Teacher representations of the successful use of computer-based tools and resources in secondary-school English, mathematics and science

Abstract

This study investigated professional thinking about pedagogical aspects of technology use in mainstream classroom practice. It focuses on the systems of ideas which frame teacher accounts of the successful use of computer-based tools and resources in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science at secondary-school level. These accounts were elicited through group interviews with the relevant subject departments in six secondary schools in England. The analysis identifies seven broad themes in which teachers point to the contribution of technology use in: effecting working processes and improving production; supporting processes of checking, trialling and refinement; enhancing the variety and appeal of classroom activity; fostering pupil independence and peer support; overcoming pupil difficulties and building assurance; broadening reference and increasing currency of activity; and focusing on overarching issues and accentuating important features. Further examination of these themes shows how professional thinking about technology use is anchored in well-established representations of pupil motivation and classroom learning, and how contrasting subject profiles reflect corresponding differences in wider subject cultures.