Publication Details
Bate, F. G., MacNish, J., & Males, S. (2012). Parent and student perceptions of the initial implementation of a 1:1 laptop program in Western Australia. 2012 International Conference on Education and Management Innovation.
Abstract
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 (primary) and middle (secondary) school, and possible impact of the laptops on learning. One theme that emerged from the first year of data collection was a decrease in parent satisfaction with the extent to which the educational objectives of the laptop initiative are 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.
Keywords
ICT, Mobile Learning, laptop, laptop implementation, 1:1
Comments
Further information about the 2012 International Conference on Education and Management Innovation – ICEMI 2012 may be accessed here
The Authors:
Dr Frank Bate
Dr Jean MacNish