Background to the research project

This research project aimed to facilitate the ‘learner voice’ of Key Stage 2 pupils with regards to their use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Data were collected during the 2007/8 academic year from 612 pupils in five primary schools in London and the West Midlands. Pupils were surveyed and interviewed, and encouraged to produce drawings, videos and online content about their present and future uses of ICTs for learning.  

Research Findings

Pupils’ engagement with ICTs was, on the whole, found to be unsophisticated in nature. Inside-school ICT use most often consisted of schoolwork-related activities such as information and picture retrieval. Outside-school ICT use was dominated by games and, to a lesser extent, chatting and emailing. There were few instances of creative and/or collaborative uses of web 2.0 applications. The nature of engagement with ICTs was influenced significantly by pupils’ age and school attended. There was a strong sense throughout our data of pupils’ uses of ICTs for learning being constrained by the nature and demands of the school. That said, the majority of children did feel that ICT use led to gains in learning, especially in terms of finding things out and other forms of self-directed learning. Notably these perceived learning gains were felt to apply equally to in-school and outside-school use of ICTs.  Pupils’ visions for changes in school ICT provision mostly concerned the direct transfer of ‘home’ ICT devices and practices into the classroom. Pupils were concerned primarily with issues of play, fun, and increasing the use of portable hardware devices, rather than specific concerns with learning. In terms of desired changes to ICT practices within schools, a majority of pupils demanded the relaxation of restrictions on use imposed by the school. Younger pupils’ also suggested increased assistance from teachers with internet safety and information retrieval.  

Conclusions and recommendations

Our findings highlight the need to develop forms of classroom technology provision which fit better with the needs, values and experiences of young people - whilst not reducing ICT use solely to games playing. In this respect schools should be encouraged to explore alternative strategies of encouraging uses of ICTs in school which can draw upon the best elements of pupils’ outside school ICT use but retain an educational relevance and value.  There is a need to develop ‘cultures of trust’ between pupils and schools with regards to their ICT use. Pupils could be involved, for example, in the formulation of ICT regulations and restrictions in school. School councils and other pupil-democracy mechanisms could be involved in determining the nature of schools’ ICT provision.  There is also an obvious need to enthuse primary pupils about learning, and about learning with ICTs. Without sustained efforts to ‘sell’ ICT-based learning it is unlikely that young people will force any ‘bottom-up’ change in schools’ uses of ICTs. Pupils clearly have an important role to play in the development of future forms of school ICT use, but it would seem that the lead needs to be taken by schools and other education technology stakeholders if meaningful change is to be initiated.