In developing countries, the success of implementation of ICT is largely depends on the attitude and policies of the leadership. Several researches done on this issues and they have proven that attitude of principal/administrator is one of the factor that affects the successful ICT integration in the school.

Thank you Johannes and Noushad for your insight.

egrating or infusing technology into the curriculum in Trinidad in particular are indeed at various levels, and this depends on the school's readiness (infrastructure); administration and teacher readiness; and the policymakers (Ministry of Education officials) and Curriculum Officers support and motivation. An ICT policy document is also important. At the level of the Ministry of Education, the objectives of the need for ICT infusion must be clear to firstly principals and the principals must have the will to buy-into same.

Finally, the culture of education in Trinidad is still based on rote-learning and preparing for external examinations, such as SEA, CSEC and CAPE. Anything which affects the results of preparing for those examinations will be futile thinking.

I am being specific to Trinidad and Tobago because I have the research to substantiate what I say from research.

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Thank you Steve for your insight.

There has been much research done on this issue by BECTA in the UK, the OECD and UNESCO.

If asked to offer the “emerging issues” in a nutshell they would be:

1. Rhetoric is of as little value as refusal in relation to creating a vision of how ICT can support learning. In the UK case token words and phrases such as “transformation” and “classroom of the future” were used repeatedly in political speeches and in speculative research. These words become embedded in school aims, planning and in the “leadership vision”. What singularly failed to materialise in the UK’s “big push” for digital learning was an evidenced and clearly explained narrative of HOW the presence of digital technologies actually raise achievement. Sadly in many schools the management response was to engage with digital technologies in the school as an act of faith rather than an act of reason. The issue of ICT as a tool for teaching and learning took on almost cargo-cult status where simply the act of purchasing hardware and software would (by some unexamined and unexpected means) lead to increasing measurable outcomes in learning.

2.  Without adequate focussed and classroom relevant research school leaders cannot adequately define the detail of a plan which will achieve the goal of more/better learning. This has largely been due to a tendency of major research projects to take the form of large scale “impact studies”. For example the UK government spent many millions of £ on interactive whiteboards and evaluated this initiative in terms of measurable examination outcomes. The research provides little in the way of evidence of how the presence of this technology in the classroom actually works at teacher-pupil level to improve learning. Further such studies often say little about how other factors influencing outcome have been eliminated. Too often such government sponsored research seems little more than a justification for money spent. The claim that the installation of technology X led to a 5% increase in examination grades (even if credible) offers no causal narrative between the technology and the outcomes which would be necessary if school leaders were to use such research to inform their planning and action.

3. The imperative of the measurable (linked with the above) has also meant that monitoring of technology supported learning policies at government level have frequently grasped at easily elicited but largely valueless data e.g. pupil computer ratios. At one stage in the UK funding mechanisms aimed at boosting the number of computers in schools allowed the purchase of computers but not the installation of sockets so they could be used. As such in some schools the number of computers increased……but a number could not be used. In relation to the question asked, in some schools leadership ICT development plans were based on computer numbers rather than effectiveness of use.

In summary – one answer is:

Where a school management sees the use of ICT as a “token of modernism” – with a school prospectus with smiling children on the cover pointing at a computer, they are unlikely to be able to formulate a coherent and reasoned plan for the rational use of digital technologies.

Where management have been successful in constructing plans for the meaningful and effective deployment of ICT for learning the following are usually present:

a)      A clear understanding of what problems currently inhibit pupils from achieving what they are capable of.

b)      A capacity to explore digital technologies as ONE possible solution alongside others.

c)      An appreciation of the peripheral issues which arise from the use of digital technologies by using standard change management tools e.g. SWOT analysis to evaluate solutions.

d)     Ongoing tracking to ensure that early predicted gains are in fact accruing to the technology possibly through the use of pilot projects before directing more funding and energy to the scheme.

Hope this is helpful.

Even though Adrian Mee's remarks were about the English situation and not that of a developing country, I think the findings that he has outlined are very instructive for any country. To address your question directly, leadership is key for guiding the development and implementation of policy. But policy needs to be grounded in a clear understanding of how technology fits in with and works alongside all the other elements that comprise the teaching-learning environment of the classroom. I think it is important not to view technology as a factor separate from and above the other elements that come in to play in teaching and learning. Generally, in my view, all the past disappointments in technology use have been because of the unrealistic expectations that were held out for this single element in the overall teaching-learning transaction. I hope you find the references below useful (even though they are not directly linked to your question):

Livingstone,S. (2012). Critical reflections on the benefits of ICTs in education. Oxford Review of Education, 38(1), 9-24.

Wang, Q. (2008). A generic model for guiding the integration of ICT into teaching and learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 45(4), 411-419.

Howard, S.K. (2013). Risk-aversion: understanding teachers' resistance to technology integration. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 22(3), 357-372.

Yang, H. (2012). ICT in English schools: transforming education? Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 21(1), 101-118.

Hope you find these helpful.

Adrian and Olabisi:

Your insights regarding the impact of leadership in technology integration have been very illuminating. The research articles also help to answer my question.

Many thanks,

Debra Ferdinand