Abstract
AbstractThere is a crisis of expectation in relation to educational technology. This is sometimes interpreted as a failure of academic researchers to disseminate their work to educational practitioners. However, another interpretation dwells on the lack of vision characterising such research. Because teachers often encounter research most intensely during their own pre‐service and in‐service education, we review academic research here through a snapshot of output from 10 leading university Education departments sampled in the UK and China. Empirical papers with a central interest in new technology were scarce, representing only around 10% of the sample. Research was strongly situated in “classroom” contexts, although, as critics have suggested, with limited attention to the wider ecology of those places, and with teachers being the focal interest as much as students. A “learning outcomes” research orientation was less common than an interest in process and practice. Although this was approached with different methodologies in China and the UK. Discussion addresses the challenge of effective and authoritative dissemination and those constraints from the political economy of research practice.
Highlights
Digital technology has deeply penetrated the experience of those living in today’s developed economies
We have reported a survey of research studies relating to technology, as currently published from within the Educational Studies communities of 10 leading universities in two countries
This exercise was set against a background that stressed: a sense of disappointment around technology’s transformative influence on educational practice, the modest impact of academic research at the frontline of teaching innovation, and a consequent social science critique on perspectives adopted by this community of researchers
Summary
Digital technology has deeply penetrated the experience of those living in today’s developed economies. This corpus of educational research concerning technology will be taken from high-performing academic environments, in order to reference material that the community is likely to judge as exemplary. Our interest here is in how these responsibilities are approached by Educational Studies academics when researching new technology.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.