How are ICT used in the classroom? A study of teachers’ beliefs and uses

Abstract

Introduction. Several studies show that one of the essential factors in the way teachers use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in their lessons are the beliefs they hold regarding ICT as tools for teaching and learning. This study analyses the relationship between these beliefs and the way teachers use ICT in the classroom through design of a System of Categories for the Analysis of Beliefs about and Uses of ICT. Method. We applied an open-ended questionnaire about beliefs and uses of ICT to 16 teachers of Child and Primary Education and collected 42 activities proposed by them where ICT were crucial. To analyse the answers, we designed a System of Categories for the Analysis of Beliefs about and Uses of ICT, based on three essential dimensions: what teachers said they taught, the psychological processes they activated in their students and the activities or tasks they proposed to achieve that learning. Results. The results indicate that there is a wide gap between the beliefs teachers hold and the way they actually use ICT. While they said that ICT should be used to make learning more student-centred and to foster motivation, most of the activities proposed were aimed at onedirectional conveyance of contents, and were neither highly developed nor did they noticeably transform traditional ways of teaching. Conclusions and Discussion. The paper concludes with a few reflections and suggestions about how ICT could really be integrated in the classroom based on a new learning culture.