The use and integration of ICT in the teaching practice

Research findings on ICT in education has consistently shown that in spite of governments having invested in equipment, resources and teacher training, the integration of ICT in schools in many countries has been limited. This evidence also recognises that the uptake of ICT in schools is a complex issue in which many barriers need to be overcome before it is possible to speak of a successful implementation. The study presented in this book analyses the process of implementation of ICT in Chilean secondary schools by investigating the level of use of ICT that teachers have reached and the factors influencing the choice of ICT types and teachers' level of ICT use and perceived expertise. The original Level of Use model developed by Loucks, Newlove and Hall (1998) was used as the main framework for assessing teachers' level of ICT use and extent of integration, which was extended to incorporate the importance of three main dimensions of teacher knowledge and the frequency of ICT use. The findings should help policy makers at both government and institutional levels in their decisions regarding the implementation and integration of ICT in schools.