of ICT in the teaching of Science, History and Geography.
54
Slightly more
than three-quarters(76% ) of all teachersstated that their planning wasbased on the schools
planning for ICT.
5.3.2 Frequency of ICT use
During their WSE inspections, inspectorsdistinguished between finding evidence of the use of ICT
to facilitate teaching and learning in the classroomsvisited and actual observation of the use of ICT
during the inspection period.
55
Table 5.3 showsthat inspectorsreported evidence of ICT being used
to facilitate teaching and learning in 59% of the 127 classroom observationscarried out aspart of
WSE inspections. However, in only 22% of instancesdid they observe ICT being used in the
classroom during an inspection period of approximately two hours. The differencesbetween the
indirect evidence of the use of ICT and the inspectors first-hand observation of the use of ICT in
teaching suggeststhat there islimited integration of ICT in the teaching and learning processes.
Inspectorsfound evidence of higher levelsof ICT use in senior classes(70% of classroom
observations) than in junior classes(46% of classroom observations). Thiswould suggest that the
potential of ICT isnot being fully realised in the critical early yearsof a childsdevelopment.
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Base: Al l mai nst ream cl ass t eachers (n = 127)
No 57% Yes 43%
Does your planning show how you intend to use ICT in your teaching?
54 Junior classes: infantsto second class(inclusive). Senior classes: third classto sixth class(inclusive).
55 Examplesof such evidence include samplesof pupils work, displaysof work involving ICT, and pupils responsesto questionsposed
bythe inspector or teacher.
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113
80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
46%
19%
11%
20%
11%
8%
20% 18%
19% 25%
12% 23%
9% 10%
10% 13%
7% 6%
Indi vi dual st udent s worki ng i n cl assroom on a
rot at i onal basi s
Group act i vi t y i n cl assroom
Whol e- cl ass t eachi ng i n cl assroom
Whol e- cl ass t eachi ng i n desi gnat ed comput er room
Group act i vi t y i n desi gnat ed comput er room
Indi vi dual st udent s worki ng i n desi gnat ed comput er
room/ l i brary on a rot at i onal basi s
Base: Al l pri mary mai nst ream and speci al cl ass t eachers (n = 1026)
How is teaching and learning organised during use of ICT?
Table 5.3: Inspectors observations on the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in
classrooms
Cl ass SCR Tot al
Juni or cl asses Seni or cl asses Low Hi gh
Evi dence of t he use of ICT t o
f aci l i t at e t eachi ng and l earni ng 46% 70% 60% 62% 59%
Use of ICT observed i n act ual
t eachi ng and l earni ng duri ng t he
i nspect i on peri od 20% 23% 27% 18% 22%
n 54 67 58 55 127
5.3.3 Organisation of ICT use
Inspectorswho observed the actual use of ICT during inspection visitswere asked to state how ICT
activitieswere organised. It wasfound that the most frequently used organisational approach to the
use of ICT in classroomswasone where the studentsused computersindividually; thiswasfollowed
by paired use and then whole-classuse. M uch of the individual ICT activity wasorganised in
rotation. Similarly, respondentsto the survey of teachers, asdepicted in fig. 5.3, reported that the
most frequently used approach wasclassroom activity in which individual studentsworked in
rotation, followed by group activity and whole-classteaching in the classroom. In thisinstance, 46%
of all primary mainstream and special classteachersreported that they organise the use of ICT in
rotation at least once a week for individual studentsin the classroom.
Fig. 5.3: Organisation of teaching and learning during use of ICT
It could be assumed that thispredominant use of ICT with individual studentshasa relatively low
impact, given the likelihood that each student would have accessto ICT for relatively short periods.
However, it ispositive that both paired and group approaches, aswell aswhole-classapproaches,
are used. The findingsof the evaluation also give an insight into how teachersorganise the use of
ICT in accordance with specific school factors, such asthe level of resourcesavailable. Individual or
paired activity in rotation reflectsa sensible use of resourcesin situationswhere resourcesare
confined to a stand-alone computer (or computers). In thisregard it isimportant that classroom
organisational mattersbe emphasised in support materialsand coursesfor teachersso that they can
exploit potential opportunitiesfor using ICT within the classroom, regardlessof the resources
available.
5.3.4 Focus of ICT use
The evaluation found that ICT, where used, predominatesin core curricular areas, such asEnglish
and M athematics, and Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE), but that even thisuse
of ICT isrelatively infrequent. The national survey of teachers, asshown in fig. 5.4, demonstrated
that ICT wasused most frequently to promote learning in English. However, only 39% of these
teachersused ICT in their teaching of English at least once a week. Thisweekly use washigh relative
to that for M athematicsand SESE, which had a weekly use of 28% and 14% , respectively.
Furthermore, the case-study evaluationssuggest that the use of ICT in the teaching of English,
M athematicsand SESE ismainly to support and reinforce aspectsof these subjectsalready taught.
Fig. 5.4: Frequency of ICT use to promote learning in curricular areas
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80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
39%
28%
14%
8%
6%
7%
5%
28% 25%
29% 29%
29% 33%
19% 42%
17% 30%
14%
19%
7%
6%
27%
Engl i sh
Mat hemat i cs
SESE
The Art s
SPHE
Iri sh
Rel i gi ous Educat i on
Physi cal Educat i on
Modern Languages
Both teachersand inspectorsreported limited use, if any, of ICT in the teaching of other curricular
areas. The low level of use in the teaching of Irish relative to the other core subjectsisparticularly
disappointing given the potential of ICT asa tool in enhancing students motivation to learn the
language.
Teacherswere asked in their national survey how frequently they used ICT to develop certain skillsin
their students. Fig. 5.5 showsthat ICT ismost frequently used to develop numeracy, reading and
writing skillsand lessfrequently to develop other important cross-curricular skills, such asresearch,
presentation, social, problem-solving and communication skills. The use of ICT in developing
reading, numeracy and writing skills, however, wasinfrequent, with fewer than 30% of teachers
reporting using ICT at least once a week to develop these skills.
Fig. 5.5: Frequency of ICT use among mainstream and special class teachers to facilitate
development of skills
In the course of WSE inspections, however, inspectorsnoted the prominent use of ICT to support
the teaching of reading and writing. Furthermore, the case-study school evaluationsshowed that
the use of ICT in reading and numeracy wasmainly for the purpose of consolidating learning, and
that the use of ICT for the teaching of writing wasgenerally limited to presenting personal writing
and writing for projects, with little emphasison the writing process. The case-study evaluations
showed that the development of research skillswasconducted mainly in the context of SESE and
looking-and-responding activitiesin the Visual Arts, while the use of ICT to develop discrete skills
wasconcentrated on word-processing and typing skills.
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80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
Frequency of ICT usage to develop the following skills
Ski l l s i n numeracy
Readi ng ski l l s
Wri t i ng ski l l s
Ref erenci ng/ research
Present at i on ski l l s
Soci al / t eam/ col l aborat i ve
Probl em sol vi ng/ anal yt i cal
Communi cat i on ski l l s
25% 31% 27%
29% 26% 27%
22% 29% 30%
7% 26% 14%
13% 10%
6% 18% 10%
8% 21%
13%
The evaluation showed a degree of correlation between a schoolsSCR and the range of skills
taught. An analysisof inspectors observationsduring classroom inspections, for example, found
that schoolswith a low SCR were more likely to teach presentation, social, team and collaborative
skillsor communication skillsthan schoolswith a high SCR. The use of ICT to develop numeracy and
reading skillswasmore prevalent in these schools. Similarly, the survey of teachersfound that those
in schoolswith a low SCR were more likely to use ICT to develop most skills. In the questionnaires
for studentsa slightly higher proportion of those in schoolswith a low SCR said that they learnt
more about computersat school than those in schoolswith a high SCR.
The evaluation found a degree of progression in the development of ICT skillsfrom junior to senior
classes. Inspectors observationsduring WSE inspection visitsshowed that ICT wasused more
prominently to develop writing skillsand referencing, research and investigation skillsin senior
classesand to develop reading skillsin junior classes. The survey of teacherssimilarly showed that
teachersof senior classeswere more likely to use ICT for writing purposesand referencing, research
or investigation skills, while teachersof junior classeswere more likely to use ICT to develop reading
skills. A range of inspectors reportson case-study schoolsshowed a similar progression.
It isclear from thisexamination that the use of ICT issomewhat limited in primary schools, and that
the potential for using ICT to develop critical life skills, such ascommunication, problem-solving and
independent working skills, isnot being realised. Evaluationsof the implementation of the primary
curriculum in recent yearshave also drawn attention to the deficit of provision in relation to the
development of higher-order skills. The narrownessof the range of skillsdeveloped, particularly in
the junior classes, isof concern, given that thisisa critical time in a childsdevelopment. It is
important that these studentsshould have the same opportunity asthose in senior classesto
develop their presentation, research and higher-order skillsthrough the use of ICT. There isa great
need, therefore, to promote the development of these skillsthrough ICT with regard to the
implementation of the curriculum. The Framework for ICT in Curriculum and Assessment at
present being developed by the NCCA will provide schoolswith advice in thisarea.
5.3.5 Use of resources and applications in the classroom
Software
The national survey of teachersexplored the extent to which software wasused to facilitate
teaching and learning. In general, asshown in table 5.4, some 86% of teachersused software to
facilitate teaching and learning. Teachersof senior classeswere slightly more likely to use software
to facilitate teaching and learning (90% ) than teachersof junior classes(83% ). A lower SCR tended
to have a positive impact on the use of software to facilitate teaching and learning, with 89% of
teachersin schoolswith a low SCR reporting such use, compared with 83% of those in schoolswith
a high SCR. It wasalso found that the three most common sourcesof advice regarding the selection
of applicationsfor particular curriculum areaswere colleagues(85% ), educational software suppliers
(52% ), and the ICT advisor (29% ).
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Table 5.4: Teachers use of software and the internet to support learning
Cl ass SCR Tot al
Juni or cl asses Seni or cl asses Low Hi gh
Use of i nt ernet resources i n
pl anni ng and preparat i on f or
t eachi ng 69% 74% 71% 67% 69%
Use of t he i nt ernet i n cl assroom
pract i ce 15% 37% 28% 20% 24%
Use of sof t ware t o f aci l i t at e
t eachi ng and l earni ng 83% 90% 89% 83% 86%
n 486 430 533 534 1,162
Case-study school evaluation reportsemphasised the importance of software in facilitating the use
of ICT in schools. A number of reports, for example, made explicit linksbetween the availability of
software and the extent to which ICT wasused in a given school. The inspectorsfound widespread
use of software resourcesin literacy and numeracy; however, they found that thiswaslimited for
the most part to consolidation (that is, reinforcing number factsand phonic skills), especially in
junior classesand in the special-education setting. Apart from the use of software in SESE, case-
study school evaluationsfound a dearth of software in use for other aspectsof the curriculum.
Teachersof mainstream and special classeswere asked in their survey to state which applications
they used in their teaching in different curricular areas. Table 5.5 showsthat the use of software
predominated in the subject areaswhere ICT isused most frequently (that is, English, M athematics,
SESE, and the Visual Arts). The reliance on word-processing and the internet for other subjects, such
asIrish, could be due to the relative lack of software available to support the use of ICT in those
curricular areas, in contrast to that available for the other core areas.
Table 5.5: Most frequently used applications in the teaching of individual curricular areas
Subj ect Appl i cat i on(s)
Engl i sh Word- processi ng or deskt op publ i shi ng [ page l ayout ] and cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Mat hemat i cs Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Soci al , Envi ronment al , and
Sci ent i f i c Educat i on (SESE) Ref erence sof t ware
Vi sual Art s Pai nt i ng and drawi ng programs
Soci al , Personal and Heal t h
Educat i on (SPHE) Word- processi ng or deskt op publ i shi ng
Iri sh Word- processi ng or deskt op publ i shi ng
Rel i gi on Word- processi ng or deskt op publ i shi ng and i nt ernet
Physi cal Educat i on Int ernet
Modern Languages Word- processi ng or deskt op publ i shi ng and i nt ernet
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117
Given the importance of software in facilitating the integration of ICT throughout the curriculum,
there isa need to make primary teachersaware of the range of materialsavailable in all curricular
areas. It isalso important that teachersare able to assessthe potential of computer applicationsfor
use in their classrooms; developing thisability should be a central consideration in ICT training
opportunities. Asrecommended by inspectorsin the case-study school evaluations, schoolsshould
consider drawing up an inventory of computer applicationsin accordance with their suitability for
classlevels. Teachersalso need to become more aware of the potential of other ICT applications, to
become more competent in their use, and to engage in planning for their use in order that they can
more fully integrate ICT in the teaching of the curriculum.
The internet
The survey of teachersasked them about their use of internet resourcesin planning and preparation
for teaching and the use of the internet in classroom practice. Asalready seen in table 5.4, the
internet wasreported to be used asa resource in planning and preparation for teaching by 69% of
all teachers. It wasalso found that such use wasrelated to teaching experience, with recently
qualified teachersbeing more likely to use internet resourcesin planning and preparation for
teaching than their more experienced colleagues.
However, teachers reported use of the internet in classroom practice wasmuch lower than itsuse for
planning and preparation. Only 24% of all teachersreported using the internet in classroom practice.
The main reason for thisdifference waslack of internet accessin the classroom, ascited by 58% of
teachers. Presumably teachershave accessto the internet outside school for the purposesof planning
and preparation, while accesswithin school isstill somewhat limited. Other reasonsreported by
teachersfor not using the internet in their classroom practice were lack of time (9% ), lack of
knowledge (9% ), lack of computers(8% ), and lack of suitability for children of thisage (8% ).
Teachersof senior classeswere more likely to use the internet in classroom practice (37% ) than
teachersof junior classes(15% ). A low SCR had a slightly positive impact on the use of the internet
to facilitate teaching and learning: some 28% of teachersin schoolswith a low SCR reported using
the internet in their classroom practice, compared with 20% of teachersin schoolswith a high SCR.
Those teacherswho stated that they used the internet in their classroom practice (24% of all
teachers) were also asked how frequently they used variousinternet resources. Fig. 5.6 showsthe
findingswith regard to the use of internet resourcesin descending order of frequency of use.
56
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56 Anypercentage on or below 5 % isnot labelled.
Fig. 5.6: Frequency of use of individual internet resources by internet users
Of the teacherswho used the internet in classroom practice, the most frequently used internet
resourceswere teaching resources, educational news, information on current events, and e-mail.
M ore than a third (35% ) of all teachersusing the internet used it at least once a week to obtain
accessto teaching resources.
In their visitsto the thirty-two case-study schoolsinspectorsfound that teachersmade very limited
use, if any, of the internet in their classrooms. In many of these instancesthere wasan expectation
that the installation of broadband would greatly facilitate the use of the internet asa teaching and
learning tool. Where the internet wasused, activitiesincluded carrying out research activities(for
example project work in SESE and Visual Arts) through the use of search enginesand educational
sites. One school used e-pal web sitesfor the development of students communication skills. In
another school, studentshad used interactive web sitesin support of their science programme.
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119
80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
Base: Al l pri mary t eachers usi ng i nt ernet i n t eachi ng (n = 275)
How frequently do you use the following internet resources in
your teaching?
Teachi ng resources
Educat i onal news/ current event s
E- mai l
St rat egi es f or i nt egrat i ng ICT i n
On- l i ne resources f or st udent s
wi t h SEN
On- l i ne prof essi onal devel opment
On- l i ne subscri pt i on- based
cont ent
On- l i ne di scussi ons
On- l i ne col l aborat i ve proj ect s
Webquest s
E- t wi nni ng
Vi deoconf erences
Wi ki s
Bl ogs
26% 36% 35%
14% 30% 36%
22% 17% 20%
8% 13% 37%
33% 14%
12% 28%
20%
14%
16%
8%
7%
It isclear that the use of the internet by teachersin the classroom islimited (for the most part
because of a lack of infrastructure), despite the fact that teachersthemselvesappear familiar with
internet use, particularly in planning and obtaining accessto resourcesand ideasfor teaching.
However, the practicesobserved in case-study schools, though engaged in on a limited scale,
illustrate the potential for use of the internet in the classroom for developing such abilitiesas
communication skills. Recent assistance to schoolsfrom the Department of Education and Science
with regard to enhancing connectivity in schoolsshould help to facilitate teachersin realising the
potential of the internet.
Peripherals
Chapter 3 hasalready shown that there islittle general use of peripherals, apart from printers, in
primary classrooms. Thisisa cause of concern, given the role that the effective use of peripherals
can play in the integration of ICT in teaching and learning, and the additional potential for their
effective use in tandem with other ICT resources. For example, one inspector in a case-study school
commented favourably on integrated ICT activity involving internet research, recording with a digital
camera during field trips, and presenting findingsusing presentation software. Other inspectors
commented favourably on the use of digital video recordersfor the production of films.
It isclear that teachersneed to be made more aware of the potential of software, the internet and
peripheral resourcesand to become more confident in their use. Thismay be addressed in more
focused ICT planning and enhanced training opportunities.
5.3.6 Quality of provision
The national survey of principalsexplored their viewson how existing use of ICT in their school was
benefiting teaching and learning. The commentsof principalswere mainly positive. They expressed
the view that ICT isuseful for motivating students, for consolidating their learning, for improving
how they present their work, and for presenting an additional challenge. They also suggested that
ICT motivateschildren, promotesimagination and creativity, and developsproblem-solving skills. In
general, 51% of the principalssurveyed were of the view that using ICT contributed to improved
ICT skills, while 34% felt that it contributed to improving classcontent and support of the
curriculum.
Teachersalso expressed positive attitudesin relation to the impact of ICT on teaching and learning.
In the course of interviewsin the case-study schools, teacherssuggested a number of factorsas
having a positive impact in the classroom.
The visual impact and interactive nature of ICT hasa positive effect on students motivation and
levelsof interest. It enhancestheir confidence, particularly those with special educational needs,
and it increasesstudents enjoyment of learning.
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ICT assiststhe development of good social skillsin the classroom, the development of co-
operation between studentsand teachers, and the promotion of peer tutoring in classrooms.
ICT facilitatesthe development of students recording and presentation skills, followed by
independent and self-correcting skillsand research and information retrieval skills.
ICT isimportant in reinforcing and consolidating skillsand learning.
However, while teachers, both at the principal and the classroom level, were generally quite positive
about the role of ICT in teaching and learning in primary classroomsinspectorsfound that the
undoubted potential of ICT wasfrequently unrealised. Asnoted earlier inspectorsfound relatively
limited evidence of the integration of ICT in teaching and learning in the classroom, with, for
example, the use of ICT in only 22% of classroom observations.
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121
Aswell asfrequency of use inspectorsalso reported on the quality of use of ICT in teaching and
learning where it wasobserved during the inspection period in classroomsvisited during WSEs. Fig.
5.7 showsthat 34% of inspectors reportson classroom observationsreveal limited or inappropriate
use, or no use, of ICT in teaching and learning. In 42% of instancesthe inspectorsreported that
there wasscope for development, while in 24% of instancesthey reported a competent or optimal
level of performance. The proportion of competent or optimal levelswashigher for senior classes
(30% ) than for junior classes(15% ).
Fig. 5.7: Inspectors rating of the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning
Inspectorsalso provided some commentary in relation to their rating of the quality of use of ICT in
teaching and learning in the classroom. These commentspoint to a reliance on software for ICT use,
and show that such factorsaslack of planning and preparation constrain the effective use of ICT in
classroomsand the systematic development of curricular skillsusing ICT. Table 5.6 providesa sample
of these comments.
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60%
40%
20%
0%
No, very l i t t l e, or
i nappropri at e use of ICT
Scope f or
devel opment
Compet ent
pract i ce
Opt i mal l evel of
perf ormance
34%
42%
19%
5%
Base: Al l mai nst ream cl ass observat i ons (n= 127)
Table 5.6: Inspectors comments on the quality of use of ICT observed in teaching and
learning
Rat i ng (cl ass) I nspect or s comment
Very l i t t l e use, or i nappropri at e Di scussi ons wi t h t he t eacher reveal t hat ICT i s used i nci dent al l y and f or very short peri ods.
use, of ICT (j uni or cl asses) Two programs were used i nt ermi t t ent l y, whi ch are desi gned t o enhance t he st udent s
l i t eracy ski l l s. The t eacher uses t he i nt ernet t o research work occasi onal l y. In general , t he
use of ICT i n t he cl assroom i s i nci dent al rat her t han bei ng pl anned or syst emat i c.
Scope f or devel opment The work t he chi l dren were doi ng duri ng t he course of t he eval uat i on was not adequat el y
(seni or cl ass) prepared, and t hey were si mpl y t ranscri bi ng f rom t he screen. It i s wort h not i ng, however,
t hat t hey di d have t he abi l i t y t o operat e t he search engi ne t o obt ai n access t o i nf ormat i on
on t he t opi c of t hei r choi ce.
Compet ent pract i ce St udent s are somewhat f ami l i ar wi t h t he use of Powerpoi nt as a medi um of present at i on
(seni or cl ass) but st i l l need cl ear di rect i on f rom t he t eacher and are cl earl y dependent on her t o an ext ent
i n mani pul at i ng t he comput ers i n t he room. The t eacher uses Powerpoi nt i n present at i on.
Opt i mal l evel of perf ormance Sof t ware on Anci ent Egypt i ans: excel l ent st i mul at i on of st udent s, cl ari f i cat i on of
(mi ddl e cl ass) i nf ormat i on and consol i dat i on. ICT used i n proj ect work; al so vi deo and camcorder use.
Inspectorswho visited case-study schoolsgave additional insightsinto the quality and range of ICT
activity in primary schools. M any commented favourably on the attitude, enthusiasm and
confidence of fifth-classstudentsin using ICT, citing, for example, good use of relevant internet sites
and reference software, both for project work and incidental research.
Other commendable practicesobserved by the inspectorsin case-study schoolsincluded:
the use of ICT to facilitate the writing processof drafting and redrafting and students writing in
a variety of genres
the use of ICT in higher-order activities, such asthe development of students critical skillsin
looking and responding to art, the use of exploratory software to develop problem-solving skills
and logic capabilities, and the use of spreadsheets
the use of ICT to develop creative skills, such asdrawing and design, listening and responding,
activity in music, and construction skills(through the use of robotics)
the use of the digital camera in producing group and classprojects
the use of ICT in teaching Irish poetry
the use of ICT to create and to record musical compositions
the use of databasesfor the collation, examination and presentation of data
the use of computer-generated presentationsby studentsto present their project work.
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123
However, the inspectorsfound that the range of skillsand knowledge displayed by studentsvaried
significantly among case-study schools, and that competence in the use of ICT waslimited for the
most part to basic ICT skills, centred on the use of word-processing for personal writing and project
work. One inspector described thisin the following terms:
A number of studentsin senior classeshave developed some competencyin ICT skillsrelating to the use
of word-processing and the internet. Theyhave also used the computer in the writing processand have
accessto content-rich mathematicsand reading software. Studentsenjoyopportunitiesto paint and draw
using the computer. Studentsare enthusiastic and confident in their discussion in respect of thisrelatively
simple use of ICT.
Despite thisemphasison the development of basic ICT skills, the survey of fifth-classstudents
showed, asillustrated in fig. 5.8, that many lack the competence to complete basic taskson the
computer. While most reported that they were able to perform many basic computer tasks, such as
turning the computer on and off and opening or saving a file, more than 30% reported that they
were not able to print a document or to go on the internet by themselves, while almost half (47% )
reported not being able to create a document by themselves. The majority were unaware of how to
create a presentation (72% ), use a spreadsheet (86% ), or send an attachment with an e-mail
message (88% ).
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Fig. 5.8: Students proficiency in individual tasks
Interestingly, more than four out of five students(82% ) in the case-study schoolswho completed
questionnairesstated that using a computer helped them with their schoolwork. Thiswasmainly
through the use of the internet for projects. Only 39% reported that they used their home
computer for homework. A higher proportion of girls(87% ) than boys(77% ) stated that using a
computer helped them with their schoolwork; thiswasprimarily through typing stories, poems, and
essays. Similarly, slightly more girls(43% ) than boys(36% ) stated that a computer helped them with
their homework, again primarily for typing poems, essays, and stories.
In general, it can be said that limited use isat present made of ICT in teaching and learning in
primary schools. However, despite the constraintsthat inhibit the greater use of the technology,
there are examplesof itseffective use that could be extended and built on through taking such
stepsassharing good practice within and between schools.
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125
80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
Base: Al l pri mary st udent s (n = 437)
How well can you do each of these tasks on a computer?
I can do t hi s very wel l by mysel f
I can do t hi s wi t h hel p f rom someone
Shut down t he comput er
Turn on a comput er
Open a f i l e
Save a document or f i l e
Pri nt a document or f i l e
Go on t he i nt ernet
Creat e a document
Del et e a document or f i l e
Move f i l es f rom one pl ace t o anot her
Open an e- mai l
Wri t e and send an e- mai l
Copy or downl oad f i l es f rom t he i nt ernet
Copy a f i l e f rom a f l oppy di sk
Creat e a graph
Creat e a present at i on
Send an at t achment wi t h an e- mai l
Use a spreadsheet
5% 95%
4% 95%
15% 82%
14% 77%
24% 66%
26% 64%
36% 53%
25% 63%
34% 39%
33% 40%
38% 31%
39% 31%
39% 28%
33% 28%
24% 28%
37% 12%
23% 14%
5.3.7 Provision for students with special educational needs by
mainstream class teachers
The evaluation found that the level of ICT used to assist studentswith special educational needs
within mainstream classroomsisquite low, despite the fact that the great majority of classrooms
have children who have accessto additional support. Asshown in fig. 5.9, 53% of teachersin the
schoolsvisited by inspectorsduring WSE classroom inspectionsreported that they used ICT to assist
studentswith special educational needs. Of those who did, teaching and learning wasprimarily
facilitated by a student working individually on a computer (64% of teachers). These teachers
reported using programsand web sitesto assist their students. Teachersof senior classeswere more
likely to use ICT to assist studentswith special educational needsin their class(63% ) than teachers
of junior classes(39% ). Given the predominantly individualised nature of the ICT-related activity
involved, thismay be related to the greater ability of older studentsto work independently,
compared with that of the younger students.
Fig. 5.9: Level of ICT support for students with special educational needs in mainstream
classrooms
However, in only 11% of classroom observationsdid the inspectorson WSE visitsobserve the use of
ICT in mainstream classroomsto assist studentswith special educational needs. Similarly to what
wasreported by teachers, the inspectorsobserved that the use of ICT to assist studentswith special
educational needswashighest for senior classesand wasprimarily organised individually.
The low level of ICT use with studentswith special educational needsin mainstream classrooms
showsthat the potential of ICT to provide a differentiated curriculum for those studentsisnot being
realised. There isclearly a need for teachersto become more aware of how to use ICT to
differentiate work for their students. It isalso of note that where children with special educational
needsare given the opportunity to engage in ICT-related activity it isprimarily asindividuals. The
potential for embracing paired or group activity in thisregard could be further explored.
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Base: Al l mai nst ream cl ass t eachers (n = 127)
Do you use ICT to support students with special educational needs in class?
No 47% Yes 53%
5.4 ICT in special education
Over the past decade there hasbeen a significant increase in the level of resourcesprovided for
studentswith special educational needswithin mainstream primary schools. The evaluation
attempted to gain an insight into the extent and quality of the use of ICT in special-needs
education. Thissection of the report looksat the provision for children with special educational
needsby membersof the special-education support team.
57
5.4.1 Access to ICT
Inspectorson WSE inspectionsexplored the level of accessthat studentshad to ICT in the special-
education setting. Some 85% of the seventy-one membersof special-education support teams
interviewed in schools, asshown in fig. 5.10, stated that their studentshad accessto ICT. Of those
with access, 90% said that ICT activity took place in the special-education support setting. Half
(50% ) of all respondentssaid that teaching and learning using ICT wasorganised by individually
working with studentswith special educational needs. Somewhat lessthan half (45% ) of
respondentssaid that a combination of individual and group or paired work wasused.
Fig. 5.10: Level of access by students with special educational needs in special-education
support settings
5.4.2 Planning for the use of ICT
Approximately 57% of the membersof special-education teamsinterviewed by the inspectorson
WSE visits, asillustrated in fig. 5.11, reported that their planning showed how they intended to use
ICT in their teaching. Of those who displayed an intention to use ICT in their teaching, the main
emphasiswason reading (92% ), followed by numeracy (82% ) and writing (56% ). Some 60% of
special-education support teacherswho planned for the use of ICT in their teaching reported that
thisplanning wasbased on the schoolsplanning for ICT.
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127
Base: Al l speci al educat i on t eam members (n = 71)
Do students have access to ICT in this context?
No 15%
Yes 85%
57 M embersof the special-education support team include the resource teacher, learning-support teacher and resource teacher for
Travellers. It should be noted that, in accordance with Circular 02/05, learning-support teachersand resource teachersare now
referred to aslearning-support and resource teachers(LSRTs).
Fig. 5.11: Extent to which special-education support team members plan for the use of ICT
5.4.3 Frequency of ICT use
Inspectorswere asked to distinguish between evidence of the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and
learning in the classroomsvisited and actual observation of ICT in teaching and learning during the
inspection period.
58
Fig. 5.12 showsthat 63% of the inspectorsreported that they saw evidence of
the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in these classrooms, while 42% observed ICT being
used in teaching and learning during the inspection period. Thisuse ismuch higher than the level of
ICT use observed by inspectorsto provide for mainstream students(24% ) and studentswith special
educational needswithin mainstream classrooms(11% ). M ost ICT use by membersof the special-
education team wasthrough individual work with the student (69% of instances).
Fig. 5.12: Inspectors observations of the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in
special-education support settings
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Base: Al l speci al educat i on t eam members (n = 71)
Does your planning show how you intend to use ICT in your teaching?
No 43% Yes 57%
Base: Al l speci al educat i on t eam observat i ons (n = 71)
Is there evidence of the use of ICT
to support teaching and learning?
Was use of ICT observed in actual teaching
and learning during the inspection period?
Base: Al l speci al educat i on t eam observat i ons (n = 71)
No 58% Yes 42% No 37% Yes 63%
58 Examplesof such evidence include samplesof pupils work, displaysof work involving ICT, and pupils responsesto questionsposed
bythe inspector or teacher.
5.4.4 Focus of ICT use
The extent to which membersof special-education support teamswere using ICT to facilitate
teaching and learning in a number of priority areaswasexplored aspart of the evaluation. The
special-education support teacherswho responded to the national survey reported, asshown in fig.
5.13, that the main use of ICT in the special-education setting wasfor reading, numeracy, writing,
and the development of motor sensory skills. Some 75% of these special-education teachers
reported using ICT to develop reading skillsat least once a week, which wasfar more frequent than
that reported for writing skills(40% ), motor sensory skills(46% ), and numeracy skills(54% ). The
inspectorsobserving classroom practice during WSE inspectionsalso found that the main skillsbeing
developed were (in declining order of frequency) reading, numeracy, and writing.
The evaluation found that there isa greater general range of skillsdevelopment in the special-
education support setting than in mainstream classrooms. While ICT isused much lessfrequently for
the development of other skills, such ascommunication, referencing, presentation, and higher-order
skills, the use of ICT for the development of these skillsisstill much more frequent than that
reported for mainstream classrooms.
59
Fig. 5.13: Frequency of ICT use in special-education support settings to facilitate
development of skills
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129
80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
Base: Al l pri mary l earni ng support t eachers (n = 136)
How frequently is ICT used as a strategy to achieve learning targets
for students attending resource teaching and learning support in
each of the following areas?
Readi ng ski l l s
Ski l l s i n numeracy
Mot or sensory ski l l s
Ref erenci ng/ research
ski l l s
Behavi oural
management ski l l s
Probl em sol vi ng/
anal yt i c ski l l s
Soci al / t eam/
col l aborat i ve ski l l s
75% 18%
14% 39% 40%
54% 25% 11%
10% 23% 46%
30% 28% 16%
32% 21% 16%
15% 28% 24%
17% 23% 23%
25% 17% 19%
14% 17% 21%
59 Thiscan be seen when fig. 5.5 and fig. 5.13 are compared.
In general, the relatively high frequency of use of ICT by membersof the special-education support
team to promote the development of literacy and numeracy isnot surprising, given the priority
attached to these core curricular skillsin schoolsin thislearning context. ICT facilitatesa multi-
sensory approach to the teaching of essential skillsthrough the use, for example, of data projectors,
speakers, and interactive whiteboards, and thisshould be exploited in special-education settings
wherever appropriate.
5.4.5 Use of resources and applications
The survey of teachersexplored the degree to which different applicationswere used in the
development of a range of special educational needspriority areas. M embersof the special-
education support teams, asillustrated in table 5.7, were found to use applicationsmost frequently
for the development of reading and writing skills.
60
Table 5.7: Applications used by members of special-education support teams to promote
the development of skills
Cont ent - ri ch
sof t ware 72% 37% 84% 15% 51% 46% 83% 16% 50% 44%
Word- processi ng 67% 89% 25% 74% 63% 61% 16% 13% 37% 25%
Ref erence
sof t ware 30% 10% 5% 11% 10% 16% 28% 71% 9% 16%
Pai nt i ng and
drawi ng programs 8% 12% 5% 40% 40% 15% 5% 4% 15% 31%
Int ernet 19% 4% 8% 12% 5% 18% 16% 45% 24% 6%
Assi st i ve t echnol ogy
sof t ware 26% 18% 16% 11% 21% 23% 7% 4% 7% 16%
Present at i on 16% 16% 0 26% 6% 18% 0 5% 13% 9%
Graphi cs programs 7% 11% 1% 21% 2% 13% 2% 9% 15% 6%
Mul t i medi a 7% 6% 3% 11% 6% 13% 4% 4% 13% 0
E- mai l 6% 7% 3% 4% 2% 16% 2% 13% 13% 0
Spreadsheet s 2% 1% 6% 6% 0 2% 5% 11% 0 3%
Ot her 4% 1% 3% 0 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3%
Dat abases 2% 0 1% 1% 0 5% 0 4% 0 3%
Programmi ng or
scri pt i ng 0 0 1% 0 3% 0 0 2% 2% 0
n (val i d) 110 103 80 73 67 61 57 56 46 32
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131
Furthermore, table 5.8 revealsthat those membersof special-education support teamssurveyed
made prominent use of word-processing and content-rich software to facilitate teaching and
learning in the different priority areas.
Table 5.8: Most frequently used applications to promote the development of individual
learning priority areas
Ski l l s Appl i cat i ons
Readi ng ski l l s Word- processi ng, cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Wri t i ng ski l l s Word- processi ng
Numeracy ski l l s Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Present at i on ski l l s Word- processi ng, pai nt i ng and drawi ng programs
Mot or sensory ski l l s Word- processi ng, cont ent - ri ch sof t ware, pai nt i ng and drawi ng programs
Communi cat i on ski l l s Word- processi ng, cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Probl em- sol vi ng ski l l s Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Ref erenci ng and research ski l l s Ref erence sof t ware
Soci al ski l l s Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Behavi oural management ski l l s Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
However, thisreliance on content-rich software and word-processing suggeststhat the full potential
of ICT isnot being realised in special-education support settings. Teachersshould explore the
possibility of making greater use of other applicationssuch asexploratory, reference and assistive
technology software with studentswith special educational needs
Inspectorswere asked to describe the quality of ICT in special-education support settingsduring
WSE evaluations. Their observationson the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning, as
illustrated in fig. 5.14, show a range of quality in provision. A third of the observationsreveal very
little or inappropriate use, or no use, of ICT in the classroom. Another 38% of the observations
reveal scope for development. Approximately 29% of the observationsstated that there wasa
competent or optimal level of performance in the special-education setting. The proportion of
observationsrated competent or optimal washigher (36% ) for schoolswith a high SCR.
Fig. 5.14: Inspectors ratings of the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning observed
in special-education support settings
Inspectors ratingsof the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning in special-education support
settingsare comparable, for the most part, with ratingson the use of ICT in mainstream classes.
However, astable 5.9 shows, slightly more special-education support settingswere allocated a
competent or optimal rating (29% , compared with 24% ).
Table 5.9: Comparison of inspectors ratings of the quality of ICT provision in supporting
children with special educational needs in mainstream and special-education support
settings
Mai nst r eam set t i ngs and speci al cl asses Speci al - educat i on suppor t set t i ngs
Very l i t t l e or i nappropri at e use 34% 33%
Scope f or devel opment 42% 38%
Compet ent or opt i mal use 24% 29%
Inspectorsalso provided some commentson the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning in the
special-education support context in line with their ratings. These comments, a sample of which are
provided in table 5.10, suggest that quality of provision ismainly constrained by lack of resources,
lack of planning and timetabling, and lack of competence on the part of teachers. The accessibility
of such resourcesascomputer applicationswould appear to be an important factor influencing
provision. Where competent practice wasidentified, the inspectorsdrew attention to the integration
of ICT in learning and the learning benefitsthat accrue from ICT-related activity.
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60%
40%
20%
0%
No, very l i t t l e, or
i nappropri at e use of ICT
Scope f or
devel opment
Compet ent
pract i ce
Opt i mal l evel of
perf ormance
33%
38%
23%
6%
Base: Al l speaci al educat i on t eam observat i ons (n= 71)
Table 5.10: Sample of inspectors comments on the quality of ICT use in special-education
support settings
Rat i ng Comment
Very l i t t l e use, or i nappropri at e There i s pot ent i al f or more f requent and st ruct ured use of ICT t o support t he devel opment
use, of ICT of st udent s l i t eracy and numeracy ski l l . Whi l e a l apt op comput er has been purchased t o
support t he work of l earni ng support , i t was not avai l abl e or i n use i n t he cl assroom duri ng
t he i nspect i on peri od. It i s mai nl y used t o support t eachers pl anni ng and preparat i on.
Scope f or devel opment The act i vi t y not ed t ook t he f orm of games onl y. The work was done i ndependent l y, wi t h
l i t t l e verbal i nt eract i on bet ween t eacher and st udent t o ascert ai n whet her underst andi ng
was deepeni ng.
Compet ent pract i ce Teacher has a broad range of sof t ware t o support her work wi t h i ndi vi dual st udent s and
groups of st udent s i n a l earni ng- support rol e. Hardware and sof t ware posi t i oned i n a very
easi l y accessed corner.
Opt i mal l evel of perf ormance Excel l ent work done, where ICT i s an i nt egral part of t he t eachi ng and l earni ng t hat t akes
pl ace. A wi de range of sof t ware used, and t he work done i s very wel l i nt egrat ed i n al l
curri cul ar areas.
Inspectors reportson case-study schoolssuggest that there are some good practicesin the use of
ICT to support children with special educational needs, but that these are not widespread. For
example, inspectorscommented favourably on effective use of ICT to promote creative writing, the
development of project skills, independent learning, social skills, and co-ordination or motor skills.
The use of creative writing software wasalso reported asa useful meansof managing the teaching
of a range of abilitieswithin a group.
In general, it isclear that there are some good practicesin ICT use to facilitate teaching and learning
in special-education settingsbut that there isalso significant room for development.
5.5 Assessment
While the evaluation found some evidence of administrative use of ICT by teachersduring the
assessment of students, it found limited evidence of teachersengaging in the assessment of ICT-
related activity and itsimpact on teaching and learning. M ore than two-fifths(42% ) of teachers
interviewed aspart of classroom inspectionsduring WSEssaid that they used ICT to record students
progress. Only 12% of respondentsin the survey of teachers, however, reported that they had
attempted to assessthe impact of ICT on teaching and learning. Of the teacherswho attempted to
assessthe impact of the use of ICT on teaching and learning in the class, 46% reported using
observation, while 22% reported using an assessment test. An analysisof inspectors reportson
case-study schoolsalso illustratesthe lack of attention to assessment of students progressin ICT-
related activity throughout the curriculum.
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133
It isclear that very little assessment of ICT-related activity takesplace in primary school classrooms,
which iscritical, given that assessment, followed by planning, isthe starting-point for improving the
use of ICT in teaching and learning. Recent evaluationsof the implementation of the curriculum
reveal that thislack of attention to assessment isnot confined to ICT. The ICT framework from the
NCCA should help to addressthisdeficit with regard to assessment of the use of ICT in the
curriculum. However, given the difficultiesthat teachershave with assessment, it isvery important
that training be provided to facilitate the effective use of the framework and itsassessment
mechanisms.
5.6 Developing ICT in the classroom
The evaluation identified factorsthat both constrain and facilitate the development of ICT in primary
classrooms. It isimportant that schoolstake account of these issuesand work towardsovercoming
the constraining factorsand building on those factorsthat contribute to the development of ICT.
5.6.1 Factors that constrain the development of ICT in the
curriculum
In their reportson case-study schools, inspectorscommented on the factorsthat constrained the
development of ICT in schools. The main factorsrelated to poor infrastructure and lack of technical
support, low levelsof competence and confidence on the part of teachers, insufficient time and
funding, and planning-related issues. Respondentsin the survey of teachersalso reported
infrastructural issuesand lack of time asfactorsconstraining the use of ICT in teaching and learning.
5.6.2 Factors that facilitate the development of ICT in the
curriculum
The most prominent factorsfacilitating the development of ICT in the curriculum include the
knowledge, enthusiasm, competence and experience of the teacher. The availability of appropriate
and accessible professional development clearly hasa critical role to play in developing teachers
skillsand confidence in the use of ICT. While teachers attitudesand competence are crucial, it is
also essential that they have ready accessto functioning hardware and appropriate software. In this
regard, accessto the internet and the availability of suitable peripheralsare important factorsin
facilitating the development of ICT in the classroom.
In the responsesto their survey, teachersemphasised the ready availability of quality hardware in
sufficient quantity asa central factor. An analysisof the responsesto thissurvey also suggeststhat
more experienced teachersgave priority to teacher training in ICT, while younger teachersgave
priority to the improved use of existing hardware and software in teaching and the updating of
specific software.
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Adequate funding isclearly an issue in relation to the provision of resources, including both
hardware and software. The grantsprovided to schoolsby the DES were recognised by teachersas
making a significant contribution to the development of their schoolsresources. However, as
reported in chapter 1, schoolsfind it necessary to supplement these grantsthrough fund-raising and
other local contributions. Asthe availability of resourcescontinuesto be a constraining factor on the
development of ICT in schools, it must be concluded that additional funding for the development of
schools ICT infrastructure isrequired.
5.7.1 Main findings
Teachers confidence and competence in the use of ICT
Only 30% of primary teachersrated their ability either intermediate or advanced with
regard to using teaching and learning methodsthat are facilitated by ICT. Younger or more
recently qualified teachershad a higher perception of their ICT skillsthan more experienced
teachers.
Incidence of ICT use
At primary level, inspectorsreported evidence of the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning
in 59% of classroom observationscarried out aspart of WSEs. However, they observed ICT
actually used in only 22% of the lessonsobserved.
Integration of ICT in teaching and learning
ICT ismainly used for the development of students writing, reading and numeracy skills.
However, even thisuse of ICT isinfrequent.
There islimited integration of ICT in the classroom. Where it isused, ICT predominatesin core
curricular areas, such asEnglish and M athematics, and SESE
There islimited use of ICT for the development of higher-order thinking skills, creative skills, social
skills, independent working skills, and communication skills.
Studentsin junior classesexperience a narrower range of ICT activity than their counterpartsin
senior classes.
Greater use ismade of individual approachesto ICT-related activity than of paired, group or
whole-classapproaches.
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135
The evaluation found limited evidence of teachersengaging in the assessment of ICT-related
activity in their classroomsor of itsimpact on teaching and learning.
Students ICT use and competence
M ost studentsreported being able to perform many basic computer tasks, such asturning a
computer on and off or opening and saving a file.
M ore than 30% reported that they could not create a document, print a document, or log on to
the internet, or would need help to do so.
The majority of studentsdid not know how to create a presentation, use a spreadsheet, or send
an attachment with an e-mail message.
Use of resources
There isa reliance on computer applicationsin both mainstream and special-education classesto
facilitate the use of ICT in teaching and learning. Thisuse ismainly for the consolidation of
numeracy and literacy skills.
While 69% of teachersreported using internet resourcesin planning and preparing for their
teaching, fewer than a quarter (24% ) use the internet in classroom practice.
There isvery limited use of peripheralsin primary schools, apart perhapsfrom the printer.
Quality of provision
Inspectorswere asked to describe the quality of the use of ICT in the teaching and learning they
observed during the inspection period in classroomsvisited. Only a quarter of inspectors reports
on classroom observationssuggest a competent or optimal level of performance. Thisproportion
washigher for senior classesthan for junior classes.
Special-education settings
Approximately half the mainstream teachersreported using ICT to assist studentswith special
educational needsin mainstream settings. A significantly higher use wasreported by membersof
schools special-education support teams.
ICT ismainly used in special-education settingsto develop reading, writing and numeracy skills,
with the most common applicationsused being word-processing and content-rich software.
Inspectors observationsof the use of ICT during classroom inspectionssuggest a range of quality
of provision in special-education settings, with only a third of instancesrated competent or
optimal.
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Factors constraining the use of ICT
Factorsconstraining the development of ICT in the curriculum include poor infrastructure and
technical support, lack of competence or confidence on the part of teachersin the use of ICT,
and funding.
Factors facilitating the development of ICT
Factorsfacilitating the development of ICT in the curriculum include knowledge, competence and
experience on the part of the teacher and accessto functioning hardware, aswell asfunding.
Teachersneed to be supported in meeting the challenge of effectively integrating ICT in their
classroom practicesso that Irish classroomscan be placed at the forefront of advancesin teaching
practicesand students learning techniques. Thiscan be done in the following ways:
Consideration should be given to ensuring that teachersare provided with opportunitiesto
develop skillsthat are directly applicable to the use of ICT in the classroom. Thisshould be
addressed in a strategic way through a combination of pre-service, induction and in-service
training methods.
It iscritical that teachersreceive training in how to engage with the forthcoming Framework for
ICT in Curriculum and Assessment to be published by the NCCA.
Education departmentsin third-level collegesshould consider giving priority to the integration of
ICT in the different curricular areaswhen preparing studentsfor teaching.
It isimportant that classroom organisational mattersbe emphasised in support materialsand
coursesfor teachersso that they can exploit potential opportunitiesfor using ICT in the
classroom in accordance with the resourcesavailable.
Teachers confidence and competence in using ICT
Schoolsshould endeavour to adopt mechanismsto facilitate the sharing of good practice among
membersof the staff. For example, teacherswho make effective use of ICT could act asmentors
to colleagueswho are not asconfident in their use of the technology.
Teachersshould be encouraged to become more critically reflective of their classroom practice,
particularly their practice with regard to ICT.
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137
Integration of ICT in teaching and learning
experience of ICT at all classlevels.
Continuouseffortsshould be made in schoolsto develop the level of teachers accessto ICT
equipment. The provision of internet accessin classroomsand accessto a school network should
be a priority for schools. The relevant DES grantswill help facilitate thisprovision.
Teachersshould regularly review their use of ICT with a view to expanding their repertoire of
teaching strategies, including opportunitiesfor students engagement with the technology.
Schoolsand teachersshould make greater use of ICT to differentiate the implementation of the
curriculum within the mainstream classroom.
Teachersshould fully exploit the potential of ICT to facilitate the development of students literacy
and numeracy skills.
Teachersshould exploit the potential of ICT to develop a range of skillsin students, including
research and collaborative skills, creative writing skills, communication skills, and the higher-order
skillsof analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving.
Resources
Schoolsshould explore the use of aswide a range of resourcesand applicationsaspossible,
including educational software, peripherals, e-mail, presentation software, Scoilnet, the NCTE
web site, and the internet. Schoolscould consider drawing up an inventory of software in
accordance with itssuitability for classlevelsand curricular applications. The NCTEsSoftware
Central web site, which providesadvice and support to teacherson the use of software in their
classrooms, isa useful resource in thisregard.
Special-education settings
In using ICT asa teaching aid for studentswith special educational needs, schoolsshould
endeavour to ensure that it isbeing used to support the widest range of students needs
possible, both within classroomsand in withdrawal settings.
Schoolsshould exploit the benefitsof ICT in their assessment proceduresand practicesbeyond
purely administrative functions. Thiscould include using ICT to assess, track and analyse students
progress, using appropriate applications.
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ICT and teaching and learning in post-primary schools
Chapter 6
139
6.1 Introduction
Thischapter dealswith ICT and itscontribution to the teaching and learning processin post-primary
school classrooms. It beginsby looking at teachers ICT qualificationsand skillsasa meansof
exploring the level of their familiarity with the relevant technology and itsapplications. It also looks
at the present extent of students use of ICT asa meansof determining their ICT skill levels.
The chapter then turnsto addressing how ICT isused at present in classrooms. Firstly, the nature of
dedicated ICT lessonsisexamined. A number of areasare examined in detail, including the support
that school principalsgive to the use of ICT in the classroom, the extent of ICT facilitiesin
classrooms, the focus, organisation and frequency of itsuse, teaching activitiesthat incorporate ICT,
the extent of itsuse in different subjects, the quality of itsprovision, and itsimpact on the teaching
and learning process. The use of ICT in special education settingsand in assessment are also
considered. Finally, the chapter identifiesfactorsthat contribute to the successful integration of ICT
in classrooms, aswell asthose that tend to constrain itsdevelopment.
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6.2 ICT qualifications and skills
Thissection examinesteachers ICT skillsand qualification levelsaswell asstudents ICT skillslevels.
It drawsprimarily on the findingsof the national surveysof teachersand students.
6.2.1 Teachers ICT qualifications and skill levels
An analysisof the survey of teachersshowed that approximately 6% of post-primary teachershad a
postgraduate qualification in ICT in education, while a further 12% had other informal
qualificationsin ICT.
61
The survey showed that teachersof BusinessStudies(33% ), science subjects
(26% ), M athematics(25% ) and the applied science subjects(24% ) were most likely to have such
qualifications.
When other academic qualificationsin ICT are included, a substantial 25% of all post-primary
teachersreported having a qualification in ICT.
62
Of the 737 teacherswho reported that they had
the higher diploma in education (HDipEd), only 213, or 29% , reported that they studied a module
in ICT aspart of thisqualification; thisincreased to 60% of all teachersunder the age of thirty-five.
Thishigher figure for younger teacherswould seem to suggest a growing shift on the part of
teacher educatorsto equipping trainee teacherswith the necessary ICT skillsto enable them to use
ICT aspart of their teaching methodsin the classroom. Thisshift isperhapsin response to, among
other things, the wider repertoire of teaching methodsthat ICT makespossible, to the impact that it
can have on teaching and learning, and to the pervasivenessof ICT in schools. Teacher education
departmentsin third-level collegesshould consider giving priority to the study of a module on ICT in
education for studentsfollowing a postgraduate diploma in education course. Indeed the study of
ICT in education should be given priority within the course content of any teaching qualification
provided by teacher educators.
The questionnaire for teachersalso asked respondentsto state their perceived level of proficiency in
a number of ICT skillsareas.
63
The responseswere arranged in descending order of proficiency, as
shown in table 6.1, by combining intermediate and advanced from the principal variablesof
teachersage group, gender, and SCR.
64
The highest levelsof perceived proficiency were in use of the internet, e-mail, and word-processing,
where more than half the teachersrated their proficiency as intermediate or advanced. The
lowest level wasfor programming and scripting, assistive technology, and careerssoftware: fewer
than 10% reported an intermediate or advanced level of proficiency in these areas. Again it is
noteworthy that teachersunder thirty-five considered themselvesto be more proficient in practically
all ICT skillsareas, especially the internet, e-mail, word-processing, and presentation. The proficiency
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61 Informal qualifications refersto such coursesasthe European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL).
62 O ther academic qualificationsin ICT might include a BSc in computer science or a BEng in computer engineering.
63 Respondentswere able to state their level of proficiencyin the different skill areasas none, basic, intermediate, or
advanced.
64 See note 19 (chapter 2) for a definition of SCR.
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65 Exploratorysoftware can be described assimulation-type software, usuallysubject-specific but with a high level of interactivity.
66 Note: The proficiencyof user scale in fig. 6.1 isbased on the small number of teachers(15) who stated that theyused these
applicationsin their teaching.
of teachersof Irish in most skillsareaswasnoticeably lower than that reported by teachersof other
subjects.
Table 6.1: Proportion of post-primary teachers who rated their proficiency in ICT skills as
either intermediate or advanced
Age Gender SCR
Under 35 35 45 Over 45 Mal e Femal e Low Hi gh Tot al
Int ernet 84% 60% 55% 70% 66% 66% 68% 66%
E- mai l 81% 58% 50% 66% 62% 61% 66% 63%
Word- processi ng 76% 57% 52% 61% 61% 58% 65% 61%
Present at i on 59% 33% 30% 43% 41% 41% 43% 42%
Operat i ng syst ems 51% 32% 29% 42% 37% 37% 39% 38%
Spreadsheet s 46% 30% 29% 39% 33% 34% 37% 35%
Fi l e management 42% 26% 29% 38% 30% 30% 35% 33%
Ref erence sof t ware 39% 31% 29% 36% 32% 33% 33% 33%
Graphi cs programs 41% 24% 25% 36% 28% 30% 31% 31%
Dat abases 34% 22% 22% 27% 26% 26% 26% 27%
Mul t i medi a 33% 19% 16% 30% 19% 23% 22% 23%
Troubl eshoot i ng 25% 16% 17% 26% 16% 20% 18% 20%
Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware 18% 13% 21% 20% 16% 17% 20% 18%
65
20% 13% 16% 21% 14% 16% 19% 17%
Net worki ng 14% 10% 9% 14% 10% 9% 12% 11%
Dat a- l oggi ng sof t ware 13% 8% 9% 13% 10% 9% 11% 11%
Drawi ng programs 13% 14% 6% 19% 6% 11% 9% 10%
Careers sof t ware 7% 6% 9% 6% 9% 7% 7% 8%
Assi st i ve t echnol ogy sof t ware 8% 7% 6% 9% 7% 4% 9% 7%
Programmi ng or scri pt i ng 10% 5% 5% 8% 6% 7% 7% 7%
n 272 210 290 260 468 323 321 800
The survey also explored how often teachersused these ICT skills(by meansof a range of
applications) in their teaching. The internet (79% ) and word-processing (79% ), asfig. 6.1 shows,
were the most popular applicationsused by teachers. Furthermore, the teacherswho used these
applicationsrevealed a high level of proficiency in each application (i.e. at least 86% of teachers
who use the applicationshad at least an intermediate level of knowledge of these applications).
66
On the other hand, teacherswho reported using reference (for example encyclopaedias), content-
rich and exploratory software in their teaching had a relatively low level of proficiency.
The findingsalso reveal that in many instancesthe level of reported proficiency wasnot reflected in
the actual use of the application. The relatively low level of use in classroom practice of e-mail,
spreadsheets, graphicsprogramsand databases, for example, doesnot reflect teachers high levels
of proficiency in these applications. It can be assumed, therefore, that other factors, such as
teachers motivation or computer access, may influence the transfer of teachers competence in
particular applicationsto classroom practice.
Fig. 6.1: Proficiency and use of applications in teaching
Teacherswere also asked in their survey to rate their ability at different tasksrelated to the
application of ICT and related materialsin the classroom. Table 6.2 showsthat slightly more than a
quarter (26% ) of all teachersrated their ability as intermediate or advanced in relation to using
teaching and learning methodsthat are facilitated by ICT. A similar proportion (27% ) rated their
ability as intermediate or advanced in relation to assessing the quality of educational software
to facilitate teaching and learning, while four out of ten (40% ) reported their ability to assessthe
quality of internet material to facilitate teaching and learning to be at that level.
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100% 75% 50% 25% 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%
Base: Usage i s based on t eachers usi ng appl i cat i ons i n t hei r t eachi ng (n > 247)
Prof i ci ency i s based on t eachers usi ng appl i cat i ons i n t hei r t eachi ng (n > 15)
Usage i n Teachi ng (at l east once) Prof i ci ency of User (Int ermedi at e or Advanced)
Int ernet
Word- processi ng
Present at i on
Ref erence sof t ware
E- mai l
Spreadsheet s
Cont ent - ri ch sof t ware
Graphi cs packages
Dat abases
Mul t i medi a
Dat al oggi ng sof t ware
Drawi ng packages
Careers sof t ware
Assi st i ve t echnol ogy sof t ware
Programmi ng/ scri pt i ng
79%
79%
59%
47%
42%
41%
36%
35%
31%
30%
25%
21%
16%
16%
12%
6%
88%
86%
87%
59%
90%
79%
52%
77%
71%
57%
68%
65%
73%
63%
43%
47%
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Table 6.2: Proportions of post-primary teachers who rated their ability in each of three ICT
tasks that facilitate teaching and learning as either intermediate or advanced
Age Gender SCR
Under 35 35 45 Over 45 Mal e Femal e Low Hi gh Tot al
Usi ng t eachi ng and l earni ng 38% 19% 22% 30% 25% 26% 27% 26%
met hods t hat are f aci l i t at ed
by ICT
educat i onal sof t ware t o
f aci l i t at e t eachi ng and
l earni ng
i nt ernet mat eri al t o f aci l i t at e
n 272 210 290 260 468 323 321 800
The perceived ability level in all three taskswashigher for teachersaged thirty-five or under; but it is
interesting to note that while the reported ability levelsdecreased somewhat for the 3545 group
they increased again for the over-45 category. Thistrend isalso apparent from table 6.1 in perceived
levelsof proficiency in the areasof content-rich and exploratory software. Thisincrease in skillslevel
could be correlated with length of teaching experience. There wasa negligible difference between
the stated ability of teachersin schoolswith a low or high SCR. It isnoteworthy that teachersof
Irish, English and the subjectsin the social studiesII group (ReligiousEducation, Physical Education,
CSPE, and SPHE) provided a lower than average rating in each of the three ICT tasks.
Asmentioned earlier, the survey found that 25% of teachershad a qualification in ICT. For the 75%
who had no such qualification it can be deduced that their main meanstowardsmastering the
technology and itsapplication wasthrough their own enthusiasm for ICT and self-learning, or by
availing of relevant professional development courses. The survey also found that, apart from the
internet, e-mail, and word-processing, the majority of teachersthose with and without formal ICT
qualificationsstated that they did not consider themselvesto be proficient in an entire range of ICT
skillsand applications.
Finally, significant numbersof teachersrated their ability in each of the three ICT tasksthat facilitate
teaching and learning (see table 6.2) asbasic or stated that had no ability in the area.
In general, the findingsshow that significant numbersof teacherslack intermediate-level ICT skills
or better (table 6.1). Thisimpedesthem in integrating the technology in their teaching practice.
Furthermore, of those who consider themselvesto have these skill levels, many declare themselves
unaware of how to apply them so asto facilitate improved teaching and learning (table 6.2). Also,
younger teachersperceive themselvesto have higher levelsof proficiency in a range of ICT skills
than more established teachers. While thismay reflect changestaking place in teacher education, it
may also reflect the pervasivenessof technology in younger peopleslives. If ICT isto be effectively
integrated in the teaching and learning processit isapparent that these issueswill need to be
addressed in a strategic way, through, for example, a combination of pre-service, induction and in-
service training.
6.2.2 Students ICT skill levels
In general, the evaluation found that fifth-year studentshave a positive attitude towardsthe use of
computers. There wasa negligible difference between the attitudesof those in schoolswith a low
SCR and those in schoolswith a high SCR. In their questionnaire, studentswere asked to state how
frequently they used computersto perform certain tasks. Fig. 6.2 showsthat more than three-
quarters(77% ) of respondentsspecified that they used the internet to look up information at least
twice a month. M ore than half (53% ) reported using the internet to download music at least twice
a month.
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145
Fig. 6.2: Students use of computers
Responsesalso showed that studentsused a computer to perform the following activitiesat least
twice a month: word-processing (63% of respondents), games(56% ), and e-mail (47% ). There was
a negligible difference in how often those in schoolswith a low SCR performed these tasks
compared with those in schoolswith a high SCR. Thismay be explained by the fact that schools
with a high SCR were generally larger, where accessto centralised computer roomswasmore
favourable.
Studentswere also specifically asked to state what kindsof tasksthey used computersfor at school.
The most frequent replieswere research on the internet (71% ), word-processing (62% ), and general
IT skills, for example file administration (32% ). Aswill be seen in section 6.3.2, these are strikingly
similar to the topicscommonly taught in schools dedicated ICT lessons. Nearly two-thirds(64% )
reported using a computer to help them with their homework. However, only 19% of these did this
at least once a week. Thisisperhapsan area that could be exploited further by schoolsand
teachers, assome 89% of studentsreported having accessto a computer at home.
Interestingly, 36% of studentssurveyed stated that they learnt most about computersby teaching
themselves(45% stating that they taught themselveshow to use the internet), while 33% stated
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80% 60% 100% 40% 20% 0%
Base: Al l post - pri mary st udent s (n = 450)
How often do you use:
The i nt ernet t o l ook up i nf ormat i on
Word- processi ng
Games on a comput er
Drawi ng or graphi cs programs on a comput er
The i nt ernet t o downl oad musi c
The comput er t o hel p you l earn school mat eri al
E- mai l
The i nt ernet t o downl oad sof t ware (games)
The i nt ernet t o col l aborat e wi t h a group or t eam
Spreadsheet s
The comput er f or programmi ng
Educat i onal sof t ware such as Mat hs programs
43% 34% 18%
25% 29% 34%
30% 26% 22%
35% 23% 14%
30% 23% 15%
26% 25% 15%
33% 14% 18%
21% 22% 18%
13% 16% 20%
29% 13% 6%
8% 13% 19%
17% 12% 4%
that they learnt most through their teachers. Those in schoolswith a low SCR were more likely to
use a computer for recreational use (32% ) or e-mail (22% ) than those in schoolswith a high SCR
(19% for recreation, 13% for e-mail). M ore studentsin schoolswith a high SCR stated that they
were using computersto work with word-processing, presentation, and other applications.
Studentsalso reported on how well they could perform certain tasks. Ascan be seen from fig. 6.3,
they were confident that they could undertake many basic operationsby themselves, for example
saving, printing, deleting, opening and editing documents. It wasfound that, with some assistance,
they could generally perform more complicated tasks, such asmoving files, copying filesto external
storage devices, and writing and sending e-mail. A relatively low proportion, however, reported
being able to create a multimedia presentation. It wasfound that they would require most help to
attach a file to an e-mail message, construct a web page, or deal with computer viruses.
Fig. 6.3: Students ICT skill levels
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147
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
98%
96%
98%
95%
95%
95%
93% 5%
92% 6%
91% 6%
87% 10%
71% 21%
68% 22%
70% 18%
68% 20%
42% 36%
38% 28%
40% 26%
27% 36%
30% 29%
14% 34%
Base: Al l post - pri mary st udent s (n = 450)
I can do t hi s very wel l by mysel f
I can do t hi s wi t h hel p f rom someone
How frequently do you use the following?
Get on t o t he i nt ernet
Pri nt a document or f i l e
Save a document or f i l e
Del et e a document or f i l e
Open a f i l e
Pl ay comput er games
Scrol l t hrough a document on a screen
St art a comput er game
Draw pi ct ures usi ng a mouse
Creat e/ edi t a document
Move f i l es f rom one pl ace t o anot her
Copy or downl oad f i l es f rom t he i nt ernet
Wri t e and send e- mai l s
Copy a f i l e f rom a CD / memory st i ck / f l oppy di sk
Use a dat abase
At t ach a f i l e t o an e- mai l message
Creat e a present at i on
Creat e a mul t i - medi a present at i on
Use sof t ware t o f i nd/ get ri d of comput er vi ruses
Const ruct a web page
When developing ICT courses, schoolsshould take account of students previousICT knowledge
and skills, with a view to expanding and consolidating their repertoire of skills. Thisentailstracking
the development of their ICT skillsthrough their post-primary schooling and planning the content of
dedicated ICT lessonsaccordingly. Little emphasis(aswill be seen in section 6.3) isplaced on more
complicated ICT tasksduring students experience of ICT in their classrooms.
Interviewsconducted by inspectorswith fifth-year studentsin case-study schoolsrevealed that they
used computersmainly in the social studiesI group of subjects(History, Geography, Art, Craft and
Design, M usic), in the LCVP link modules, and, unsurprisingly, in dedicated computer lessons.
Inspectorsalso observed examplesof work done by these studentsduring evaluations. It was
common for the work displayed to relate to the LCVP link modulesor LCA tasks. One report
described the work observed asfollows:
Studentspresented examplesof work theyhad produced using different software packages. These
included word-processing to produce curricula vitae and questionnaires, Excel for problem solving in
M athematicsand to produce timetablesand listsof teamsfor sports, Publisher to produce noticesand
Paint to produce imageswhich theythen incorporated into the Publisher documents. The students
interviewed were able to talk knowledgeablyabout the work theyhad done. Theywere also able to
discuss[the] functionalityof software that wasnot demonstrated in the work shown and could suggest
likelylocationswithin menusfor functionswith which theywere not familiar.
Another report mentioned that
examplesof word-processing, aswell asdigital camera work undertaken aspart of their work for Art,
Craft and Design lessons, were made available for examination. The work observed wasof a high quality
and studentswere able to hold a discussion about it in a capable and confident manner.
There wasa strong correlation between the samplesof students work observed by inspectorsand
those activitiesstudentsperformed most often (asshown in fig. 6.2), aswell asthe tasksfor which
they reported themselvesasbeing most proficient (asshown in fig. 6.3).
In general, the quality of the students ICT work observed in schoolswasdescribed in very positive
termsby inspectors. In all the reportsin which students work wascommented on it wasmentioned
that they were capable of discussing it in a competent and confident manner. Nevertheless, it was
also clear that the range of work observed wassomewhat limited. It isrecommended, therefore,
that teachersbroaden the range or type of ICT work that they cover with students.
6.3 Dedicated ICT lessons
Thissection beginsby examining how dedicated ICT lessonsare timetabled, with particular
reference to levelsof provision in both the junior and the senior cycle. It also refersto the curriculum
that schoolsimplement during these lessons.
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149
6.3.1 Timetabling of dedicated ICT lessons
In their national survey, school principalswere asked to provide detailsabout all timetabled
dedicated ICT lessonsin their schools. Table 6.3 providesdetailsof the provision of these lessonsin
110 post-primary schools.
Table 6.3: Timetabled dedicated ICT lessons in post-primary schools
Fi r st year Second year Thi r d year Tr ansi t i on Year Leavi ng Leavi ng
Cer t i f i cat e Cer t i f i cat e
year 1 year 2
Proport i on of school s 70% 45% 35% 62% 69% 66%
t hat t i met abl ed ICT
l essons
Average number of 1 1 1 4 2 2
l esson peri ods per week
Base: Al l post - pr i mar y school s wi t h t i met abl ed I CT l essons (n = 110).
The proportion of schoolsthat timetabled ICT lessonsfell from 70% to 35% from first year to third
year (that is, asthe Junior Certificate examination drew closer for students, their exposure to
dedicated ICT lessonsceased in many schools). The average number of lesson periodsper week
throughout the three yearsof the junior cycle wasone. However, the proportion of schoolsthat
timetabled ICT lessonsincreased to more than 60% of all schoolsfor senior cycle students
(Transition Year and Leaving Certificate). For Leaving Certificate studentsin particular, the high
proportionswere attributed primarily to the LCVP and LCA programmes. The average number of
lesson periodswasgreater in the senior cycle than in the junior cycle, especially for Transition Year
students.
A similar pattern in the provision of dedicated ICT lessonswasfound in the case-study schools. In
the majority of inspectors reports, junior cycle studentswere reported asnot being timetabled with
any dedicated ICT lessons. In such instancesthe school management usually commented that these
lessonshad been dropped asa result of timetabling pressuresto provide accessto new junior cycle
subjects. In other schools, ICT lessonshad been reduced to one lesson period per week in first or
second year, with no provision in third year. It wasclear from reportsthat the majority of case-study
schoolsconcentrated on providing their studentswith dedicated ICT lessonsin their Transition Year,
LCVP, or LCA.
The Transition Year programme wasprovided in 14 of the 20 case-study schoolsvisited. Dedicated
ICT lessonsformed part of the programme in most of these schools. Problemsarose, however, in
schoolswhere the Transition Year wasan optional programme and studentshad chosen to transfer
directly to the established Leaving Certificate programme. In a number of these schools, students
expressed concern about the fact that they were not provided with any dedicated ICT lessons. In
contrast, those who had opted for the Transition Year, or for either the LCVP or LCA, had
significantly greater accessto dedicated ICT lessons. ICT lessonsin the Transition Year usually took
the form of a discrete ICT module, the content of which varied from the completion of the
European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) programme to desktop publishing or web design. While
teachersgenerally viewed the ECDL asa comprehensive and well-recognised qualification, they also
reported that it had some pitfalls. It necessitated, for example, significant numbersof timetabled
lessonsper week, it required refresher coursesto be completed at future intervals, and it wascostly.
Transition Year studentsin all the case-study schoolswere frequently exposed to ICT in waysother
than dedicated ICT lessons. M any Transition Year activities, for example, involved studentsusing ICT
(for example the production of publicity material about a school show or the production of a school
memorial calendar).
The LCVP wasprovided in 16 of the 20 case-study schools. Studentsare required to study two link
modulesaspart of thisprogramme.
67
In essence, it wasthisrequirement that encouraged these
schoolsto furnish their studentswith lessonsin a computer room, with many even facilitating them
with accessto computersoutside timetabled lesson time. Studentsare part-assessed in these link
modulesby meansof a portfolio of work, and the itemsfor inclusion in thisportfolio require the use
of ICT for both their research and their presentation.
68
It wasinteresting to note that during
interviewswith fifth-year studentsin case-study schoolsit waspredominantly those following the
LCVP who stood out asbeing able to speak most about their use of ICT in school. These students
were also more likely to show inspectorssamplesof their work. (Thisissue isexamined further in
section 6.4.2.)
The LCA requiresall candidatesto study a mandatory introductory module on ICT. It also requires
the provision of accessto ICT within the subjectsprovided on the programme, and there isalso a
significant cross-curricular aspect to ICT. Furthermore, LCA studentshave an option to study a
vocational specialism in ICT aspart of the programme; if they opt for thisthey are required to study
four modulesout of a possible six.
69
LCA studentsare assessed through the presentation of tasks,
and these are normally presented using ICT. For these reasonsthe programme wasfound to
stimulate a significant integration of ICT in classroom activitiesin the 11 of the 20 case-study
schoolsthat were found to offer the programme. It wasclear that these schoolshad embraced the
use of ICT asan integral aspect of teaching and learning within the programme. LCA students
interviewed were competent and confident in discussing their use of ICT within subjectsand in the
completion of tasksand assignments. The quality of tasksand assignmentswasdescribed in one
evaluation report asshowing good range and breadth, while in another they were described as
being of a high quality and impressive.
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67 Link modules: (1) Preparation for the World of Work and (2) Enterprise Education.
68 There are four compulsorycore items: a CV, a career investigation, a summaryreport, and an enterprise or action plan. Pupilsmust
also submit anytwo of the four optional items: a diaryof work experience, an enterprise report, a recorded interview or presentation,
or a report on M yown place.
69 The six modulesare word-processing, databases, spreadsheets, desktop publishing (page layout), internet, and text entry.
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151
70 Care must be taken when interpreting the resultsfrom thistable, assample sizesare low.
71 Junior cycle computer studieswasprovided in 6 of the 31 vocational schoolswhose principalsresponded to the survey, in 8 of the 63
secondaryschools, and in none of the 16 communityand comprehensive schools.
72 Computer studiesat the Leaving Certificate level wasprovided in 6 of the 31 vocational schoolswhose principalsresponded to the
survey, in 16 of the 63 secondaryschools, and in 2 of the 16 communityand comprehensive schools.
The LCVP and LCA have both embraced the use of ICT in their curriculum, and thisno doubt goes
some way towardsexplaining the frequency with which they were noted in evaluation reports. The
Transition Year programme makespossible a flexibility in approach and the use of alternative and
additional teaching methods, and thismay account for itsstrong association with the use of ICT by
teachersand students. It wasnoted by some teachersthat their experience of teaching Transition
Year, LCA or LCVP had encouraged them to integrate ICT in their work with other classesnot
associated with these programmes.
6.3.2 Curriculum and content of dedicated ICT lessons
Approximately 17% of the 800 teacherssurveyed stated that they taught ICT asa discrete subject in
one or more of the junior cycle, Transition Year or Leaving Certificate programmes. These teachers
were asked to state the kind of material they covered in these lessons. The topicsfound to be most
frequently taught at each level are shown in table 6.4.
70
Table 6.4: Commonly taught topics in dedicated ICT lessons
Juni or cycl e Tr ansi t i on Year Est abl i shed LC LCA LCVP
Most f requent Word- processi ng Word- processi ng Word- processi ng Word- processi ng Word- processi ng
(83% of ICT t eachers) (76% of ICT t eachers) (74% of ICT t eachers) (87% of ICT t eachers) (93% of ICT t eachers)
Second most Int ernet Int ernet Spreadsheet Spreadsheet Int ernet
f requent (65% of ICT t eachers) (76% of ICT t eachers) (64% of ICT t eachers) (83% of ICT t eachers) (46% of ICT t eachers)
Thi rd most Spreadsheet s Present at i on Int ernet Int ernet Present at i on
f requent (61% of ICT t eachers) (72% of ICT t eachers) (62% of ICT t eachers) (73% of ICT t eachers) (37% of ICT t eachers)
n 77 58 42 30 41
An analysisof the survey also found that Computer Studiesasa subject in the junior cycle (an
optional and non-examination subject) wasprovided in only 13% of the 110 post-primary schools
that responded.
71
At Leaving Certificate level Computer Studies(again an optional and non-
examination subject) wasprovided in 23% of those schools.
72
The syllabusesfor these subjectsare
given in the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools. At Leaving Certificate level, studentswho
take Computer Studiesand who perform satisfactorily are issued with a statement to that effect by
the DES. The Department issued such statementsto 5, 419 studentsfrom 102 post-primary schools
for the 2005/06 school year. With 50, 995 sitting the established Leaving Certificate and LCVP in 735
schoolsin 2006, it can be seen that a relatively small proportion (approximately 11% ) received
Computer Studiesstatements.
Further analysisof the survey of principalsshowed that thisstatement wasnot the only form of
certification offered by schools. It wasfound, for example, that approximately 70% of schools
surveyed provided ECDL courses, while 28% provided FETAC courses. Other formsof certification
that were mentioned included Commercial Examination Board (CEB) certification and City and
Guildsof London certification.
The syllabusesfor Computer Studiesat the Leaving Certificate level and in the junior cycle, as
contained in the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, are virtually unchanged since their
introduction in 1980 and 1985, respectively.
73
At thispoint, much of their content may be
considered outdated. In the absence of a review, many schools, asalluded to above, have made
other arrangementsto provide studentswith a comprehensive and modern programme of study in
ICT. The emphasisin these newer programmesison covering popular computer applications, as
distinct from the more detailed study of computing found in the Computer Studiessyllabuses. Given
the outdated nature of the syllabuses, the relatively low numbersof schoolsavailing of the subject,
and the dynamism of schoolsin devising and organising their own ICT curricular programmes,
consideration now needsto be given to either removing these syllabusesfrom the Rules and
Programme for Secondary Schools or reviewing them. Thiswould be complemented by the
application in schoolsof the Framework for ICT in Curriculum and Assessment at present being
developed by the NCCA. (See chapter 1 for further detailsof thisframework). Notwithstanding both
these developments, schoolswould still need to be advised about what constitutesan appropriate
education in ICT in the senior cycle. The NCCA, in collaboration with the NCTE, isbest placed to
advise schoolson thisissue.
In general, the evaluation found a low level of provision of dedicated ICT lessonsin the junior cycle.
However, there issignificant integration of ICT in the senior cycle Transition Year, LCVP, and LCA,
including the provision of dedicated ICT lessons. It wasalso found that schoolsgenerally approach
the organisation of these lessonsdifferently. They can, for example, use one of a range of ICT
programmesor syllabuses, aswell asdifferent formsof certification. While bearing in mind
curricular and timetabling pressures, schoolsshould endeavour to balance the ICT experience they
plan to provide within a particular programme throughout the life span of that programme (for
example the junior cycle or senior cycle). The NCCA Framework for ICT in Curriculum and
Assessment will assist schoolsin thisregard. In situationswhere thiscannot be done by meansof
dedicated ICT lessons, other waysof providing accessto ICT could be explored, for example the
setting up of a school computer club.
6.4 Classroom practice and ICT
Inspectorscompleted ICT review schedulesduring 168 subject inspectionscarried out in 111
schools. These review schedulescomprised a short questionnaire on ICT issues. Some questions
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73 At the Leaving Certificate level schoolsdevise their own syllabus, but the broad outlinesof the subject are specified bythe DES.
were directed to the principal, while otherswere asked of the teacher (or teachers) of the subject (or
subjects) being inspected. The questionnaire wascompleted in separate interviewswith both
principalsand teachers. The review schedule also required the inspectorsto comment on the
integration of ICT in teaching and learning in the lessonsobserved. A total of 311 lessonswere
observed.
6.4.1 School principals support for the use of ICT in the classroom
Principalsin each of the 111 schoolsvisited reported to inspectorsthat some level of ICT resources
wasavailable to the subject (or subjects) being evaluated in their school. (The case-study school
evaluationsyielded a similar finding: the principalsof all twenty schoolsvisited claimed that each
subject on their schoolscurriculum had accessto ICT facilities.) Inspectorswere provided with
variousdescriptionsof these resources; these included the level of hardware available to a subject
(such asthe number of computersand peripherals) aswell asthe range of computer applications
and the type of internet connection installed, if any. In some schoolsthe ICT resourcesavailable for a
subject were in the classroom while in othersthe subject inspected wasdescribed asbeing able to
avail of the schoolsgeneral ICT facilities, such asthe computer room.
Principalswere asked to distinguish between the resourcesavailable to a subject (or subjects) and
those which were used in the teaching and learning of that subject (or subjects). Altogether, 60% of
principalsin the 111 schoolsvisited reported that available resourceswere being used in the
teaching and learning of subjects. These principalsprovided examplesof how ICT resourceswere
being employed; some of these are summarised in table 6.5.
Table 6.5: Principals descriptions of how ICT is used in some subjects
Exampl e f r om school pr i nci pal of how I CT r esour ces ar e used i n t eachi ng and l ear ni ng i n t hi s subj ect
Engl i sh St udent s use t he i nt ernet f or research.
Sci ence Used i n t he general preparat i on of mat eri al s and t est s. One t eacher i s part i cul arl y ski l l ed at ICT and has
devel oped mul t i medi a present at i ons t hat i ncl ude ani mat i ons and vi deo cl i ps.
Musi c Twent y comput ers i n t he l i brary have musi c sof t ware i nst al l ed and are used t o t each t he t echnol ogy
component of t he Leavi ng Cert i f i cat e course.
Const ruct i on Each cl ass goes t o t he comput er room about once a week. Al l st udent s of t he subj ect do some comput er- ai ded
St udi es desi gn (CAD) work and produce a worki ng drawi ng f or t hei r exami nat i on desi gn bri ef . The comput er room i s
al so used f or researchi ng proj ect work.
Hi st ory Two hi st ory t eachers use t he cl assroom wi t h t he i nt eract i ve whi t eboard t o t each t hei r st udent s weekl y. Al l f our
hi st ory t eachers prepare l esson mat eri al s and exami nat i on papers usi ng word- processi ng and web si t es. The
t eachers mai nt ai n comput eri sed records of st udent s progress.
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153
An analysisof principals viewsfound that ICT resourceswere being used more frequently and
effectively to assist teaching and learning in the science and social studiesI subjects(History,
Geography, Art, Craft and Design, and M usic). The lowest use of resources, according to the
principals, wasin foreign languages. Interviewswith principalsduring case-study school evaluations
confirmed thisfinding: subjectsreported asbeing prominent in making effective use of ICT included
Science and applied science subjects, Guidance, and History.
The national survey of principalsasked them to comment on how the use of ICT in their school was
benefiting teaching and learning. A sample of the commentsoffered by principalsin different
school typesand sizesisprovided in table 6.6. It wasfound that 51% of the 110 principalssurveyed
were of the view that ICT contributed to improving lesson content, 39% felt that itsuse in lessons
contributed to improved ICT skills, while 20% described how ICT contributed to improving teaching
skills.
Of the 40% of principalswho reported during subject inspectionsthat there wasno use of ICT in
subjects, even though ICT facilitieswere reported asbeing available, many cited a number of
reasonsfor this. It wasreported, for example, that there were inadequate facilitiesor access
problems, or both, in some schools, aswell asscheduling difficulties, inadequate teacher education
and support, and a lack of confidence or interest on the part of the teacher.
Table 6.6: Principals views on the impact of ICT on teaching and learning
School sect or, t ype, si ze Pr i nci pal s vi ews on how I CT benef i t s t eachi ng and l ear ni ng
Vocat i onal , co- educat i onal , Improved access t o i nf ormat i on, t eachi ng ai ds and l earni ng ai ds t hrough use of i nt ernet and
l arge (600+ ) l earni ng sof t ware. St udent s have become more comput er- l i t erat e. They have become more
f ami l i ar wi t h di versi t y of uses at t ri but abl e t o t he comput er. ICT i s an i mport ant ai d i n sel f -
di rect ed l earni ng. ICT i s very usef ul f or proj ect work and i n t he i mpl ement at i on of al t ernat i ve
programmes, such as JCSP and LCA.
Secondary, si ngl e- sex, Preparat i on of cl ass mat eri al s. Increasi ng use of dat a proj ect ors. Qual i t y of prepared hand- out s
medi um (400 599) and exami nat i on papers. Use of i nt ernet f or research i n vari ous subj ect s.
Secondary, si ngl e- sex, ICT al l ows f or vari ed t eachi ng met hods; st udent s at t uned t o screen present at i on; mul t i - sensory
l arge (600+ ) approach; use of i nt ernet and ref erence resources f or proj ect work. The abi l i t y t o produce and
di st ri but e hand- out s f aci l i t at es st udent s f ocus on cont ent . ICT cut s out repet i t i ve and t i me-
consumi ng bl ackboard work. It f aci l i t at es exchange and shari ng wi t h ot her t eachers and
st udent s.
Secondary, si ngl e- sex, Teachers f eel chal l enged and empowered. St udent s f i nd t he use of ICT i n l essons t o be speci al
l arge (600+ ) and exci t i ng.
Vocat i onal , co- educat i onal , ICT f aci l i t at es research. It i mproves present at i ons of work and acquai nt s st udent s wi t h
medi um (400 599) t echnol ogy of t he work- pl ace.
Secondary, co- educat i onal , ICT makes l earni ng more i nt erest i ng and i nt eract i ve f or st udent s. It mot i vat es bot h st udent s
smal l (f ewer t han 400) and t eachers and i ncreases knowl edge of t he l at est t echnol ogy and met hods of l earni ng.
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155
6.4.2 ICT in practice in the classroom
ICT facilities in classrooms
It wasclear from inspectorsobservationsthat the extent of use of computersissubject-related or
classroom-related. Detailsof the location of 307 of the 311 lessonsobserved are given in table 6.7.
Table 6.7: Location of lessons observed during subject inspections
Gener al cl assr oom Comput er r oom Speci al i st r oom Ot her n
Sci ence 15% 0 85% 0 54
Appl i ed Sci ence 10% 4% 87% 0 52
Soci al St udi es I 49% 4% 45% 2% 51
Forei gn l anguages 89% 7% 5% 0 44
Engl i sh 86% 3% 11% 0 36
Mat hemat i cs 81% 10% 10% 0 21
Busi ness St udi es 88% 6% 6% 0 16
Iri sh 100% 0 0 0 14
Soci al St udi es II 0 0 0 100% 8
Ot her 45% 45% 9% 0 11
n = 307
Specialist roomswere used more extensively for science or applied science subjectsand, to a lesser
extent, subjectsin the social studiesI group (History, Geography, Art, Craft and Design, and M usic).
Foreign-language, English, BusinessStudiesand M athematicslessonswere predominantly
conducted in a general classroom. All the Irish lessonsobserved were conducted in a general
classroom.
Table 6.8: ICT resources available in the classrooms of lessons observed
No I CT r esour ces Comput er Dat a pr oj ect or Ot her n
(or comput er s)
Sci ence 42% 58% 27% 11% 55
Appl i ed Sci ence 54% 44% 17% 21% 52
Soci al St udi es I 76% 18% 8% 13% 38
Forei gn l anguages 86% 11% 8% 6% 36
Engl i sh 85% 15% 0 3% 34
Mat hemat i cs 75% 25% 5% 15% 20
Busi ness St udi es 59% 41% 18% 12% 17
Iri sh 100% 0 0 0 13
Soci al St udi es II 86% 14% 0 0 7
Ot her 20% 80% 60% 20% 10
n = 282
Table 6.8 givesdetailsof ICT resourcesavailable in the classroomswhere lessonswere observed. As
can be seen, excluding the other category - which includesComputer Studies- computersand
data projectorswere more likely to be observed during a science lesson (58% of the science lessons
observed had computersavailable in the room, while 27% had a data projector). Nevertheless,
where a computer waspresent in a Science lesson, the majority of rooms(72% ) had only one
computer. The majority of classroomsin which foreign-language, English and M athematicslessons
were conducted, which were predominantly general classrooms, had no ICT facilitiespresent. None
of the Irish lessonsobserved had ready accessto ICT facilities.
The findingsof the national survey of teachersalso showed that computerswere most frequently
used in classroomsby teachersof the science subjects(70% ), applied science subjects(64% ), and
M athematics(61% ). A lower than average proportion of teachersof Irish (41% ) reported using
computersin teaching.
The case-study school evaluationsalso found little evidence of students engagement with ICT in
general classroom settings. It isclear that there isa greater permeation of computersin specialist
roomsthan in general classrooms. However, asalready recommended in chapter 3, effortsneed to
be aimed at equipping general classroomsalso.
ICT use in the planning and preparation of observed lessons
Inspectorsreported evidence of ICT being used in the planning or preparation of 128 (41% ) of the
311 lessonsobserved. The level of use by subject area isillustrated in fig. 6.4.
74
Fig. 6.4: Use of ICT in the planning and preparation of observed lessons
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57%
53%
50%
48%
36%
33%
30%
16%
13%
Evidence that ICT was used in planning/preparing for this
lesson
Base: Al l post - pri mary l esson observat i ons (n = 311)
20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0%
Soci al St udi es I
Busi ness St udi es
Iri sh
Sci ence
Appl i ed Sci ence
Mat hemat i cs
Engl i sh
Forei gn Languages
Soci al St udi es II
74 All social studiesII lessonswere Physical Education.
ICT wasused in the planning and preparation undertaken by teachersin 57% of the social studiesI
subject lessonsobserved (History, Geography, Art, Craft and Design, and M usic). A higher than
average rate of ICT use in planning and preparation wasnoted in the BusinessStudiesand Irish
lessonsobserved. Thisfinding for planning for Irish lessonscontrastssharply with the low level of
use of ICT in Irish lessonsreported earlier. The lowest rate of use of ICT in planning and preparation
wasfor social studiesII subjects(ReligiousEducation, Physical Education, CSPE, and SPHE) and
foreign-language lessons.
Focus of ICT use
During the subject inspectionsin schoolsinspectorsinterviewed all the teachersof the subject being
inspected. Specifically, they asked them what use they made, if any, of ICT during teaching and
learning in their subject (or subjects). The findingsare illustrated in fig. 6.5.
Fig. 6.5: Main uses of ICT in teaching and learning in the subjects inspected, as reported by
teachers
The interviewsrevealed that the main use for ICT in all subjectsinspected wasto help students
develop their research and investigation skills(81% of teachersinterviewed). Teachersalso reported
using ICT frequently to develop students writing and presentation skills(65% and 64% ,
respectively). ICT waslesslikely to be used to develop higher-order skills, such asproblem-solving,
analytical and evaluative skills(27% ). It wasfound that ICT wasleast likely to be used to develop
students teamwork and collaborative skills(21% ).
In an era when the essential skillsof the work force include an ability to handle and processlarge
amountsof information and an ability to work collaboratively aspart of a team, it isimportant that
the school curriculum would provide teacherswith opportunitiesto integrate the development of
these ICT skillsin their teaching.
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157
81%
65%
64%
28%
27%
21%
Base: Al l ICT Revi ew Schedul e subj ect quest i onnai res (n = 168)
20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0%
Research and i nvest i gat i on ski l l s
Probl em sol vi ng/ anal yt i c/ eval uat i ve ski l l s
Team/ col l aborat i ve ski l l s
Frequency of ICT use
Evidence from the subject inspectionssuggeststhat the incidence of ICT use in teaching and
learning islow. Furthermore, of the teacherswho integrate ICT in their classroom practice many
have come to rely on only a small repertoire of teaching methodsthat use the technology.
Only 56 (18% ) of the 311 lessonsobserved during subject inspectionsincorporated the use of ICT.
Students interaction with the technology wasobserved in only about a quarter (24% ) of these. Two
activitiesin particular dominated these fifty-six lessons. The first waswhere the teacher used a
computer and data projector to give a presentation to a classgroup. The majority of these
presentationswere text-based and did not fully use the potential of the medium.
75
The second was
where the teacher used a computer to search the internet during a lesson. In most of these
instancesthe teachershad a printer that made it possible to print material that could be used asa
teaching aid. However, in most instancesa digital projector would have saved valuable teaching
time and might have contributed more to engaging studentsin the lesson.
The survey of teacherssuggested a higher degree of computer use in teaching and learning than
that observed by inspectors 55% of teachersreported using computersin their teaching at some
time (see fig. 6.6). However, teachers use of ICT in teaching and learning on either measure was
significantly lessthan their use of ICT in planning and preparing lessons(78% of teachers).
Fig. 6.6: Frequency of use of computers in teaching
Organisation of ICT use
It isclear that the most common teaching mode in which ICT wasused in those lessonsobserved by
inspectorswaswhere the teacher took charge of the technology. When interaction with students
did occur it usually involved the individual use of the computer, in rotation, in general classroom
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158
0%
20%
40%
60%
24%
About 2/ 3 t i mes a mont h Less t han t wi ce a mont h
9%
22%
45%
Never
How frequently do you use computers in your teaching?
75 For example, there waslittle use of such resourcesasvideo clips, animations, sound or internet simulationsin anyof the presentations
observed.
settings; but some examplesof small-group work on the computer were also observed in specialist
room settings. It waspossible for group work to take place in these roomsbecause they usually had
more than one computer. However, the use of computer rooms, where individual studentshad
accessto a computer, wasrare in most subject inspections. Of the 311 lessonsobserved, only 11
were held in computer rooms. Fig. 6.7 givesdetailsof how frequently teachersreported using ICT
with their studentsin a range of settings.
Fig. 6.7: Settings in which ICT is used in classrooms
The survey found that the most popular teaching mode in which ICT wasused waswhole-class
teaching in a dedicated computer room (implemented by 39% of all teachers). In such instancesall
studentswould generally have individual accessto a computer. The survey revealed that thismode
wasemployed most frequently by teachersof BusinessStudies, M athematics, and English. The next
most frequent teaching mode (32% ) involved group activity in a dedicated computer room; thiswas
followed by whole-classteaching in a general or specialist classroom (30% ).
76
It isnoteworthy that
the SCR in a school had a negligible effect on the use of ICT in any of these settings. It can be
concluded, therefore, that teachers willingnessto use ICT isat least asimportant asthe availability
of ICT equipment.
Chapter 6
159
50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
4% 18% 17%
6% 9% 18%
5% 12% 13%
How frequently do you use ICT with your
classes in each of the following contexts?
Whol e- cl ass t eachi ng i n desi gnat ed comput er room
Group act i vi t y i n desi gnat ed comput er room
Whol e- cl ass t eachi ng i n general cl assroom or
speci al i st room
Indi vi dual st udent s worki ng on comput ers i n general
cl assroom, or speci al i st room, on a rot at i onal basi s
Fi el d work/ out - of - school act i vi t i es
Group act i vi t y i n general cl assroom or speci al i st room
Indi vi dual st udent s worki ng i n desi gnat ed comput er room/
l i brary on a rot at i onal basi s
6% 8% 13%
4% 3% 18%
6% 6% 12%
4% 7% 11%
76 The surveyfound that approximately17 % of the 800 teacherswho responded taught ICT asa discrete subject. Thismayhave had an
influence on the numbersof teacherswho reported teaching in a dedicated computer room.
Teaching activities incorporating ICT
Asmentioned earlier, the range of activitiesemployed by teachersduring subject inspectionsthat
incorporated ICT waslimited. (The two most popular activitiesobserved were where the teacher
used ICT equipment to give a presentation or to look up information on the internet.) While a
limited number of other activitieswere employed during observed lessons, a greater range was
either evidenced or reported by teachersduring the evaluationsundertaken in the case-study
schools. These activitiesincluded the following (presented in no particular order):
word-processing (by teachersand students)
internet searchesby students, for example finding foreign-language newspapersaspart of a
language lesson, or visualising earthquakeson line aspart of a geography lesson. The internet
wasseen asa particularly useful resource in some schoolsfor newcomer students, who used it
for translation and communication purposes
the use of subject-specific software by studentsindividually, in pairs, or in small groups, for
example CAD in the applied science subjectsand Qualifax in Guidance
creating video storiesfrom text
using digital cameras
using graphic calculators, especially in M athematics
data-logging and using digital microscopesin science lessons
using DVD resources, for example for case studies
recording students work, including photographic material, on DVD
using specific ICT equipment related to particular subjects, for example computer numerically
controlled (CNC) lathe and router in Engineering and Construction Studies.
The survey of teachersexplored two of these ICT-related activitiesin greater detail, namely use of
the internet and use of applications.
Use of the internet
The survey of teachersasked them about the use they made of the internet to facilitate teaching
and learning. Only 34% of respondents, asshown in table 6.9, stated that they used the internet in
their classroom practice. Approximately 66% of teachers, therefore, do not use the internet in their
classroom practice. The reasonsfor not using it included the fact that there were no computer
facilitiesor internet accessin classrooms(see table 6.8), and that the teacherslacked the necessary
knowledge of how to use it, or the time to devote to it.
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Table 6.9: Use of the internet and software in teaching and learning
Pr opor t ion of r espondent s Age Gender SCR
answer i ng yes t o Under 35 35 45 Over 45 Mal e Femal e Low Hi gh Tot al
usi ng t he i nt ernet i n t hei r 41% 30% 29% 37% 33% 38% 31% 34%
cl assroom pract i ce
usi ng sof t ware t o
f aci l i t at e t eachi ng and 56% 46% 48% 51% 50% 50% 51% 50%
l earni ng
n 272 210 290 260 468 323 321 800
With regard to both use of computersand use of the internet, it seemsthat teachersare more
amenable to using these resourcesin lesson planning and preparation than in the classroom
environment. There islittle doubt that thisisdirectly related to the current limited availability of ICT
resourcesin classrooms.
Use of software
Computer applicationswere used to facilitate teaching and learning, asshown in table 6.9, by 50%
of the teacherswho responded to the survey. The most popular type of application used wasword-
processing (71% ); thiswasfollowed by presentation software (59% ), reference software (47% ),
and content-rich software (36% ). These teachersreported that the most common method they
used for selecting applicationswasby asking other teachersfor their advice or by consulting
educational web sites.
It isworth noting that teachers age had a bearing on the proportion using both internet and
software resourcesin lessons: teachersunder thirty-five (ascan be seen from table 6.9) were more
likely to use these resources.
Chapter 6
161
ICT use in subjects
The ICT review schedules, the survey of teachersand the case-study school evaluationsall reported
that ICT wasused in different subject areasto varying degrees. It isclear, however, that a number of
subject areasexcel in thisrespect. Significant integration of ICT wasfound to occur in the teaching
of Science and applied science subjects, aswell asin the social studiesI group of subjects(History,
Geography, Art, Craft and Design, and M usic). The use of data-logging waspopular in the science
subjects, along with computer-aided design (CAD) software in the technology subjects. One case-
study school report in particular mentioned that the students
demonstrated their use of the parametric CAD software to develop and rotate drawings. These students
were quite enthusiastic about the support the use of thisprogram brought to their learning in the
subject, mentioning that the abilityto view a three-dimensional drawing and to rotate it through different
anglesmade it much easier to visualise the actual artefact. Like other applicationsof ICT being used in
the school, thisisa good example of how ICT can be used to enhance the students learning experience.
A number of subjectswere also identified asregular usersof ICT, including Guidance and foreign
languages. The use of ICT for pen-pal projectsand e-twinning to support the study of modern
languageswasregularly mentioned by inspectorsin their case-study school evaluation reports. The
use of specialised programsfor careersresearch in whole-classsettings, particularly in the LCA and
LCVP, wasalso emphasised in numerouscase-study evaluation reports. In other instancesICT was
used individually to assist with career guidance for students.
Finally, subjectswere identified in which there wasminimal use of ICT, most notably in Irish. This
wasnot helped by the fact that all the Irish lessonsobserved during subject inspectionstook place in
general classroomsthat had no ICT facilitiespresent.
Fig. 6.8: Use of the internet and applications, by subject area
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162
Soci al
St udi es I
Soci al
St udi es II
Engl i sh Forei gn
Languages
Sci ence Appl i ed
Sci ence
Mat hemat i cs Busi ness
St udi es
Iri sh
Do you use t he Int ernet i n your cl assroom pract i ce?
Do you use sof t ware t o support t eachi ng and l earni ng?
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
50%
37%
44%
28%
47%
32%
44%
37%
71%
34%
60%
45%
53%
33%
43%
34%
26%
23%
Fig 6.8 showsthat a high proportion of teachersof science subjects(71% ) and applied science
subjects(60% ), aswell asM athematics(53% ), reported using software to facilitate teaching and
learning. The internet wasused mostly by teachersof applied science subjects(45% ). A relatively
low proportion of teachersof Irish reported using the internet (23% ) and applications(26% ).
It wasnoteworthy from case-study school reportsthat the provision of recent continuing
professional development by support service teamshad an effect on the level of integration of ICT
in teaching and learning for the subjectsconcerned. Teachersinterviewed during the case-study
school evaluationsmentioned that the support serviceshad introduced them to the idea of
engaging with ICT aspart of their approach to teaching. Thissupport wasprovided, in all instances,
in the context of syllabusrevision. Thisin turn would point to the fact that the NCCA policy of ICT-
proofing syllabusesand guidelinesof subjectsasthey are being reviewed or revised ispaying
dividends. ThisICT-proofing processhasthe effect of establishing the role of ICT asa teaching and
learning tool, and asan integral part of the curriculum and assessment procedures.
Building on the recommendation already made in chapter 3 on providing all teaching spacesin
schoolswith ICT facilities, schoolsshould also become active in promoting the integration of ICT in
the subjectsthey offer on their curriculum. Regular auditsof ICT facilitiesin schoolsshould be
undertaken, to include information on whether the available facilitiesare being used in subjects
and, if so, in what ways. Strategiesshould be developed in schools, supported by the appropriate
second-level support services, to help teachersto integrate ICT in their teaching practices. For
example, schoolsmight revise the functionsof their ICT co-ordinatorswith a view to giving them a
more educational or pedagogical role regarding ICT. Schoolscould also organise appropriate
professional development opportunitiesfor teachers, peer mentoring arrangements, and the
development of targetsfor the acquisition of facilities.
Inspectorswere asked to state the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning during those
lessonsobserved aspart of the subject inspections. Fig. 6.9 showsthat 54% of inspectors reports
on lesson observationsrevealed limited or inappropriate use, or no use, of ICT in teaching and
learning. Thisissupported by the observation that an ICT-related activity took place during only
18% of observed lessons(predominantly undertaken by the teacher) and that only 24% of post-
primary teachersused computersin their teaching at least once a week.
77
In 35% of instancesthe
inspectorsreported that there wasscope for development, while in 11% of instancesthey reported
a competent or optimal level of performance.
Chapter 6
163
77 See fig. 6.6.
Fig. 6.9: Inspectors rating of the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning observed
One ICT review schedule arising from an inspection of English, which showed that ICT wasused
either sparingly or inappropriately in the lessonsobserved, mentioned that
none of the classroomsin which English teacherswere based had been wired for broadband at the time
of the inspection. The English teachersreported that the schoolsplan for using the networking grant was
to create another computer room rather than to wire all general classroomsfor internet access. One
teacher, who regularlycreatesher own resourceson her home laptop, stated that she would like to be
able to show studentsparticular websitesto support her teaching, but that [the] management wasmore
interested in centralising ICT resources.
A history lesson in which it wasreported that there wasscope for development of the use of ICT in
the subject stated:
Teacherscould make greater use of word-processing to prepare worksheetsand involve studentsin
researching suitable aspectsof lessonsat appropriate timesfrom the websites. Clipsof DVDswould help
to give a visual dimension to the deliveryof some lessons.
Only 2% of the inspectors reportson lesson observationsstated that optimal use of ICT in teaching
and learning wasobserved. In a Latin lesson an inspector reported seeing
verygood practice in thisschool, particularlyin the case of the two main teachersof Latin. The facilities
are verygood and in the case of one of the lessonsobserved, the organisational skillswere excellent since
half of the classwasconducted in the classroom and the second half in the computer room. Thiswas
managed veryefficientlyand no time waswasted. It isalso understood that the Classical Studiesteachers
use ICT too. Evidence waspresented which indicated thisto be the case.
The social studiesI, science and applied science groupsof subjectsachieved the highest ratingsfrom
inspectorsfor the quality of use of ICT in teaching and learning. An analysisof inspectors review
schedulesthat showed the use of ICT to be either competent or optimal revealed that:
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164
0%
20%
40%
60%
No, very l i t t l e,
or i nappropri at e use of ICT
54%
Scope f or
devel opment
Compet ent pract i ce
35%
9%
2%
Opt i mal l evel of
perf ormance
Base: Al l revi ew schedul es f rom Post - Pri mary Inspect ors (n = 168)
ICT wasavailable in the classrooms, and teachersand studentstherefore had ready accessto
appropriate ICT hardware and software
ICT-related activitieswere regular featuresof lessons, and studentsregularly engaged with the
ICT during such lessons
teacherswere committed and enthusiastic about using ICT aspart of their teaching strategies
ICT permeated the subject area in the school
ICT wasbeing used to develop students skillsin a range of areas, for example writing, research
and presentation skills.
The impact of ICT on teaching and learning
Inspectorswere of the view that, when used effectively, ICT contributed to teaching and learning in
varying ways. In the 56 (out of 311) lessonsobserved during subject inspectionsthat incorporated
an ICT-related activity, practically all inspectorsreported that the activity contributed in some way to
effective teaching and learning. The benefitsthat ICT can have for teaching and learning, asviewed
by inspectors, included:
using ICT meansthat information can be obtained almost instantly. The worldwide web, for
example, containsa vast amount of easily accessible information. Such information can provide
learnerswith different viewpointsand a wider understanding of issues
ICT helpsteachersto tailor teaching materialsto suit the needsand ability levelsof their students
ICT actsasan incentive for studentsto learn. The technology can be effective in engaging them
in their schoolwork
ICT helpsmake learning more interesting. It increaseslevelsof interest, for example through the
use of colour, animation, and sound. It also facilitatesmulti-sensory learning through, for
example, multimedia presentations, animation, and video
ICT helpsstudentsto work at their own pace and level. Some programs, for example, have
intelligent tracking systemsthat adjust the pace of learning. ICT contributesto the
development of a personalised or step-by-step learning scheme. It providesopportunitiesfor
studentsto learn in different ways
some programsaffirm students efforts, and thiscan encourage them in their learning. This
facility also providesthem with timely feedback on their work and providesthem with an
understanding of their progression
ICT facilitatesstudent-centred learning and can encourage studentsto take responsibility for their
own learning. Some software individually identifiesstudents problem areasfor extra
reinforcement. ICT encouragesself-directed learning
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ICT helpsdevelop numerousskills, including critical thinking, literacy, numeracy, typing,
presentation, creativity, and research skills. It also allowsa higher level of analysisto take place
than would otherwise be possible
for some studentsthe action of typing material can be an aid to understanding it
ICT helpsteachersand studentsto improve how they present information. It facilitatesthe
creative and professional presentation of material and encouragesstudentsto take pride in their
work
ICT capturesstudents attention for significant time spans. The visual impact facilitated by ICT, for
example, helpsto hold their attention and helpsthem to retain information. The visual nature of
working with ICT allowslinksto be made through visual imagery
ICT helpsincrease the amount of work that can be taught in a lesson. Some programsare
tailored to the curriculum
effective use of ICT putsthe teacher in a facilitative rather than an instructional role
the use of ICT increasesstudents understanding of conceptsand helpsconsolidate learning. In
general, it makeslearning more memorable and bringsthe subject matter to life
using ICT can help raise students self-esteem
ICT helpsto prepare studentsfor life after school. Proficiency in ICT skills, for example, can
improve job prospects
effective use of ICT, especially in individual, pair and group work with computers, can lead to
improved classroom discipline and improved management of learning.
Inspectorsalso emphasised some of the negative effectsthat ICT can have if it isnot employed
effectively. These included the following:
studentscan become frustrated with ICT hardware and software in schoolsthat have regular
technical problems. Thiscan discourage them from wanting to use school computers
the security of personal work isimportant. Teachersand studentsdislike their work being
interfered with, and the provision of secure storage space for work done istherefore crucial
studentscan become irritated when there isno one-to-one accessto computersin their lessons
(that is, when they don t get their turn ). In a lesson that involvesinteraction with the computer
it isimportant that teachersendeavour to allow all studentsan opportunity to use the computer.
In summary, it isclear that ICT hasthe potential to positively influence teaching and learning. While
there can be certain drawbacksin using the technology, these are outweighed by the potential it
offers. It would seem incumbent on teachersto maximise the potential offered by ICT whenever and
wherever possible.
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6.5 ICT and special educational needs
The NCTE and NCCA provide a wide range of information for schoolson the use of ICT in the area
of special educational needs.
78
The evaluation attempted to gain an insight into the extent and quality of use of ICT in thisarea. An
analysisof the survey of teachersfound that 37% reported teaching studentswith special
educational needs. M ost reported using specific applicationsto aid the teaching process, while some
reported using specialised technology devices. While inspectors subject inspectionsand the case-
study school visitsallowed thisfinding to be explored further, it wasthe latter that proved more
insightful.
It wasclear from lesson observationsassociated with subject inspectionsthat the use of ICT to help
studentswith SEN wasnot prominent in the mainstream classroom. Inspectorsreported being
aware of studentswith special needsbeing present in 23% of the 311 lessonsthey observed during
subject inspections. There wasvery little evidence, however, of ICT being used to support these
students learning. Indeed the majority of inspectors commentsstated that ICT wasnot used. When
it wasused it usually took the form of studentsworking individually with specialised software on
laptop computers. One review schedule pertaining to a science lesson, for example, stated that
one student with a sight problem used a laptop on which the diagramswere enlarged.
Case-study school reportsprovided evidence of the contribution of ICT to teaching and learning for
studentswith special educational needs. The use of ICT in special education in all the case-study
schoolswasorganised to take place in small but discrete teaching areaswith computer facilitiesor
by withdrawing studentsfrom mainstream lessonsto a classroom with such facilities. In many
instancesschoolshad developed a separate resource area for studentswith SEN that contained a
number of laptop or desktop computers. In other schoolsthey used laptopsprovided by the school
(but stored centrally) for either individual support or within small groups. In most schoolsthe
extension of the network had included these small teaching areas.
The emphasisof students engagement with ICT wasmainly on supporting literacy. Software for
reading, comprehension and spelling wasmost in evidence; there waslessevidence of ICT support
for numeracy. Teachersinterviewed spoke of the positive impact ICT had on these students, aswell
asthe impact of animation, music, and colour. They described how studentsfelt comfortable with
the technology and the positive and affirming effectson them of the self-assessment and
achievement feedback aspectsof software.
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78 The NCTEsPlanning and Advice for Schoolscontainsan advice sheet (number 28) for teachersgetting involved for the first time in
the purchase of ICT for special needs. O ther sourcesof advice from the NCTE include the booklet Information and Advice: Special
Educational Needsand Information and CommunicationsTechnologyand the Special NeedsTechnologysection of Scoilnet. The
recentlypublished NCCA document G uidelinesfor Teachersof Studentswith G eneral Learning Disabilities(2007) containsadvice
on the waysin which ICT can facilitate and increase accessto learning and communication for pupilswith general learning
disabilities.
6.6 Assessment
The evaluation found no evidence of ICT being used to assessstudents academic progressat post-
primary level. Furthermore, it found limited assessment being undertaken of students ICT skills.
Where thiswasdone it wasmainly confined to dedicated ICT lessonsin Transition Year. Two of the
case-study schoolsvisited provided the ECDL course aspart of their Transition Year programme; on
completion of Transition Year studentswere accredited with the ECDL modulessuccessfully
completed. In another school the City and GuildsLevel 2 keyboarding and word-processing
examinationswere used to assessand accredit achievement in ICT. The assessment of ICT skillswas
integrated in the formal assessment of tasksand assignmentsin the LCA, the ICT Vocational
Specialism in LCA, and the portfolio assessment for LCVP.
Teachersused ICT mostly for administrative purposesin assessment. During the course of subject
inspections, for example, 55% of teachersinterviewed reported using ICT to simplify or streamline
their assessment practices. Examplesof the waysin which ICT wasused in subjectsincluded:
using the internet to research topicsor questionsfor inclusion in examination papers
designing and preparing examination papersor worksheets
entering the resultsof examinationsin a student database system
recording and storing students results
creating student profiles
generating student reports
using the computer for e-tests(for example on Scoilnet).
It isevident that the potential of ICT for use in assessment in many subjectsisnot being harnessed.
Thiscould include, for example, the use of ICT to assess, track and analyse students progressby the
use of appropriate software. Schoolsshould consider exploiting the benefitsof ICT in their
assessment practicesto go beyond purely administrative functions. The NCCA, in collaboration with
the NCTE and SEC, should advise schoolson how thiscan be achieved in different curricular areas.
The outcome of the e-portfolio project at present being organised by the three organisationswill
contribute to the development of advice and guidelines.
6.7 Developing ICT in the classroom
6.7.1 Factors that constrain the development of ICT in the
classroom
Inspectorscommented in case-study school evaluation reportson the factorsthat constrained the
development of ICT in schools. One of the most common factorswasthe reluctance of some
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teachersto engage with the technology. Thisreluctance had a number of sources. One wasthe fact
that some teachersseemed reluctant to change their own classroom practice and techniquesthat
they had developed successfully over many years. It wasalso reported that some teacherswere
reluctant to facilitate any change to their role in the classroom, or to their relationship with their
students. Teacherswere also reported to be reluctant to engage with the technology because of
their lack of technical knowledge, a general lack of enthusiasm, or unfamiliarity with, or fear of, the
technology. It wasgenerally noted by inspectors, however, that thisreluctance wasfor the most part
a skills-dependent issue. Like many others, one report mentioned that teachersinterviewed
expressed a desire for training in both general and subject-specific skills. Teacherswho were
considered to have good ICT skillstended to act asa positive influence on their colleagues, in
encouraging othersto engage with the technology.
Inspectorsfelt that the lack of ready accessto ICT facilitiesin teaching areasin schoolsconstrained
the integration of ICT in the teaching and learning process. M any were also of the view that the
time required to set up ICT equipment, or to move studentsto a computer room, wasa significant
erosion of teaching time and therefore acted asa constraint to integration. M any also referred to
technical issuesthat can arise with equipment and to a lack of available technical support.
Inspectorsalso identified the following factors(presented in no particular order) ascontributing to
constraining the development of ICT in classrooms:
limited finance, the result being insufficient or out-of-date hardware and software
curricular pressure of subjects
packed timetables, for example the issue of restricted accessto the computer room and the
inconvenience experienced by some teachersin having to take studentsfrom their base
classroom to a computer room. The timetable wassometimesviewed restricting for conducting
cross-curricular collaborative and project work
lack of time on the part of the ICT co-ordinator to research or install ICT infrastructure, and lack
of time available to teachersto research and engage with the technology
lack of training available to and availed of by teachers
the amount of work involved in adapting or generating relevant subject-specific materials
a lack of awarenessin the wider school community of the value of ICT asa learning tool
space restrictionsin classrooms
the absence of planning
the existence of an examination-driven curriculum, coupled with the fact that school assessment
procedures, for the most part, do not reflect an emphasison using ICT
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the fact that a teacher can be regarded asan excellent teacher without the use of ICT, so there is
a disincentive to risk change.
6.7.2 Factors that facilitate the development of ICT in the
classroom
Inspectorsidentified the following factors(presented in no particular order) asfacilitating the
development of ICT in classrooms:
the availability of grantsand funding (provided by varioussources, for example DES, parents,
board of management)
the positive attitude, encouragement and vision of the school management
teachers enthusiasm and interest, teamwork and collegiality, and a positive and open attitude
among the teaching staff
the needsof the curriculum, Transition Year, LCVP and LCA in the senior cycle, which encourage
the use of ICT in the classroom
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professional development training for teachers(whether provided by the NCTE or ICT advisory
service aspart of in-service support for revised syllabuses, organised at the school level or
acquired aspart of academic courses)
the availability of technical support that contributesto making the technology more reliable
professional dialogue with other teacherswho are using the technology (for example facilitating
departmental meetings, allowing discussion and development to take place at the departmental
level)
accessto appropriate ICT hardware, software, and the internet (for example availability of a
computer room, availability of laptop computersand mobile data projectorsfor use in general
classrooms, internet accessand broadband)
whole-school evaluations, subject inspections, and visitsfrom other professionals
the professionalism and expertise of the ICT co-ordinator
study visitsto other schoolsthat are advanced in using ICT
the availability of computersin the staff room
an awarenessamong staff membersof what ICT facilitiesare available to them in their school
easy accessto resourceson the internet, such asthe NCTE and Scoilnet
participation in ICT for school initiatives, for example the NCTE LaptopsInitiative
pressure from studentsand peers
the fact that ICT holdsstudents attention and so contributesto better discipline.
Foremost among the facilitating factorswasthe enthusiasm and motivation of staff membersto
engage with ICT. Thisengagement related both to the development of their own skillsand to their
motivation to integrate ICT in teaching and learning. It wasclear from discussionswith both
teachersand principalsin case-study schoolsthat they shared the desire to increase the integration
of ICT in classroom teaching. The level of DES, NCTE and other funding wasalso viewed asan
important facilitating factor. M ost schools, however, made it clear that they had raised extra funds
above and beyond those provided by the DES and NCTE to develop their ICT infrastructure. (See
also chapter 3.)
When asked to expresstheir level of agreement with the statement that these were facilitating
factors, teachersexpressed the highest level of agreement with having a computer in the classroom.
All respondentseither agreed strongly (almost 70% ) or agreed with the statement that having
a computer in the classroom facilitated the development of ICT.
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6.8.1 Main findings
Teachers ICT skills
Significant numbersof teacherslack intermediate (or better) ICT skillsin a wide range of areas.
Of those who are proficient in ICT skills, many do not use them in their teaching practice. It can
be assumed that other factors, such asaccessto computersand teachers motivation, may
influence the transfer of teachers competence in individual applicationsto classroom practice.
Recently qualified teachershad a higher perception of their ICT skillsthan more experienced
teachers.
Dedicated ICT lessons
Dedicated ICT lessonsare more prevalent among first-year classgroups, and are provided less
frequently asstudentsprogresstowardsthe Junior Certificate. The majority of schools
concentrate on providing dedicated ICT lessonsin their Transition Year, LCVP, or LCA. The most
popular topicstaught in these lessonsare word-processing, the internet, spreadsheets, and
presentations.
The computer studiessubject in the junior cycle wasprovided by only 13% of the schools
surveyed, while at Leaving Certificate level it wasprovided by 23% . The majority of schools
surveyed provided ECDL coursesfor their students.
Use of ICT in teaching and learning
The principalsof case-study schoolsreported that not all ICT resourcesprovided to subject
teacherswere being used in teaching and learning. The factorsinhibiting their use included
problemswith accessand scheduling, inadequate teacher training and support, lack of
confidence or interest on the part of the teacher, and inadequate facilities.
Interviewswith teachersin case-study schoolsfound that the main use for ICT in all subjectswas
the development of students research, investigation, writing and presentation skills. ICT was
least likely to be used to develop teamwork and collaborative skills.
Schoolsgive priority to furnishing specialist classroomswith ICT facilitiesover general classrooms.
Of the 311 lessonsobserved by inspectorsduring subject inspections, 56 (18% ) involved an ICT-
related activity. Students interaction with the technology wasobserved in only about a quarter of
these. The most common ICT-related activity observed wasthe use of a computer and data
projector to make a presentation to a classgroup.
Only 11% of inspectors reportson 311 lesson observationsduring subject inspectionsreported
that there wascompetent practice, or that ICT waseffectively integrated in the teaching and
learning process.
The survey of teachersfound that the most popular setting in which ICT wasused waswhole-
classteaching in a dedicated computer room.
In relation to the use of ICT in teaching, the survey of teachersshowed that 55% used
computers, 50% used applications, and 34% used the internet.
The Transition Year, LCVP and LCA programmesgreatly encourage the integration of ICT in
teaching and learning.
High levelsof integration of ICT were found in the science and applied science subjects,
M athematicsand the subjectsin the social studiesI group. A number of subjectswere identified
asbeing regular usersof ICT, such asGuidance and foreign languages. Subjectswere also
identified that rarely made use of ICT, the most notable being Irish.
The provision of continuing professional development by support services, particularly in syllabus
revision, hasa positive effect on the level of integration of ICT in teaching and learning for the
subjectsconcerned. The ICT-proofing policy being implemented by the NCCA for subjectsthat
are being reviewed or revised isa positive contribution to integrating ICT in teaching and
learning.
Principals, teachersand studentsstated that ICT hasthe potential to improve students
motivation and engagement and to make learning more exciting. In particular, principalsand
teachersstated that it contributesto improved teaching materialsand methodsand to improved
learning outcomes.
While nearly two-thirdsof studentsreported using a computer to help them with their
homework, only 19% of these reported that they did thisat least once a week.
ICT in special education and assessment
ICT iswidely used to support schools provision of special education. The focusof students
engagement with ICT in special-education settingsismainly on supporting literacy.
No clear evidence wasfound of ICT being used in the assessment of students academic
progress. Furthermore, the evaluation found limited assessment being undertaken of the
development of students ICT skills.
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Students ICT skills and ICT work
Studentsuse computersmost frequently to find information using the internet. They also use
computersregularly for word-processing, games, and e-mail. The majority of studentsare able to
perform many basic operationsby themselves, for example saving, printing, deleting, opening
and editing documents. However, they require assistance in performing more complicated tasks,
such asmoving filesor creating multimedia presentations.
Studentsbecome discouraged from using computersif they continually have technical problems.
They also become discouraged if they don t get their turn on the computer and if their
personal work isinterfered with.
The quality of students ICT work observed in schoolswasdescribed in very positive termsby
inspectors. Studentswere alwayscapable of discussing their work in a competent and confident
manner.
Teachersneed to be supported in meeting the challenge of effectively integrating ICT in their
classroom practicesso that Irish studentsare placed at the forefront of advancesin teaching
practicesand learning techniques.
Consideration should be given to ensuring that teachersare provided with opportunitiesto
develop skillsthat are directly applicable to the use of ICT in the classroom. Thisshould be
addressed in a strategic way through a combination of pre-service, induction and in-service
training.
Consideration needsto be given to either revising or removing the junior cycle and Leaving
Certificate Computer Studiessyllabusesfrom Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools. Such
a move would be complemented by the Framework for ICT in Curriculum and Assessment at
present being developed by the NCCA. Notwithstanding these developments, schoolswould still
need to be advised about what constitutesan appropriate education in ICT in the senior cycle.
The NCCA, in collaboration with the NCTE, isbest placed to advise schoolson thisissue. It is
important, asIrish society movesincreasingly into a digital-information environment, that the
curriculum facilitatesthe development in studentsof relevant skillsin information-competence.
The NCCA, in collaboration with the NCTE and SEC, should advise schoolson how ICT can be
used effectively in assessment proceduresand practices. The outcome of the e-portfolio project at
present being organised by the three organisationswill contribute to the development of advice
and guidelines.
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Teacher education departmentsin third-level collegesshould consider giving priority to the study
of ICT in education for studentsfollowing a postgraduate diploma in education course. Indeed
such studiesshould be given priority in any teaching qualification provided by teacher educators.
Schoolsshould endeavour to balance the ICT experience they plan to provide for their students
within a particular programme throughout the life span of that programme (for example the
junior cycle or senior cycle). At present such exposure seemsto be concentrated in the first year
of the junior cycle and, in the case of most students, in the Transition Year of their senior cycle.
In providing a programme of discrete ICT lessons, schoolsshould first attempt to ascertain
students existing ICT skill levelsand thereafter develop or implement a syllabusthat would
expand their knowledge and their repertoire of skills.
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Integrating ICT in teaching and learning
Schoolsshould be active in promoting the integration of ICT in the subjectsthey offer.
There should be continuouseffortswithin schoolsto improve the level of teachers accessto ICT
equipment.
M anagement should undertake regular auditsof ICT facilitiesin all subjects, to include
information on whether available resourcesare being used and how they are being used.
Teacherswith good ICT skillsshould act asmentorsto colleagueswhose ICT skillsare not aswell
developed. Good practice within schoolsshould be disseminated among membersof the staff at
every opportunity.
Teachersshould regularly review their use of ICT with a view to expanding their repertoire of
teaching strategies, including opportunitiesfor interaction by studentswith the technology. This
should include exploring the use of aswide a range of resourcesand applicationsaspossible,
including Scoilnet, educational software, peripherals, e-mail, presentation software, and the
internet.
Teachersshould exploit the potential of ICT to develop a range of students skills, including
research and investigation, writing and presentation, communication, teamwork and
collaborative skills, and the higher-order skillsof analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving.
ICT in special education and assessment
When using ICT asa teaching aid for studentswith special educational needs, schoolsshould
endeavour to ensure that it isbeing used to support the widest possible range of students
needs. It should be used, for example, to support the development of students numeracy skills,
aswell astheir literacy skills.
progressthrough the use of appropriate software. Consideration could be given to assessing
students ICT skill levelsalso.
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Main findings and recommendations
Chapter 7
177
Part 4
Summary of
findings and
recommendations
7.1 Introduction
Thischapter summarisesthe main findingsand recommendationsof thisreport. The findingsshow
that, while stridesare being made in certain areasof schools ICT infrastructure, ICT planning and
the integration of ICT in classroom practices, there isstill significant scope for development,
integration and expansion of the use of the technology in practically all facetsof school life.
The recommendationsare divided into two categories. The first isdirected at policy-makersand
policy advisors; these include such bodiesasthe Department of Education and Science, the National
Council for Curriculum and Assessment, and the National Centre for Technology in Education, as
well asother relevant support services. The recommendationsare aimed at making significant
improvementsin the ICT capacity of schoolsaswell asimproving standardsof teaching and
learning. The adoption of these recommendationswould also facilitate schoolsin their endeavour to
implement those recommendationsspecifically aimed at schools.
The second category of recommendationsisdirected at schools, both primary and post-primary.
These recommendationsseek to encourage greater and more effective use of ICT in the teaching
and learning process. The recommendationssuggest how schoolscould make better use of the ICT
infrastructure already available to them and how thisICT infrastructure could be improved. They also
consider how the quality of schools ICT planning and the contentsof their ICT planscould be
improved aswell aswaysin which the planscould be implemented more effectively.
School management authorities, boardsof management, principals, schools ICT co-ordinatorsand
subject teacherscan all play a role in the implementation of these recommendations. Schoolscould
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also seek to involve the wider school community, such asparentsand local businesses, where
possible. They should adopt a strategic approach to implementing the recommendations. Thiscould
involve, for example, schoolsestablishing their level of development with regard to ICT use, perhaps
by making use of the ICT planning matrix provided by the NCTE. An ICT plan should then be
developed that would emphasise those aspectsthat warrant priority for immediate action. In
implementing the recommendationsschoolsshould seek advice and support from relevant support
services.
7.2 Main findings
7.2.1 Infrastructure
Funding for ICT
The evaluation showed that the average student-to-computer ratio (SCR) ranged between 8:1 and
12:1 in primary schoolsand between 5.2:1 and 8.4:1 in the post-primary schools. These ratioswere
in line with the findingsof the surveysconducted by NCTE which show that the average SCR is
9.1:1 for primary schoolsand 7:1 in post-primary schools. Data from the OECD showsthat in
comparison, Ireland lagsbehind other countriesin the provision of computersto schools. Countries
that have taken the lead in thisarea are aiming for or achieving a SCR of 5:1 or less. (OECD, 2003).
Fig. 7.1 International student-computer ratios from PISA 2003
Source: OCED PISA 2003 Dat abase, Tabl e D5.1 avai l abl e i n Are St udent s Ready f or a Technol ogy- Ri ch Worl d: What PISA Tel l s Us.
(OCED, 2006a).
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The evaluation found that schools, in the main, made effective use of the grantsprovided by the
Department of Education and Science to develop their ICT systems. It wasalso found that schools
generally spent considerably more on ICT than the sumsmade available through such grants. This
could have the unintended outcome of exacerbating the digital divide in society, assome schools
may not be in a position to raise private funding.
Technical support
One of the major burdenson schools budgetswith regard to ICT wasfound to be their spending
on technical support and maintenance and dealing with computer obsolescence. The lack of
technical support and maintenance isa major impediment to the development of ICT in schools.
Location of computers in schools
The evaluation showed that at primary level the computer room isgenerally a feature of larger
schools. However, in response to their national survey, teachersstated that accessto computerswas
superior when they were located in classrooms.
While practically all post-primary schoolswere found to have a dedicated computer room, many
were found to experience difficultieswith regard to itstimetabling. It wasclear, for example, that
certain cohortsof studentswere given priority when schoolstimetabled accessto the computer
room. Typically, studentsin Transition Year and those following the LCA and LCVP programmes
experienced better accessto the computer room. The evaluation also showed that in post-primary
schoolsa greater permeation of computersoccurred in specialist rooms, such asscience and applied
science subject rooms, than in general classrooms.
Peripherals
Printerswere found to be the most widely used ICT peripheral in both primary and post-primary
schools. Scannersand digital (still) cameraswere the next most widely used, with digital projectors
being more common in post-primary schoolsthan primary schools. Interactive whiteboardswere
generally uncommon in both primary and post-primary schools.
Use of applications
Some teacherswere found to make effective use of computer applicationsto facilitate teaching and
learning. (Thiswasusually dependent on the classgroupsbeing taught at primary level and on the
subject being taught at post-primary level.) The use of computer applicationswasprevalent in the
area of special-needseducation at both primary and post-primary level, but many teacherswere
uneasy about their ability to match applications(and other specialised technology) with students
needs. It wasalso clear that many teachersin both primary and post-primary schoolswere unaware
of the range of peripheralsand applicationsalready available to them in their school.
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Dedicated ICT facilities for teachers
Schoolsthat made dedicated computer facilitiesavailable to teachersreported that it led to
improvementsin the quality of the teaching resourcesused in classrooms. Thiswasfound to be
more a feature of the post-primary level and included such strategiesasmaking dedicated
equipment available in staff roomsor work roomsor in a teachersclassroom. M any primary schools
did not have a staff room, and so thisoption wasnot open to them. A small number of schools
provided ICT facilitiesfor teachers home use.
Local ICT advisory service
The level of awarenessamong teachersof the local ICT advisory service wasfound to be quite low:
fewer than half the respondentsin both the primary and the post-primary national survey of
teachersreported being aware of the service. Awarenesswasfound to be higher, however, among
ICT co-ordinatorsthan among other teachers. The use of the ICT advisory service among those who
were aware of it wasalso found to be low: at primary level only 22% of all respondentsreported
having used the service, while at post-primary level the corresponding figure was15% .
7.2.2 ICT planning
Responsibility for ICT planning
The evaluation found that the responsibility for ICT in a school can lie with an ICT steering
committee, the principal, the deputy principal, an ICT co-ordinator, or a combination of these
personnel. ICT steering committeeswere not prevalent in schools, while named ICT co-ordinators
were more common in post-primary than primary schools. It wasclear that greater efficiency was
achieved where a named person had responsibility for ICT within a school and where their role was
clearly defined. Few ICT co-ordinatorshad opportunitiesto work with colleaguesregarding relevant
ICT pedagogical issues.
Schools ICT plans
The majority of primary schoolssurveyed (71% ) but fewer than half the post-primary schools(46% )
were found to have a written ICT plan. These planstended to concentrate more on infrastructural
issuesthan on how ICT can be used to enhance teaching and learning. Thisfinding wassupported
by inspectors analysisof ICT plansin the case-study schoolsvisited. In schoolsthat were found to
engage in ICT planning there wasusually a greater emphasison whole-school ICT planning than on
such planning at the level of the individual teacher.
Acceptable-use policy (AUP)
M ost schoolswere found to have an acceptable-use policy (83% of primary schoolssurveyed, 87%
of post-primary schoolssurveyed). Thisisan indication of the seriousnessthat schoolsattach to the
risksassociated with use of the internet and of the requirementsof the SchoolsBroadband Access
Programme.
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Teachers use of ICT in planning and preparation
The majority of teachers(both primary and post-primary) were found to make some use of ICT in
their lesson planning and preparation work. Newly qualified teacherswere more likely to use ICT for
thispurpose than their more experienced colleagues. However, fewer teacherswere found to plan
for the actual use of ICT in teaching and learning. At post-primary level, planning for the use of ICT
in teaching and learning varied among subjects. The Transition Year, LCVP and LCA programmes
were all found to encourage increased planning for the use of ICT in teaching and learning.
Teachersof these programmesalso regularly reported that their involvement encouraged them to
use ICT in their work with other classgroups.
Future priorities for schools in ICT planning
Principalsand teachersidentified the provision and maintenance of hardware in schoolsand the
provision of teacher training in ICT asbeing strategically important with regard to the development
of ICT in their schools. Generic programmesof professional development because of their very
nature were found to attract large numbersof teachers.
7.2.3 ICT in teaching and learning
Teachers ICT skills
In responsesto their survey, only 30% of primary teachersand 25% of post-primary teachers
reported themselvesto be comfortable usersof ICT; fewer again felt they knew how to apply it
effectively in their teaching. Recently qualified teachershad a higher perception of their ICT skills
than more experienced teachers.
Use of ICT in teaching and learning
While it isrecognised that not all lessonslend themselvescomfortably to the use of ICT, or indeed
would benefit from it, it can be said that there isa limited integration of ICT in classrooms. At
primary level inspectorsreported evidence of the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in
59% of classroom observationscarried out aspart of WSEs. However, they observed ICT actually
being used in only 22% of observed lessons. Furthermore, studentsin junior classeswere found to
experience a narrower range of ICT activity in their classroomsthan those in senior classes. Nearly a
quarter of all inspectionsrevealed a competent or optimal level of performance in relation to the
general use of ICT in the classroom.
At post-primary level only 18% of the 311 lessonsobserved by inspectorsinvolved an ICT-related
activity. Students interaction with the technology wasobserved in only about a quarter of these
instances. The most common ICT-related activity observed wasthe use of a computer and data
projector to make a presentation to a classgroup. Inspectorsjudged that effective integration of ICT
in teaching and learning wasoccurring in approximately half of the lessonsin which they observed
the use of ICT, i.e. in approximately 11% of all lessonsobserved.
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Teaching and learning that makesuse of ICT, takesa number of different formsin schools. Individual
studentsworking at a computer in a classroom in rotation isthe most frequently used method at
primary level. At post-primary level the most popular approachesinclude whole-classteaching in a
designated computer room aswell aswhole-classand individual work on computersin general or
specialist classrooms.
Dedicated ICT lessons
At post-primary level, dedicated ICT lessonswere found to be more prevalent among first-year class
groupsand their provision declined asstudentsprogressed through the junior cycle. The majority of
schoolswere found to concentrate on providing studentswith dedicated ICT lessonsin their
Transition Year or for studentsfollowing the LCVP or LCA programmes. The majority of post-primary
schoolsprovided ECDL courses, while slightly more than a quarter provided FETAC-accredited
modules. The most popular topicstaught in dedicated ICT lessonswere word-processing, the
internet, spreadsheets, and presentations.
ICT and the curriculum
Where ICT isused in primary classroomsit predominatesin core curricular areassuch asEnglish and
M athematics, and in Social, Environmental and Scienctific Education (SESE). Furthermore, it ismainly
used for the development of students writing, reading and numeracy skills; there islimited use of
the technology in the development of higher-order thinking skills, creative or social skills,
independent working skills, or communication skills.
At post-primary level, high levelsof integration of ICT were found in the science and applied science
subjectsaswell asin the subjectsof the social studiesI group (History, Geography, Art, Craft and
Design, M usic). Subjectswere also identified that rarely made use of ICT, the most notable being
Irish. The main use for ICT in all subjectswasthe development of students research, investigation,
writing and presentation skills. It wasleast likely to be used to develop teamwork and collaborative
skills.
Students ICT skills
The survey of fifth-classstudentsshowed that many did not have the competence to complete basic
taskson the computer. While most reported that they were able to perform many of the most basic
tasks, such asturning a computer on and off and opening or saving a file, more than 30% reported
that they were not able to print a document or to go on the internet by themselves. Almost half
(47% ) reported not being able to create a document by themselves. The majority were unaware of
how to create a presentation (72% ), use a spreadsheet (86% ), or send an attachment with an e-
mail message (88% ). Competence in the use of ICT islimited, for the most part, to basic ICT skills,
centred on the use of word-processing.
In their survey, fifth-year studentsreported confidence in performing many basic computer
operationsby themselves, for example saving, printing, deleting, opening and editing a document.
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It wasfound that, with some assistance, they could generally perform more complicated tasks, such
asmoving files, copying filesto external storage devices, and writing and sending e-mail. A relatively
low proportion reported being able to create a multimedia presentation. Studentsrequired most
help in attaching a file to an e-mail message, constructing a web page, or dealing with computer
viruses. While post-primary inspectorsgenerally commented positively on the ICT work that they
observed, they were also critical of the narrow range of work produced.
ICT and education for students with special educational needs
ICT iswidely used to support schools provision of special education, more often by membersof the
special-education team than by mainstream classteachers. The emphasisof students engagement
with ICT in special-education settingsismainly on the teaching of literacy.
ICT and assessment
No clear evidence wasfound of ICT being used in the assessment of students academic progress.
The evaluation also found limited assessment being undertaken by schoolsof the development of
students ICT skills. Furthermore, there waslimited evidence of teachersengaging in the assessment
of ICT-related activity in their classroom, or of itsimpact on teaching and learning.
7.3 Main recommendations for policy-makers and
policy advisors
7.3.1 ICT infrastructure
Improving schools ICT infrastructure
The level of ICT infrastructure in schoolsneedsto be improved. To ensure adequate accessby
studentsto ICT, Ireland should strive to reduce itsstudent-computer ratio. A reduction in Ireland' s
SCR would have the effect of facilitating an increased permeation of ICT in all teaching and learning
spaces. In thiscontext, it isworth noting that countriesthat have taken the lead in thisarea,
including Japan, Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Hungary, (South) Korea, Australia and the United
States, are aiming for or achieving a SCR of 5:1 or less.
Ireland should be working towardsequipping not just all schoolsbut all classroomswith an
appropriate level of ICT infrastructure. Consideration should be given to equipping all classrooms
with, at the least, a computer for teachers use, broadband internet accesswith adequate
bandwidth, and a fixed data projector and screen for presentations.
There issome evidence that growing numbersof schoolsare installing interactive whiteboards.
While these whiteboardshave considerable advantages, the cost of thistechnology isprohibitive
and itsuse isheavily dependent on training and the presence of an ICT culture in schools. As
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recommended above, priority should be given to equipping each classroom with a computer and
data projector. In due course, consideration should be given to how interactive whiteboardscan be
made available to schoolsover time.
ICT technical support and maintenance
Provision needsto be made for ICT technical support and maintenance for schools. While an
increase in the level of ICT infrastructure in schoolswill go some way towardsincreasing their ICT
capacity, thisisnot the only criterion for ensuring an increased impact of the technology on
teaching and learning. ICT maintenance in schoolsneedsto be addressed in a co-ordinated fashion
at the system level, so that all schoolscan benefit from having a secure and reliable infrastructure
that will facilitate the integration of ICT throughout the school.
A strategy isrequired to ensure that a comprehensive ICT maintenance and support service is
available to schools. A range of modelswhereby thisservice could be delivered needsto be
explored. These modelscould include clustering schoolsfor the purpose of taking out maintenance
contractswith commercial IT companies, national or regional contractsfor technical support for
schools, or other options. The effectivenessof these modelscould be explored on a pilot basis
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initially, so asto identify the most cost-effective and efficient way in which the necessary support
could be provided to schools.
ICT upgrading
Funding for ICT infrastructure should not only provide schoolswith the capacity to acquire ICT
facilitiesbut also to regularly upgrade these facilitiesand to dispose of obsolete computersand
other equipment in a planned way. Thisincreased funding may be delivered by way of increased
capitation grantsor direct grants. Asrecommended in section 7.4.1 below, schoolsshould plan to
use the available funding to acquire ICT facilities, to provide for maintenance of their ICT systems
and to manage their computer obsolescence more effectively. Advice regarding the spending of
schools' ICT budgetscould be provided by the NCTE and other relevant support services.
Local ICT advisory service
It isclear from the evaluation that the impact of the local ICT advisory service islimited. The
technical dimension of ICT advisors role in an education centre could be more adequately fulfilled
by other meansasdiscussed under ICT technical support and maintenanceabove. Furthermore, the
current pedagogical support role of the advisory service could be more appropriately provided by the
relevant support services(for example the Primary Curriculum Support Programme and the Second-
Level Support Service, including the varioussupport programmesfor second-level subjects) in liaison
with the ICT school co-ordinators. With an effective ICT maintenance system in place, the
pedagogical role of school-based ICT co-ordinatorscould be enhanced and supported with
appropriate training.
7.3.2 Professional development needs of teachers
ICT in teacher education
There needsto be an increased emphasison the application of ICT in teaching and learning in
teacher education during pre-service, induction and in continuing professional development. The
evaluation found that a lack of appropriate training for teachersacted asa major barrier to the
effective use of ICT in schools.
It isrecommended that teacher education departmentsin third-level collegesshould provide student
teacherswith the skillsnecessary to effectively use ICT in teaching and foster in them a culture of
using ICT in their work. The collegesshould also develop appropriate postgraduate coursesto offer
to the teaching profession in general, for example a higher diploma for school ICT co-ordinators.
The resource demandsof these developmentsneed to be examined by the collegesand the
appropriate funding bodies.
Continuing professional development for teachers
The IT 2000 initiative included the implementation of a national professional development initiative
for teachers. Thisinitiative attracted significant numbersof teachersat the time of itslaunch and its
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main emphasiswason the cultivation of basic ICT skillsamong teachers. While opportunities
continue to be provided for teachersto engage with relevant professional development coursesin
ICT, consideration should now be given to expanding and extending significantly the current range
of courseson offer. The main emphasisof thisexpanded initiative should be the development of
teaching skillsthat facilitate the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. A major element of the
initiative should have a subject-specific focusand should be developed and implemented in
conjunction with the existing school support services.
School support services
School support servicesneed to give priority in their work with schoolsto the integration of ICT in
the teaching and learning process. Support servicesshould work more closely with schools, and
with schools ICT co-ordinatorsin particular, to determine the training needsof staff membersand
assist them in organising appropriate training programmes. Using ICT in lessonsrequiresalternative
teaching approachesand classroom practices. Particular attention, therefore, should be given to
organising professional development coursesthat concentrate on the development of teaching
methodsthat encourage the use of ICT.
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Support servicesshould also ensure that examplesof how ICT can be used to facilitate teaching and
learning are included in all general professional development programmesthat they provide. Course
organisersand presentersshould take account of the wide range of ICT abilitiesand experience
commonly found in groupsof teacherswhen organising courses, and should employ strategiesfor
working with mixed-ability groupings.
Support for setting up an association of ICT co-ordinators
ICT co-ordinatorsshould be supported in setting up an association or network of schools ICT co-
ordinators. Such a forum would allow co-ordinatorsto engage with a community of practice and
to learn from one another.
7.4 Main recommendations for schools
7.4.1 ICT infrastructure in schools
Budgeting for ICT
Schoolsshould move promptly in making use of any ICT grantsthey receive. Given the importance
of technical support and maintenance in ensuring the continued operation of their ICT system,
schoolsshould endeavour to allocate a separate budget annually for the maintenance and
development of their ICT systems. Furthermore, schoolsneed to manage their computer
obsolescence more effectively.
Location of ICT resources in schools
It isrecommended that, asresourcespermit, schoolsshould work towardsproviding all teaching
and learning spaceswith ICT facilities. Thisshould include general classroomsand should not be
confined to specialised rooms, astendsto be the case at present. Asan interim measure schools
could consider setting up a mobile ICT facility, comprising, for example, a laptop computer (or
computers), a printer, and a digital projector.
Schoolswith computer roomsshould ensure that they are asfully accessible aspossible. Thiscould
be achieved by a combination of effective timetabling and the adoption of a system that allows
teachersto book the room asnecessary.
Schoolsshould also explore waysof facilitating studentswith accessto ICT facilitiesoutside lesson
times. The setting up of a computer club, for example, could contribute to making computer
facilitiesmore accessible to students.
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Developing ICT resources in schools
Asopportunitiesarise, schoolsshould develop the range of ICT peripheralsand software available to
facilitate teaching and learning. Furthermore, effortsshould be made to promote awarenesswithin
schools, particularly among staff members, of the availability of such resources. Schoolsshould also
carry out a regular ICT needsanalysisin the area of special educational needs. Thiswould help
ensure the best match possible between specialised technology and software and the needsof
studentswith special educational needs.
ICT facilities for teachers
Schoolsshould endeavour to provide staff memberswith adequate accessto ICT facilitiesfor the
purpose of planning and preparing for their teaching. M any schoolshave already done thisby
providing such facilitiesin their staff roomsor in work rooms. It should be remembered that the
provision of facilitiesin individual classroomscould also provide teacherswith accessto ICT for
planning and preparation purposesand not just for teaching purposes. Consideration could also be
given to acquiring a small number of laptop computers, or other mobile facilities, that could be used
by membersof the staff at school or at home, asnecessary.
7.4.2 Planning for ICT in schools
ICT co-ordinator
To ensure efficiency in the organisation and capacity of a schoolsICT system, one member of the
staff in every primary and post-primary school should take the lead in the management and co-
ordination of ICT. It isalso suggested that the dutiesof thisstaff member be incorporated in the
schoolsschedule of postsof responsibility. The dutiesattaching to such a post should be clearly
specified and should include the following:
co-ordinating the production and development of the ICT plan
developing strategiesfor the integration of ICT throughout the curriculum
liaison with the senior management and advising on ICT strategies
evaluating the use of ICT in the school and encouraging greater use by teachersand students
liaison with ICT maintenance personnel
developing and maintaining a school learning platform and web site.
ICT steering committee
Schoolsshould consider convening an ICT steering committee, which could assist in managing the
development of the ICT plan and in monitoring and reviewing itscontinuing implementation.
ICT plan and an acceptable-use policy
Schoolsshould have an ICT plan and an AUP, both drawn up in consultation with all relevant
stakeholdersand both updated regularly. The plan should have a clear emphasison the integration
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of ICT in teaching and learning throughout the curriculum. Ideally it should include guidelinesfor
teachersin setting out appropriate learning objectivesfor each classlevel in relation to the use of
ICT in supporting the implementation of the curriculum.
ICT and individual teachers planning
All teachersshould exploit the benefitsto be gained from ICT in their lesson planning and
preparation. They should endeavour, for example, to make more use of Scoilnet. Ready accessby
teachersto computer facilitiesand the internet would obviously aid thisprocess. Furthermore,
teachersshould plan for the integration of ICT in all aspectsof their teaching, asappropriate. As
resourcesbecome more readily available, so too should their use in the classroom.
Using support services
Schoolsshould monitor the ICT training needsof their staff and develop and implement professional
development plansasappropriate. Professional development opportunitiesfor teachersshould
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concentrate on the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. Schoolsshould utilise the servicesof
their local education centre, and other relevant school support services, asfully aspossible, in
planning and delivering professional support to teachers, and in planning and developing their ICT
infrastructure.
7.4.3 ICT in teaching and learning
Integrating ICT in teaching and learning
The processof school and teacher self-review should support the effective integration of ICT
throughout the school curriculum. Asschoolsreview and seek to improve the quality of teaching
and learning in curricular areasand subjects, they should examine their current and potential use of
ICT. School self-review should include regular auditsof ICT facilitiesin all classroomsand subjects,
and should gather information on how effectively existing available resourcesare being used.
Schoolsshould endeavour to adopt mechanismsto facilitate the sharing of good practice among
staff members. For example, teacherswith good ICT skillsand who make effective use of ICT in
their own classroomscould act asmentorsto colleagueswhose ICT skillsare not aswell developed.
experience of ICT at all classlevelsat primary level and at both junior cycle and senior cycle at post-
primary level.
Teachersshould regularly review their use of ICT with a view to expanding the settingsin which it
can be used and their repertoire of teaching strategies, including opportunitiesfor students
engagement with the technology. Thisshould include exploring the use of aswide a range of
resourcesand applicationsaspossible, for example educational software, peripherals, e-mail,
presentation software, and the internet.
Teachersshould also exploit the potential of ICT to develop aswide a range of students skillsas
possible, including research and investigation skills, writing and presentation skills, communication
skills, teamwork and collaborative skills, and the higher-order skillsof problem-solving, analysis, and
evaluation.
If schoolsare providing a programme of discrete ICT lessonsat post-primary level, the content of the
programme should reflect closely the existing level of the students ICT skills. Any syllabusdeveloped
by the school should have the effect of expanding on the students knowledge and their repertoire
of ICT skills.
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ICT and students with special educational needs
Schoolsshould exploit more fully the potential of ICT to support the learning needsof studentswith
special educational needs. Currently, ICT isused mainly to support the acquisition of literacy, but the
technology hasthe potential for much wider application in special education settingsand for
supporting studentswith special educational needswithin mainstream classrooms.
ICT and assessment
Schoolsshould develop strategiesfor evaluating the impact of ICT at different levelsin the school,
so that staff membersare confident in assessing itsinfluence on teaching and learning.
progressthrough the use of appropriate software. Consideration could also be given to assessing
students ICT skill levelsat particular timesduring their schooling.
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References & Appendix
193
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Accenture (2004). ICTthe Indispensable Sector in the Knowledge Based Economy. Dublin: ICT
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Barton, R. (1997). Computer aided graphing a comparative study. Journal of Information
Technology for Teacher Education, 6(1), 59-72.
Barton, R. (1998). IT in practical work: assessing and increasing the value added. In J. Wellington
(Ed.), Practical work in school science: which way now? London: Routledge.
Department for Education and Skills(2004). DfES Annual Survey of Information and
Communications Technology in Schools. Retrieved 5 M arch 2007, from
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000480/SFR27-2004v6.pdf
Department of Education (1995). Charting our Education Future: White Paper on Education. Dublin:
Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science (1997). Schools IT 2000: A Policy Framework for the New
Millennium. Dublin: Stationery Office
Department of Education and Science (1999). Primary School Curriculum. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science (2005). An Evaluation of Curriculum Implementation in
Primary Schools: English, Mathematics and Visual Arts. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education and Science (2006). Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools. Dublin:
Stationery Office.
Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment (2006). Strategy for Science, Technology and
Innovation 2006-2013. Dublin: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Department of the Taoiseach (2006). Towards 2016 - Ten-Year Framework Social Partnership
Agreement 2006-2015. Dublin: Department of the Taoiseach.
Forfs(2005). Skills Needs in the Irish Economy: The Role of Migration. Dublin: Expert Group on
Future SkillsNeeds/Forfs.
Harris, J. (2006). Irish in Primary Schools: Long Term National Trends in Achievement. Dublin:
Department of Education and Science.
Harrison, C., Comber, C., Fisher, T., Haw, K., Lewin, C., & Lunzer, E. (2003). The Impact of
Information and Communication Technologies on Pupil Learning and Attainment London:
Becta.
Haydn, T. (2001). Subject Discipline Dimensions of ICT and Learning: History, a Case Study. Retrieved
December 03, 2005, 2, from http://www.centres.ex.ac.uk/historyresource/journal3/haydn.doc
IM D (2003). World Competitiveness Yearbook 2003 Lausanne, Switzerland: IM D.
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Irish Council for Science Technology and Innovation (1999). Technology Foresight Report. Dublin:
Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation.
Kompf, M . (2005). Information and CommunicationsTechnology (ICT) and the Seduction of
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National Centre for Technology in Education (2000). Information and Advice: Special Educational
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National Centre for Technology in Education (2002). Planning and Advice for Schools. Dublin:
National Centre for Technology in Education.
National Centre for Technology in Education (2006). Engaging Learners - Mobile Technology,
Literacy and Inclusion. Dublin: Brunswick PressLtd.
National CompetitivenessCouncil (2006). Annual Competitiveness Report 2006, Volume 1:
Benchmarking Ireland's Performance. Dublin: National CompetitivenessCouncil.
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (2004a). Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) in the Primary School Curriculum Guidelines for Teachers. Dublin: National Council
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National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (2004b). Curriculum, Assessment and ICT in the
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National Policy Advisory and Development Committee (2001). The Impact of Schools IT 2000.
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NCTE ICT planning matrix
The ICT planning matrix isdesigned to help schoolsestablish their level of development with regard
to the use of ICT. It includesa wide range of issuesfor consideration in the development of a
schoolsICT plan. Within the categoriesof the matrix, issuesare discussed in accordance with
certain criteria, and these are graded into three stagesof integration: initial, intermediate, and
advanced.
The matrix offersa clear meansof assessing a schoolsICT status. Schoolsmay find that they are
primarily in the advanced stage asregardstheir ICT resourcesand infrastructure but are in the initial
stage when it comesto ICT and the curriculum. Having established that thisisthe case, such a
school should give priority to the integration of ICT throughout the curriculum.
The integration of ICT isnot simply a linear process, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Every
school needsto analyse itspresent position with regard to ICT integration and to develop a plan
that will allow it to progressto the next stage.
It isrecommended that each school work through the ICT planning matrix to identify itsstrengths
and weaknesseswith regard to the current use of ICT within the school. Having established their
strengths, they should then grade their weaknessesunder the five headingsand devise a realistic
plan to progressto the next level. Such a processshould be monitored regularly to ensure that
progressisbeing made. The five categoriesare:
M anagement and planning
Professional development of staff members
SchoolsICT culture
ICT resourcesand infrastructure.
Management and planning
Isyour school at the initial, intermediate or advanced stage for ICT management and planning?
Ini t i al ICT pl an i s devel oped
Int ermedi at e ICT pl an i s regul arl y updat ed
Advanced ICT pl anni ng i s consi dered an i nt egral part of general school pl anni ng
Ini t i al ICT pl an i s devel oped by one or a f ew i ndi vi dual t eachers
Int ermedi at e Al l st af f members are gi ven t he opport uni t y t o make an i nput t o t he ICT pl an
Advanced A t eam approach i s adopt ed f or ICT pl anni ng and i nt egrat i on
197
Ini t i al No t eacher i s co- ordi nat i ng t he i nt egrat i on of ICT wi t hi n t he school
Int ermedi at e One t eacher or a group of t eachers i nf ormal l y assume responsi bi l i t y f or ICT i n t he school
Advanced There i s a desi gnat ed co- ordi nat i ng t eacher
Ini t i al The ICT pl an concent rat es heavi l y on comput er hardware and t he acqui si t i on of basi c ski l l s
Int ermedi at e The school enl i st s t he support of t he l ocal ICT advi sor or ICT support group net work
Advanced The school et hos encourages t he expl orat i on of new approaches t o ICT i nt egrat i on
Ini t i al An audi t of ICT resources has not been carri ed out
Int ermedi at e The process of i dent i f yi ng rel evant sof t ware and i nt ernet resources i n al l subj ect and speci al - needs areas
has begun
Advanced An annual audi t and needs assessment of ICT i nf rast ruct ure i s conduct ed, i n t erms of t he curri cul um
needs of al l cl asses, subj ect areas, and speci al needs
Ini t i al The ext ent and l evel of ICT use i s deci ded by each t eacher i ndi vi dual l y
Int ermedi at e The pri nci pal i s act i ve i n i nt egrat i ng ICT t hroughout t he school
Advanced The i mpact of ICT i n al l areas of t eachi ng and l earni ng i s regul arl y revi ewed
Ini t i al The ICT pl an concent rat es on equi pment rat her t han on t he school s usage pol i cy
Int ermedi at e Heal t h and saf et y st andards are consi dered when wri t i ng t he ICT pl an
Advanced A range of school ICT pol i ci es i s devel oped, f or exampl e use of t he i nt ernet , use of appl i cat i ons, heal t h and
saf et y i ssues, and management of ICT resources
Ini t i al An i nt ernet usage pol i cy does not exi st , as i nt ernet access i s rest ri ct ed t o st af f members
Int ermedi at e A basi c i nt ernet use pol i cy i s devel oped
Advanced An accept abl e- use pol i cy (f or i nt ernet use) i s devel oped wi t h t he i nvol vement of parent s
Isyour school at the initial, intermediate or advanced stage for ICT and the curriculum?
Ini t i al St udent s and t eachers acqui re basi c ICT ski l l s
Int ermedi at e ICT i s i nt egrat ed i n a number of subj ect areas
Advanced ICT i s i nt egrat ed i n proj ect - based l earni ng
Ini t i al ICT i s consi dered a st and- al one act i vi t y
Int ermedi at e A range of ICT i ssues i s commonpl ace (t eachers preparat i on and cl assroom management ; whol e- cl ass
t eachi ng; group and i ndi vi dual work)
Advanced Teachers and st udent s use open- ended sof t ware t o support curri cul um act i vi t i es, f or exampl e Logo,
aut hori ng, programmi ng
Ini t i al St udent s use comput ers i n i sol at i on f rom t he school curri cul um
Int ermedi at e E- mai l i s i ncorporat ed i n t he communi cat i ve and research aspect s of t he curri cul um
Advanced Teachers and st udent s use ICT t o creat e di gi t al cont ent , f or exampl e proj ect present at i ons, web and
mul t i medi a aut hori ng, st udent s el ect roni c port f ol i os
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Ini t i al Int ernet use i s conf i ned most l y t o e- mai l and web browsi ng
Int ermedi at e The web i s used as part of general cl ass t eachi ng
Advanced St udent s use ICT t o col l aborat e on curri cul um act i vi t i es, bot h wi t hi n t he school and wi t h ot her school s
Ini t i al ICT use i s experi ment al , and t he emphasi s i s on appl i cat i ons, such as word- processi ng
Int ermedi at e ICT use rei nf orces exi st i ng curri cul um act i vi t i es
Advanced Probl em- sol vi ng and quest i oni ng l earni ng approaches are support ed by ICT
Staff development
Isyour school at the initial, intermediate or advanced stage for staff development in ICT?
Ini t i al Some st af f members have part i ci pat ed i n basi c ski l l s t rai ni ng
Int ermedi at e Al l st af f members have met t he l evel of basi c ski l l s t rai ni ng
Advanced St af f members are part i ci pat i ng i n t hi rd- l evel ICT prof essi onal devel opment
Ini t i al St af f members are aware of t rai ni ng opport uni t i es
Int ermedi at e Speci al i st st af f members have recei ved or are recei vi ng appropri at e ski l l s t rai ni ng
Advanced St af f members are i nvest i gat i ng new hardware and sof t ware sol ut i ons
Ini t i al No cont act has been made wi t h t he l ocal ICT advi sor
Int ermedi at e The school has cont act ed t he l ocal ICT advi sor f or support
Advanced St af f members are act i vel y shari ng new i deas wi t h each ot her and wi t h ot her t eachers
Ini t i al St af f members have not been encouraged t o at t end ICT courses
Int ermedi at e Some st af f members have part i ci pat ed i n, or are part i ci pat i ng i n, ICT courses emphasi si ng t he i nt egrat i on
of ICT i n t he cl assroom
Advanced St af f members are i nt egrat i ng rel evant sol ut i ons i n t hei r t eachi ng
Ini t i al St af f members are not aware of l ocal ICT support st ruct ures
Int ermedi at e Members of t he st af f are at t endi ng rel evant ICT support group meet i ngs
Advanced St af f members are part i ci pat i ng i n on- l i ne ICT support groups
School ICT culture
Isyour schoolsICT culture at the initial, intermediate or advanced stage?
Ini t i al St udent s are guarant eed a t urn on t he comput ers
Int ermedi at e St ruct ured ICT access i s avai l abl e duri ng school t i me
Advanced The school envi ronment encourages i ndependent ICT use by bot h t eachers and st udent s
Ini t i al Teachers have l i mi t ed access t o comput ers duri ng school hours
Int ermedi at e ICT access i s f aci l i t at ed out si de t eachi ng t i me
Advanced ICT use out si de normal t eachi ng t i me i s encouraged
Ini t i al Cl assroom di spl ays are support ed by comput er- produced l abel s
Int ermedi at e Cl assroom di spl ays cont ai n comput er- produced cont ent
Advanced Comput ers are consi dered a school resource t hat st udent s can use t o support t hei r work when appl i cabl e
199
Ini t i al The school does not have a web si t e
Int ermedi at e The school has an act i ve and up- t o- dat e web si t e wi t h some st udent i nvol vement
Advanced The school web si t e i s devel oped and mai nt ai ned by t eachers and st udent s; i t concent rat es on st udent s
act i vi t i es and curri cul um resources
Ini t i al The school does not engage wi t h ot her school s on ICT i ssues
Int ermedi at e The school i s i nvol ved i n ICT proj ect s (nat i onal or i nt ernat i onal )
Advanced The school i s seen as an exempl ar of best pract i ce by ot her school s
Ini t i al Comput ers are used rel uct ant l y by t eachers
Int ermedi at e The school i s an ICT- f ri endl y zone
Advanced A posi t i ve, support i ve ICT cul t ure exi st s t hroughout t he school
ICT resources and infrastructure
Are the ICT resourcesand infrastructure in your school at the initial, intermediate or advanced
stage?
Ini t i al Comput ers are conf i ned t o a comput er room
Int ermedi at e Comput ers are l ocat ed t hroughout t he school i n cl assrooms
Advanced A net work of comput ers i s di st ri but ed t hroughout t he school
Ini t i al Comput ers are not net worked
Int ermedi at e There i s a peer- t o- peer net work wi t hi n t he comput er room but not t hroughout t he school
Advanced Al l comput ers are net worked; i nt ernet access i s avai l abl e t hroughout t he school
Ini t i al There i s no provi si on f or t echni cal support
Int ermedi at e Provi si on i s made f or t he mai nt enance of comput ers
Advanced A t echni cal support cont ract exi st s
Ini t i al There i s an i nt ernet connect i on t hrough one t el ephone l i ne t o a comput er
Int ermedi at e There i s an i nt ernet connect i on vi a ISDN t o most comput ers
Advanced There i s an i nt ernet connect i ons t o al l comput ers vi a mul t i pl e ISDN, l eased l i ne, ADSL, or broadband cabl e
Ini t i al Li mi t ed sof t ware i s avai l abl e, but not enough f or al l cl asses, al l subj ect areas, or al l st udent s wi t h speci al
needs
Int ermedi at e Some sof t ware and i nt ernet resources are avai l abl e f or each cl ass or year l evel ; mul t i pl e l i cences have
been obt ai ned f or whol e- cl ass use
Advanced Appropri at e sof t ware and i nt ernet resources are i dent i f i ed and made avai l abl e by age, subj ect , and speci al
need
Ini t i al Deskt op comput ers and pri nt ers are t he onl y ICT equi pment avai l abl e i n t he school
Int ermedi at e A di gi t al camera (or cameras) and scanner (or scanners) are used f or proj ect and web si t e work
Advanced A di gi t al proj ect or (or proj ect ors) and i nt eract i ve whi t eboard (or whi t eboards) are i n use t hroughout t he
school
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Ini t i al Some comput er equi pment does not work and has not been repai red or repl aced
Int ermedi at e Equi pment i s f i xed or repl aced onl y when absol ut el y necessary
Advanced Provi si on i s made f or regul ar renewal of equi pment
201
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