This thesis has provided a comprehensive overview in regard to ICT use in lower secondary science teaching in Iceland, from the availability of resources and how they are used to teacher and pupil attitudes towards the current practices. Such a comprehensive overview was not available before and will prove a valuable addition to existing literature on ICT implementation and school development.
This study highlighted the factors that affect Icelandic teachers in their technology integration. This work has established that implementing technology is a complicated process and that the conditions that affect teachers are numerous. There is rich potential for using ICT in science teaching but also barriers that need to be overcome. Not one actor can be held responsible for low technology integration, all stakeholders need to take an invested interest and commit to further development.
In this thesis I used cultural historical activity theory to analyse and reflect on aspects of teachers’ lives and their own practice. This use of activity theory shed light on aspects that otherwise might have been overlooked or misinterpreted. Methodologically, this study shows the value of collecting different kinds of data to be able to compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative data to give a rich description of a complex reality.
Last but not least the importance of teachers was emphasised as they proved to be just as important and in some cases more important than the resources used. This is important evidence that this is still the case. ICT implementation has often been characterised by bringing in equipment and expecting teachers to just take to it like fish to water (Cuban, 2001). That has not happened and my study is a timely reminder in times of rapid technology influx that a sound TPKC does not emerge by itself for majority of teachers.
8.4.
Concluding remarks
Böhm (2004) said ‘Frequently investigators experience difficulties in sticking to the central proposition of the investigation because of the ‘surfeit of important details’’ (p. 274). At the beginning of analysing the interviews, I found that teachers had spoken about all different kind of things other than those I had asked about. For example, I asked about what resources they needed and they would start talking about practical work and outdoor education. Being a novice interviewer, I found this all really interesting and got side-tracked. Now at the end of this road, I wonder whether this was not also a sign of the urgency or better yet lack of urgency that teachers view ICT use. Maybe other matters are far more urgent? Maybe teachers are more concerned with practical work, assessment, classroom management and other things they started talking about. Or maybe this is also a sign of the lack of knowledge that I found, that by teachers not knowing about the affordances and benefits of ICT in teaching science they do not realise the urgency of the matter!
My study has shown that ICT and DLRs may be used for pupil benefit but that it also takes skills and knowledge on the teachers’ part. The effect that teacher expertise has on learning may not be underestimated. In the coming years I will do my best to implement the recommendations put forth in this thesis to nurture my own and my colleagues expert TPKC so we may bring Icelandic schools into the 21st century with innovative technology rich science teaching and learning.
"Computers are not magic, teachers are magic."
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