The participation rates in Northern Ireland were the highest in the UK, with 21,164 teachers and school librarians enrolling and 94% completing the programme by the due date of March 2003. Late completions continue through to December 2003. The response of Northern Ireland teachers, as a group, to quality assurance factors such as competence, confidence, motivation and satisfaction were also the highest in the UK.

In those schools where the programme was most successful, there was a clear commitment by the principal and senior management to make training a priority. Where this was forthcoming, participants’ progress against the expected outcomes was good.

The integration of ICT into classroom practice has been more successful in the primary sector where teachers have seized the NOF opportunity in a substantive way. In this sector, the vast majority of teachers report a greater confidence and enthusiasm in the use of ICT.

The integration of ICT with classroom teaching is more variable in the post-primary sector. As a result of training, post-primary teachers are much more aware of the relevance of ICT to classroom teaching. Some teachers are including ICT tentatively in departmental schemes of work and in individual teaching plans.

An Inspectorate report summed up the situation as follows: ‘a majority of schools, however, need to integrate ICT further into the curriculum and ensure continuity and progression in the development of children’s ICT skills’.  (1)

The model of training used was pedagogically sound, but was a significantly new experience of training for the majority of teachers in Northern Ireland, where out of school, centre-based, face-to-face in-service training was the norm.

Despite initial teething problems, most teachers reported a relatively good experience in their training. Assessors reported that motivation was often high and they attributed this mainly to the sustained enthusiasm and hard work of the school organiser and/or the teachers.

The majority of teachers reported greater collegiality, cooperation and mutual support within and beyond their own schools through professional contacts and networking, as well as the sharing of ideas and materials. Where support at school level was inadequate, poor motivation was almost inevitable, with consequent low commitment on the part of some teachers.

The learning experience of many participants was not without its difficulties. The online, supported self-study aspects of training were, to a large extent, unfamiliar to most. The extent of individual commitment required had not been understood; nor were many teachers ready for a critical, reflective focus on their classroom practice. These problems were exacerbated by the lack or inadequacy of infrastructure and connectivity, particularly in the post-primary sector.

Since the success of any training programme depends to a great extent on the commitment of school principals and senior management teams, it was important that their involvement included a focus on quality assurance.

In general, senior management in primary schools were more successful in remaining close to the requirements than those in post-primary schools.

While the advent of C2k hardware and connectivity coincided fairly closely with the NOF training in primary schools, its delay in post-primary schools was a significant disincentive.

Finally, the conservative nature of school culture presented a particular challenge to those charged with managing and supporting the programme.

The most significant impact of this programme was to shift the professional knowledge base to a point where using digital technologies to support learning, teaching and professional practice had come to be seen as the new norm for all, with ICT no longer seen only as a select subject for specialists and some pupils.

Post-NOF, school principals need to ensure school-wide progress with integrating ICT. Both they and teachers should have opportunities to participate in collaborative online communities of practice.

Schools should have a post-NOF agenda, prepared in the context of their school development planning, which comprises targets and action plans on:

• technology-enabled curriculum and professional development to empower their teaching through the use of electronic and online multimedia;
• support at whole-school level, built upon individual department or key stage plans.

More advice on school development plans, incorporating ICT targets, can be found in the emPowering Schools Strategy briefing paper 5.

Extracted from the NOF final report which can be found on www.elearningfutures.com

Reference

1  ICT in Primary, Post-Primary and Special Schools, 2001-2002 ETI, 2003

JANUARY 2004