ERIC Number: EJ1008573
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Dec
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1443-833X
EISSN: N/A
Understanding Parent Perceptions of a 1:1 Laptop Program in Western Australia
Bate, Frank; MacNish, Jean; Males, Steven
Australian Educational Computing, v27 n2 p18-21 Dec 2012
This paper provides some initial findings from a current longitudinal study that examines the implementation of a student-owned 1:1 laptop program in a school for boys in Perth, Western Australia. This research tracks 196 students, their families and associated teachers for a 3-year period (2010-2012). Underpinning this research is a mixed methods approach investigating how boys use their laptops for learning, teachers' pedagogy and use of ICT, implementation differences between a junior and middle school, and possible impact of the laptops on learning. One theme that emerged from the first two years of data collection was a decrease in parent satisfaction with the extent to which the educational objectives of the laptop initiative were being met. This paper explores possible reasons for this decline in satisfaction, focusing on parent and student perceptions of (a) the time spent on laptops and (b) the activities that students are seen to be engaging with on their laptops. These perceptions are discussed in the context of parents' own knowledge of, and skills in, information and communications technologies (ICT) and relate to both school and home-based settings. (Contains 5 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Longitudinal Studies, Educational Objectives, Mixed Methods Research, Middle School Students, Elementary School Students, Educational Technology, Parent Attitudes, Males, Single Sex Schools, Student Attitudes, Family Environment, Negative Attitudes, Satisfaction, Teaching Methods, Computer Uses in Education, Laptop Computers, Time Factors (Learning), Program Effectiveness, Comparative Analysis, Pretests Posttests, Student Surveys, Teacher Surveys, Use Studies, Questionnaires
Australian Council for Computers in Education. P.O. Box 1255, Belconnen, ACT 2616, Australia. Tel: +61-3-9349-3733; Fax: +61-3-9349-5356; Web site: http://www.acce.edu.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A