A Socio-Technical Analysis of Factors Affecting the Integration of ICT in Primary and Secondary Education

Abstract

We live in a world that is constantly impacted by information and communication technology (ICT). ICT is considered an important catalyst and tool for inducing educational reforms and progressively extending and modifying the concept of literacy. With the extensive use of ICT in schools and everyday life, the term computer literate has already been established. Schools are open systems that interact with their environment, and the effective use and integration of technology is directly associated with the role of various socio-technical factors that may impact the integration of ICT in schools. In this chapter, we report on an exploratory study undertaken in Cyprus schools to examine the status of using ICT from the perspective of socio-technical systems. Specifically, teachers’ knowledge of ICT, frequency of using ICT for personal purposes, frequency of using ICT for instructional purposes in different subject matters, attitudes toward ICT, self-confidence in using ICT in teaching and learning, and school climate were examined. The findings provide useful guidance to policymakers for planning, implementing, managing, and evaluating the integration of ICT in schools. Implications for the concept of computer literacy are discussed.