Teaching and learning activities in Chilean classrooms: Is ICT making a difference?

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the analysis of teaching and learning activities in state subsidized schools in Chile. The study is based on the data collected through a national survey applied to all state subsidized schools (census) and a sample of private schools and examines teachers' and students' reported teaching and learning activities in general and with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Additionally, it compares the frequency of these activities between primary and secondary schools as well as between a set of the highest and lowest performing schools. Regarding teaching and learning activities results show that, in general, ICT is not frequently used at schools, however, they also show that teachers and students tend to use ICT more often in specific activities, which represents an opportunity to encourage ICT use in schools. Results also show those activities in which ICT is not integrated, that could guide the development of methodologies and software applications to support these activities. With regard to teaching and learning activities in primary and secondary schools, results show that although general teaching activities are different, the activities with ICT are very similar, showing a lack of differentiated strategies for ICT use in teaching in these two levels. In turn, students' activities, both in general and with ICT, are different in primary and secondary schools, probably related to the different levels of access to ICT and students' ICT-related skills. Concerning teaching and learning activities in the highest and lowest performing schools, results show that teachers' general activities are similar, but they are different when ICT is used. By contrast, whereas the general activities of students are different, their activities with ICT are much more alike. This differentiated role of ICT opens questions regarding the contribution of ICT in these two sets of schools. In general, results contribute to deepen the discussion regarding the specific role of ICT in teaching and learning activities; have implications for developing or adapting ICT tools for teachers and students and provide useful evidence that can be used for guiding the design of much more focused ICT in education policies that recognise and take advantage of the different types of teaching and learning activities implemented in different schools, illustrating patterns of activities that could constitute models of good practice. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.