ICT-mediated practice and constructivist practices: is this still the best plan for teachers’ uses of ICT?

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been introduced into schools internationally along with the expectation that teachers will use constructivist practices in their use. Despite ICT now being in schools for many years, research shows teachers are not changing in the expected constructivist direction. This article reports on a qualitative, five-year longitudinal study of the ICT practices of a small number of teachers to understand changes that developed in their practices. While ICT became more integrated into their teaching, school and systemic factors, as well as teachers’ core beliefs about learning, contributed to their maintaining of teacher-centred practices. While constructivist practices were not adopted, this article illustrates the changes the teachers made to their practices were educationally valuable as they supported the development of knowledge valued by contemporary society.