Educational technology policy in Israel

Abstract

The study examines Israel's educational technology policy in light of the coming-of-age of ICT. The study shows the ways it has been developing, and identifies two major shifts which have occurred in recent years: the introduction of the national educational cloud, and the enabling of the “bring your own device” (BYOD) policy. The way Israeli decision-makers perceive the relationship between education, society, and technology, and the forces involved in shaping the policy is analyzed. Technology in education is perceived as a solution to societal and educational problems and as an unstoppable force. Efforts to implement technology in education have been made without significant awareness of the dialectical nature of technology. Two different implementation approaches compete. I illustrate the connection between the Ministry of Education’s organizational structure and the nature of the implementation of national ICT curricular programs. Findings also reveal ongoing disruption regarding policy between Israel’s academia, teachers’ colleges, and the Ministry of Education.