Research on ICT in K-12 schools – A review of experimental and survey-based studies in computers & education 2011 to 2015

Abstract

What is the role of a journal? Is it to follow the research or lead it? For the former, it is to serve as an archival record of the
scholarship in a field. It can serve to permit the research community to engage with each other via the written record. But, for
the latter, it can serve the research community by pointing out gaps in the research based on the archival record. This review
is intended to do just that.
In recent years there has been an increasing interest in how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been
used to enhance learning in schools. There are several reasons for this growing interest. Firstly, ICT has the potential to change
the nature of disciplines e it changes the sorts of questions you can answer, the ways in which you go about answering them,
and the ways in which you represent your understandings. Secondly, ICT provides new ways of supporting learners – it
changes pedagogy. Thirdly, ICT opens up access to information, and some claim that it provides opportunities to widen access
to education (OECD, 2015a; OECD, 2015b). Finally, ICT already forms part of the daily lives of children. There is therefore a need
to develop learners who can work critically and function in an ICT-rich, connected society.
Many papers have been published by the educational technology research community regarding the needs and effects of
using ICT in the classroom (Condie & Munro, 2007; Fu, 2013). Among the reported effects are an improvement in learning and
the development of basic, transversal skills or competences. Some of these studies are more teacher-centered, focused on
identifying the needs and barriers for ICT adoption at school; others are more student-centered, analyzing the effects that the
use of technology has on learner performance. There is consensus among teacher-centered studies that successful implementation
of ICT requires the involvement of students, teachers, senior leaders in schools and policy makers as part of the
process (Fu, 2013; Mumtaz, 2000; Ringstaff & Kelley, 2002). In terms of educational policies, a recent review, developed by
national and local governments of Norway, Flanders and England, analyzed the content features of educational curricula for
primary education (Aesaert, Vanderlinde, Tondeur, & van Braak, 2013). The results of the aforementioned review suggest that
curricula emphasize the need for developing a critical, safe and responsible use of educational technology. With regards to
student-centered studies, the technical report by Condie and Munro (2007) analyzes the results from a literature review of
over 350 published articles that reveal the positive impact of ICT use on student performance at school. This study highlights
the fact that ICT has the greatest impact on student performance when it is included as a regular part of the classroom
experience. Research has also shown that the use of ICT also improves motivation and engagement, resulting in greater
persistence and a more profound understanding among students (Underwood, 2009). A positive impact on student performance
has also been obtained with particular technologies. This is the case, for instance, of mobile technologies, according to
the review by Wu, Jim, Chen, Kao, and Lin (2012).