The impact of ICT policies on educational practice in a secondary school

Abstract

The dissertation describes a case study conducted in a Hong Kong secondary school, which investigated educational practices relating to the adoption of Information and Communication Technology(ICT). The study examined the changes in the educational practices; identified obstacles, success factors, strategies and interventions for ICT integration into teaching and learning from a professional development and leadership perspective; and investigated teachers’ pedagogical practices and students’ classroom activities with the use ICT. A framework based on the literature was developed to address the professional development and leadership issues related to integrating ICT into teaching and learning, with the aim of providing a holistic view and achieving better understanding of relationships between these issues and educational practice and change.

The researcher’s school has experienced three major ICT initiatives in Hong Kong, and was selected for the study. The principal, the ICT coordinator, five Mathematics teachers and four Science teachers participated in the study. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect and analyze the data. The study first adopted parts of the questionnaire survey instruments used by the SITES 2006, which depicted a general picture of participants’ attitudes towards ICT on teaching and learning. Lesson observations and semi-structured interviews were then conducted to provide an in-depth understanding about the adoption of ICT on teachers’ pedagogical practices and students’ classroom activities from the perspective of professional development and leadership. Analysis of documentation and archival records were done for supplementing the understanding of the study.

The findings of the study showed that the school leaders enacted ICT policies and practices with various strategies to ensure the effectiveness of teaching and learning. The school provided a rich-ICT environment conducive to teaching and learning. The teachers used a variety of ICT tools to develop their pedagogical practices and adopted a student-centered teaching approach in designing classroom activities, allowing students to control their learning progress. In regard to professional development, the school organized different related activities to meet the teachers’ individual professional needs and improve student achievement. The professional development activities not only equipped teachers with various ICT knowledge and skills, but also supported their pedagogical practices through collaboration and sharing among teachers. Furthermore, the school leadership was found to be effective at building an ICT vision and supporting teachers in exercising their leadership at different levels. Trust relationships were built among the school leaders, empowering them to risk integrating ICT into pedagogical practices. The school leaders also provided equity of ICT access and a ubiquitous network on campus to ensure that teaching and learning could occur anywhere and at any time. Finally, teachers were provided opportunities to share their good pedagogical practices with colleagues.

This study provides educational practitioners with an in-depth insight into the current state of pedagogical approaches and how technologies can be integrated into pedagogical practices and classroom activities with the support of professional development and leadership, resulting in a genuine improvement in students’ learning outcomes.