8. Teachers' Adoption of ICT
In addition to providing statistics such as the percentage of schools with Internet access or the proportion of classrooms fully networked, this survey also aimed to measure the extent to which ICT is actually integrated into the teaching and learning process.
To do this we adapted a research instrument described by Knezek and Christensen (1999).13 Our survey asked principals to indicate at which of six stages of ICT adoption they felt most of their teachers were at. (Table 28 describes the six stages.) As Graph 24 shows, most teachers are in the "middle" stages.
Graph 24: Teachers' adoption of ICT
Table 28: Stages of adoption of ICT
Q11. Six stages in the adoption of technology have been identified (e.g., Knezek and Christensen, Computers in New Zealand Schools, Nov 1999). Please read the descriptions of each of the six stages. Circle the stage where you feel most teachers at your school are in the adoption of ICT.
- Awareness
- They are aware of ICT but have not used it - perhaps they're even avoiding it.
- Learning the process
- They are currently trying to learn the basics. They are often frustrated using computers. They lack confidence when using computers.
- Understanding and application of the process
- They are beginning to understand the process of using ICT and can think of specific tasks in which it might be useful.
- Familiarity and confidence
- They are gaining a sense of confidence in suing the computer for specific tasks. They are starting to feel confident using the computer.
- Adaptation to other contexts
- They think about the computer as a tool to help them and are no longer concerned about it as technology. They can use it in many applications and as an instructional aid.
- Creative application to new contests
- They can apply what they know about ICT in the classroom. They can use it as an instructional tool and integrate it into the curriculum.
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