Abstract
One perspective on the last twenty years, which has seen the introduction of computers in education in the UK, is that it has been an enormously successful and dynamic time. An alternative perspective which I propose here, is that this period has been characterised by a confusion of purpose and lack of clarity of objectives. A chronology of national initiatives indicates conceptual confusion as to the role of Information Technology (TT) within schools, a dichotomy of purpose, and the shifting climate from Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) to IT skills. These initiatives have also shifted their focus away from software development, to in-service training and support through a number of short-lived agencies each with changing foci for implementation. I believe this has inhibited the success of in-service and explains the relatively infrequent use of IT by teachers in schools.
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© 1997 IFIP
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Watson, D.M. (1997). A dichotomy of purpose: the effect on teachers of government initiatives in information technology. In: Passey, D., Samways, B. (eds) Information Technology. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35081-3_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35081-3_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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