ICT Access and Usage in Irish Primary Schools

The skills required to live and work in the twenty-first century are in flux, perhaps more so than at any time previously. It is widely agreed that education systems should increase ICT literacy of pupils, and focus on how technology can be used to improve pupil learning. Results of recent national and international studies, however, indicate that Ireland lags behind, both in terms of ICT resources and usage of ICT in educational settings.

This book reports the results of a survey of approximately 2,100 pupils, 115 teachers, and 100 principals on ICT resources, access, integration, and attitudes in Ireland. Issues examined include the availability of technology resources in school, their frequency of usage by pupils and teachers, perceived barriers to effective technology integration as reported by principals and teachers, and teachers' and pupils' attitudes to and confidence with technology. Results are reported both in descriptive and bivariate analyses, as well as within a multilevel modelling framework. Eight key sets of findings and eleven recommendations - which will be of interest to policymakers, educators, and researchers - are made in the concluding chapter.

About the Author

s Dr Jude Cosgrove has been working as a Research Associate in the Educational Research Centre, Dublin since 1997. Her work involves managing the implementation of large-scale national and international assessments. Dr Kevin Marshall is the Head of Education, Microsoft Ireland. Prior to working in Ireland, Kevin worked in Boston Public Schools in the Office of Research, Assessment and Evaluation and was responsible for the School-to-Work transition.