The Internet in teaching and learning in Canadian schools: A study in educational change
-
- Dr.
Dianne Oberg, co-investigator
Introduction
We have been funded by the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for a three-year
study of Internet use in Canadian schools. The study has a three-part
focus: (1) an assessment of the overall national picture of Internet use
in schools, (2) a Canada-wide survey of 10% of schools in the provinces
and territories; and (3) case studies of Internet use in three school
districts, each in a different province or territory.
Background to
the study
Over the past two years,
the co-investigators have conducted a four-phase study of Internet use in
Alberta schools. Case studies in six schools explored the perceptions of
administrator, teachers, and parents about the Internet as a teaching and
learning tool (Phase 1). Collaborative research partnerships in those
schools examined how novice and experienced Internet users utilized the
Internet as an instructional tool, and what factors supported and hindered
that use (Phases 2 and 3). In Phase 4, a province-wide survey of
administrators and teachers collected data on overall Internet use and
access. Findings from the Phases 1, 2 and 3 studies indicated that many
teachers, principals, and parents were excited by the potential of the
Internet but were overwhelmed by its breadth and complexity. Teachers,
even experienced Internet users, had little knowledge of the search
engines and search strategies needed to make efficient use of Internet
resources. Analysis of the Phase 4 survey has indicated that teachers and
administrators feel that they are not getting adequate support from their
districts for learning about the Internet. Learning about the Internet
appears to involve highly individualized and isolated activities that take
place on the edges of the lives of teachers and administrators. This
Alberta research raised questions about the similarity of these patterns
across Canada.
Computing technology use
that improves opportunities for student learning needs to be supported
with a foundation of infrastructure development and teacher learning.
Successful implementation in schools of new technologies, such as the
Internet, is influenced by such factors as: the availability of
appropriate hardware and software (Maddux, 1994), the attitudes of
teachers towards the innovation (Woodrow, 1991), the development of
teachers’ technological skills (Peha, 1995), and the adoption of new
models of teaching and learning (Gallo & Horton, 1994). A change such
as the implementation of Internet use is also affected by forces outside
the school, including initiatives of provincial ministries of education,
school districts, teacher associations, and private industry.
Overview of
the research project
While some teachers are
developing ways to integrate the Internet into their teaching, little by
way of research literature currently exists that addresses the
complexities of Internet use in an educational context. Our research will
examine the following questions:
(1) To what extent is the
implementation of Internet use into Canada’s schools supported by a
vision that is consistent across the country and by effective
implementation strategies? What gaps or overlaps are there in the vision
and the implementation strategies of the educational systems that are
advocating or requiring this change? These questions are the focus of an
investigation of current Internet initiatives at the federal and
provincial/territorial levels, using document analysis and interviews.
(2) To what extent is the
Internet being used in Canada’s schools? What factors appear to support
higher level of Internet use? These questions will be the focus of a
Canada-wide survey of administrators and teachers.
(3) How are teachers using
the Internet to improve and enrich student learning? This will be the
focus of the case studies of three district sites in different areas of
the country. The case study reports will include stories of best practice
in Internet use from schools and districts.
Contribution of the research
There has been a major
commitment across the country to providing Internet connectivity in
Canadian schools, but there has been no attempt to examine the impact of
such a commitment on the national level. While there is considerable
potential in this new technology, it is clear that technology
implementation in schools is a complex process. Our research will
contribute to an understanding of the issues related to such
implementation by providing a national picture of Internet initiatives and
by assessing the extent of and support for Internet use in teaching and
learning. It will provide recommendations to decision-makers involved in
the implementation of Internet use for teaching and learning at the
federal, provincial and territorial, and district and school levels.
Additionally, it will contribute to the base of information needed for the
updating of teacher education programs in Canada’s universities and
colleges. Finally, the
findings from all three parts of the study should provide opportunities
for the synthesis of aspects of the theoretical frameworks identified for
this program of research, that is, teacher learning in technological
change, models of staff development, and models of support for teacher
learning in schools.