School Based Ict Policy Planning

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Ruben Vanderlinde

Ghent University, Belgium

Book Review

Mehmet Kemal AYDIN

Yıldız Technical University

Ongoing PhD Student

January, 2013

Ä°stanbul

About the Author

Dr. Ruben Vanderlinde is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Educational Studies at Ghent University in Belgium. His research interests are school development, the ICT in education. His current research focuses on the schools as a learning organizations, the development of a vision and policy about ICT integration, technology leadership, and management aspects of ICT integration.

Introduction

The book "School-based ICT Policy Planning in a Context of Curriculum Reform" was written by Ruben Vaderlinde in 2011" and based on 6 research studies conducted by the author as well as including a general introduction part and a general conclusion part. The researchers, school principals, teachers and ICT policy planners can find this book useful for their careers.

Review

The book "The School-based ICT Policy Planning in a Context of Curriculum Reform" consists of eight chapters. The table of the contents of the book is presented below:

General Introduction

Educational technology on a turning point: Curriculum implementation in Flanders and challenges for schoolsNobody Wants to Be

The e-capacity of primary schools: Development of a conceptual model and scale construction

A new ICT curriculum for primary education in Flanders: Defining and predicting teachers perceptions of innovation

ICT policy planning in a context of curriculum reform: Disentanglement of ICT policy domains and artifacts

School-based ICT policy plans in primary education: Elements, typology and underlying processes

Using an online tool to support school-based ICT policy planning in primary education

General discussion and conclusion

In the Introduction Chapter, the author presents a holistic view on the ICT integration research studies and ICT integration models presented by various researchers. The author investigates not only teacher level conditions but also school level conditions from a school improvement perspective. Then the author gives overall information about the methodology of the six research studies in his book.

Chapter Two focuses on technology curricula and its implications for schools by reviewing the literature and investigating both technical rationale and pedagogical rationale. Then the author investigates the Flemish Technology Curricula.

Chapter Three investigates the ICT integration theoretical models and presents an empirically tested new model namely e-capacity framework. The author also developed a scale and administered exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses of the scale, resulting good goodness of fit.

Chapter Four deals with the New Flemish ICT curriculum and investigates the teachers’ perceptions on curriculum innovation framed by Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory. The research results reveal that ‘ICT competences of teachers’ and the ‘schools’ ICT vision and policy’ were significant predictors.

Chapter Five, the author explains facilitating factors of ICT integration and emphasizes that ICT policy planning is one of the responsibilities of school leaders. The author states that ICT policy planning is a multi-dimensional concept and related to the school culture and climate. Thus, in order to successfully operationalise a school-based ICT policy plan, ICT vision, ICT budget, ICT infrastructure, ICT training, and ICT curriculum are the policy areas that should be addressed.

Chapter Six focuses on investigating school based ICT policy plans and the role of leadership in the process. The author explains ICT policy related leadership behaviors are setting direction, developing people and making the organization work. The author also adds that online tools for ICT plans are also useful for creating school based ICT plans.

Chapter Seven presents the variables affecting the use of ICT in education described in the previous research and focuses on especially one of them: ICT policy planning. Then the author gives comprehensive information about the research context and introduce Planning for ICT in Schools (pICTos), which is an online tool developed by the author. Finally the author mentions that pICTos provides valuable data for structuring the school’s ICT policy plan and also provides for teachers a better understanding of ICT school vision.

The General Conclusion and Discussion Chapter the author mentions that this book mainly focuses on one school level ICT integration factor: School-based ICT policy planning. Next the author identifies ICT policy domains and emphasizes the key role of ICT coordinator. The author explains there is a need for further research in order to investigate successful integration of ICT into education.

Methodology

The author utilizes multiple methodologies in writing this book. The introduction part is a theoretical part. Chapter two is a literature review, chapter three and four are quantitative studies, chapter five is an explanatory mixed method design, chapter six is a qualitative study and chapter seven is an intervention study (convergent parallel mixed method). The final chapter is a general revision of the conclusions.

Conclusion

This book is a valuable source for ICT policy planners, F@tih project directorate, school principals. It sheds light to ICT policy planning not only giving theoretical information but also presenting good practices. As it is stated in the book ICT policy planning is one of the significant predictors of successful ICT integration according to the research studies. However, ICT policy planning is one of the most ignored areas in our schools. Because of Turkey’s centralized educational system, the schools have no school- based ICT plans and the opportunity to develop their own ICT policy plans. It is also surprising that the Ministry of National education don’t have a clear national ICT policy plan, either.

What we can learn from this book is what factors effect ICT integration, what policy domains are related with school leadership and how a school successfully develop and implement their own ICT policy plan in a decentralized educational system.