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ERIC Number: EJ964754
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1547-9714
EISSN: N/A
Principals' Attitudes towards ICT and Their Perceptions about the Factors that Facilitate or Inhibit ICT Integration in Primary Schools of Cyprus
Papaioannou, Photos; Charalambous, Kyriacos
Journal of Information Technology Education, v10 p349-369 2011
This study explores the Cyprus primary school principals' attitudes towards Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as well as their perceptions about the factors that facilitate or inhibit ICT integration in primary schools in Cyprus. A sequential mixed method approach was used to answer the research questions that guided this study. First, a survey was conducted among principals. Using a stratified random sampling 250 primary school principals from all over Cyprus (total population was 336) participated in this study. Data were collected through questionnaires, which were mailed to the principals. One hundred and thirty one questionnaires were received completed (response rate 52.4%). Then, a qualitative approach was followed. Eight principals were chosen to be interviewed based on specific criteria. The mixed method approach was chosen in order to safeguard the purpose of triangulation, complementarity, and expansion. Quantitative data were analyzed using the statistical package SPSS and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the research questions. The method of qualitative content analysis was used for the analysis of the qualitative data. Cyprus primary school principals, generally, hold positive attitudes towards ICT. However, a number of statistically significant differences were observed across gender, years of service, academic qualifications, access to a computer and the internet at home, in-service training on ICT for teaching and learning purposes, existence of a computer in the principal's office, computer experience, and the principals' attitudes towards ICT. In addition, even though principals value the importance of ICT in the teaching and learning process as well as for the fulfilment of their managerial and administrative purposes, they still need more tailor-made in-service training and incentives in order to transfer their theoretical enthusiasm into practice. Moreover, principals are aware of a number of factors that can facilitate or inhibit ICT integration. These factors can be divided in two main categories: internal factors (inspiring and competent leadership, school-based in-service training on ICT, capable ICT coordinator, provision of incentives to the ICT coordinator, involvement of primary stakeholders in the integration process, collaboration with the district ICT advisory teacher, teachers' competence and knowledge on ICT, acceptance of the innovation from the teachers) and external factors (centre-based in-service training on ICT, pupils' background knowledge on ICT, technical support-maintenance of ICT, time available for principals to prepare the ICT integration, number of computers per class, support of the innovation from the Ministry of Education and Culture). (Contains 5 tables.)
Informing Science Institute. 131 Brookhill Court, Santa Rosa, CA 95409. Tel: 707-531-4925; Fax: 480-247-5724; Web site: http://www.informingscience.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Cyprus
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A