Abstract
This study examines the implementation of tablets in primary schools in Norway. The outcome measures in the study are external for the intervention and are recorded data from national tests (National reading, arithmetic and English Tests, Classes 5, 8, and 9, National Mapping Tests for reading and arithmetic, Classes 1–3, and the 2014–2017 National Pupil Survey). The entire study (N = 15, 708) relies on an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods design and in this study we examine the quantitative effects of this implementation. The results indicate that in several school areas tablets have rather limited effect on pupils learning outcome. However, there were both some negative- and positive effects of tablets on several of the outcome measures. It seems that tablets contribute more positively to boys’ school achievements than to girls’ school achievements. The effect of introducing tablets is significantly positive for boys in fifth grade in English (as in the first cohort from 2015/2016). This might also be linked to a “spill over-effect” from outside school learning where the significantly positive results for boys in fifth grade in English can be interpreted as a sign of the times where English language immersion in leisure time (e.g., gaming, youtube, etc.) among boys are continuously developing. For boys, we also find positive significant effects on well-being, common rules, and assessment for learning, while in girls we find positive and significant effects on mastering, teacher support, and assessment for learning. From the study, we find some tendencies that when the use of tablets is supported by teachers who have high digital competence, their use seems to have a small equalizing effect between the school achievements of boys and girls. However, we cannot rule out that a grade effect and informal learning may also have an impact on the results, and we therefore request that the results be read with this reservation.
Highlights
This article examines the second cohort of the trailing research in the Municipality of Bærum’s Everyday Digital Schooling tablet project, which examines outcome measures regularly through our longitudinal research design
The significance is tested by a two-tailed independent t-test with equal variance of 10, 5, and 1% significance level. aMeans that we can say with 99% certainty that there is a difference between the effort group and the control group. bMeans that we can say with 95% certainty that there is a difference between the effort group and the control group. cMeaning that we can say with 90% certainty that there is a difference between the effort group and the control group. dBekkestua Primary School is not included in the analysis, as at the time of measurement it did not have its own fifth grade
Significance tests have been conducted with a linear regression analysis with fixed effect at school and year. aMeans that with 99% security we can say that there is a difference between the effort group and the control group. bMeans that with 95% security we can say there is a difference between the effort group and the control group. cMeaning that with 90% security we can say that there is a difference between the effort group and the control group. dThe effect of tablets is an interaction between a dummy variable to be the input school and dummy variable to be after the implementation of the bet
Summary
This article examines the second cohort of the trailing research in the Municipality of Bærum’s Everyday Digital Schooling tablet project, which examines outcome measures regularly through our longitudinal research design. To avoid Cheung and Slavin (2013) critique concerning educational technology studies using measures designed by the researchers themselves, we applied external outcome measures (registry data) In this part of the trailing research, the outcome measures in the study are external for the intervention and are recorded data from National Tests (National reading, arithmetic and English tests, Classes 5, 8, and 9, National Mapping Tests for reading and arithmetic, Classes 1–3, and the 2014–2016 National Pupil Survey). In this second cohort of the trailing research, we only examine the quantitative effects of this part of the implementation. The paper first presents a conceptual framework and the methodology of the study, followed by the results and a discussion of the study’s main findings
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
