Understanding structural and cultural school characteristics in relation to educational change: the case of ICT integration
This study builds on the idea that school characteristics affect educational change, such as ICT integration. The goal of this inquiry is to explore both structural school characteristics (i.e. infrastructure, planning and support) and cultural school characteristics (i.e. leadership, goal orientedness and innovativeness) and how they contribute to ICT integration in the classroom. A survey of 527 teachers in 68 primary schools in Flanders (Belgium) was conducted that focused on teacher perceptions about structural and cultural school characteristics and their use of ICT in the classroom. In order to study the variables at school level, teacher responses were aggregated. The next step was to delineate school profiles originating from structural and cultural school characteristics by using a cluster analysis. Finally, the relationship between these school profiles and ICT integration was studied. The results suggest that (1) structural and cultural school characteristics fit together and (2) are relevant catalysts for ICT integration in the classroom.
Keywords: ICT integration; educational change; primary education; school culture; school policies
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium 2: Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium,Department of Education, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium 3: Department of Sociology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Publication date: 01 May 2009
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