Researching Teacher Take-up of ICT: Past Perspectives and Present Day Challenges

This paper looks at how research into the use of ICT in teaching and learning has been approached, in particular research into teacher take-up of ICT. It begins by describing two traditions of research: the first with a focus on external or contextual factors which operate on the teacher (a concern for structure in the broadest sense of the word) and the second with a focus on the perceptions and actions of individual teachers themselves (a concern for agency, again in a broad sense). It is suggested these two perspectives have provided a consistent picture concerning the take-up of ICT. However more research is needed into: the changing context of technology use; supporting teachers in making educational decisions about their use of technology; the ecology of the classroom.