Report on digitalisation in comprehensive schools completed
The report on digitalisation in the learning environments of comprehensive schools and teachers' skills in exploiting digital learning environments has been completed. Published by the Ministry of Education and Culture, this report is part of the implementation of the 2015 Government plan for analysis, assessment and research. Tampere Research Centre for Information and Media of the Unuiversity of Tampere was selected for the implementation of the report.
The purpose of the study was to examine the current situation in relation to the digitalisation of the learning environment in comprehensive schools across the country, how digital learning environments are used in teaching and teachers' skills in making use of digital learning material. The report also lists both elements that hamper digital teaching and those that help promote it.
The report shows that teachers in comprehensive schools view digitalisation in a positive light (70% of the respondents) and would like to use more digital applications in their work (75% of the respondents). Roughly half of the teachers believe they master the basics in information and technology use and close to one third feel that their skills are more advanced. But the report also shows that there are those who would like to improve their skills, as around 20% of the respondents reported having significant shortcomings in their ICT competence.
The respondents felt that the amount of devices and equipment available is insufficient and that the quality of the equipment is not always the best (60%). Half of all respondents were satisfied with their internet connections while one in three were dissatisfied with their wireless connection, and in some schools there was no wireless connection at all.
It is worth noting that according to the report the main users of ICT are teachers while students use it considerably less for educational purposes. Just under 50% of all teachers use ICT on a weekly basis and around one third use it daily. One in five teachers use it less frequently than once a week. In the light of the forthcoming new national curriculum, programming is still very rarely included in the study modules in comprehensive schools, and media contents are seldom produced by students for educational purposes.
Based on the report, successful elements in the digitalisation of teaching consist of peer training based on user needs, where the instruction takes place in the environment and context where the teacher uses the skills. The report also indicates that various ways of implementing digitalisation and their cyclical development are important factors, where all parties can be involved.
The report is part of the key project of the Government Programme that promotes digitalisation and the development of comprehensive schools. Progress in the digitalisation of comprehensive schools will be reassessed in 2017 and 2018 by means of follow-up studies.
Report (in Finnish)
Annex 1 (in Finnish)
Annex 2 (in Finnish)
Further information on the Government’s Analysis, Assessment and Research Activities is available on the website tietokayttoon.fi/en
Inquiries: Tero Huttunen, Special Advisor, Ministry of Education and Culture, tel. +358 295 330 219 and Jarmo Viteli, Research Director, University of Tampere / TRIM - Tampere Research Centre for Information and Media, tel. +358 500 731 237