Computers in School Education. The Cases of Sweden and Greece

Abstract

The present study focuses mainly on issues relating to computer policy, implementation and utilization of computers in school education as well as the anticipation of a range of alternative scenarios about the impact of computers in schools. More specifically the study attempts to explore and discuss the issues of "why", "whom", "what" and "how" concerning the introduction of computers in school education, with special reference to Sweden and Greece.The research inquiry employs a mixture of evaluative and educational case study approaches as well as scenario methods. The study challenges the notion that computers can be seen as a panacea for education's ills. Instead, it is argued that computers can play a positive role in the educative process. However, this is highly dependent not only on the computer itself but on the whole educative process and developments in educational software.The findings of this study indicate that social, cultural and economic factors explain much more of the widespread concern with computers in school education than the direct influence of computers on the teaching and learning process. This study also confirms the triangular relationship between society, education and technology. This triangular relationship has allowed national policy for computers in school education to oscillate between policies aimed at adaptation to current or future needs of society (social integration) and policies aimed at using computer literacy as a resource for enhancing the active participation of citizens in the shaping of society and the social control of technology (political socialization).