Exploring the Evolution of Educational Technology Policy in Ireland: From Catching-Up to Pedagogical Maturity

Abstract

Many countries have launched national educational technology policies in the past number of decades aimed at increasing technology integration in schools. This paper analyses educational technology policy in Ireland from 1997 to 2017 and draws attention to an underlying economic agenda for technology integration in schools, set against a backdrop of neo-liberal discourses. The study found that the challenge of integrating technology is no longer understood as simply a challenge of 'integration' but rather as a realignment of the existing education system towards a more student-centred experience. Most recent policy also recognises the complex and contextually-bound nature of the associated change process suggesting a maturation of understanding in respect of the intersection between technology and education. The paper also highlights the symbolic function of policy and the role it plays in representing the educational system in a particular light to national and international audiences. Recognising the symbolic function of educational technology policy and the neo-liberal ideology underpinning it can help identify the reasons for the apparent failures of past attempts to integrate technology in schools as well as informing future policy iterations.

What about the gatekeepers? School principals’ and school guidance counsellors’ attitudes towards computer science in secondary schools

“…Despite calls in Ireland for the introduction of CS as a subject in second-level education since the 1970s (see McGarr, 2009), there were no formal opportunities for students to engage in the study of CS up to that point. While earlier studies had been undertaken by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) into the feasibility of introducing a subject over 20 years ago (O'Doherty et al, 2004), little progress was made in the intervening period as attention focused on efforts to integrate digital technologies as teaching and learning tools across the curriculum (McGarr & Johnston, 2019). During these years, exposure to CS-related activities were largely dependent on the interest and enthusiasm of teachers within schools that offered optional experiences for interested students, either as part of introductory ICT classes or as extra-curricular activities outside the formal timetable.…”

“Back to the future”: Socio-technical imaginaries in 50 years of school digitalization curriculum reforms

“…Examples from education technology research using Jasanoff's concept to explore aspects of school digitalization include Williamson (2017) and Tafdrup (2019). Other critically oriented research is seen in UK studies on earlier reforms (McGarr & Johnston, 2019;Selwyn, 2002) and in Nordic case studies (e.g., Hallsén & Nordin, 2020;Hanell, 2018;Haugsbakk, 2013;McBride, 2019;Nivala, 2009;Saari & Säntti, 2018). There is also an emerging related field of study on how education reforms increasingly make use of digital technology for accountability politics, digital governance, and predictions of educational outcomes (e.g., Grek et al, forthcoming;Gulson & Sellar, 2019;Williamson, 2017).…”

Integration of ICT Skill Among Vocational School Teachers: A case in West Java, Indonesia

“…The challenges above require teachers to progressively improve information when the learning environment is integrated with ICT. In other words, the factors that lead to successful use of ICT in the classroom are components that include developing technological infrastructure, accessibility of educators, technical support, human resources (teachers, principals, and the existence of IT teams) and their beliefs in ICTs and institutional vision [11] [21].…”

“…Teachers' ICT skills at the global level, UNESCO has designed a competency framework for teachers (CFT), launched in 2008, to help education policy makers and curriculum developers identify skills needed by teachers to utilize technology in education [33]. This can be seen in Figure 3 below: With regard to teachers' ICT skills and gender, the issue of gender inequality in ICTs has been the subject of much research both internationally and locally, that men's ICT skills are more dominant than women's [17] [21]. Established women tend to be less interested in computers than men.…”