Researching IT in Education

Abstract

This chapter discusses how research into IT in education has diversified and expanded as a consequence of the relentless development of IT technologies. Research into IT in various educational settings is intertwined with the design of the IT tools themselves which in turn changes the nature of the teachers’ and pupils’ learning experiences. As the uses of IT in education became more varied and complex, research methods expanded to include measuring the organisation of the school, teachers’ beliefs, uptake and uses of IT, the motivation of the teachers and pupils, and the differences between different nation’s uses of IT. Powerful graphics, a plethora of different devices and communications technologies such as the Internet have resulted in new forms of knowledge representations and more sophisticated human-computer interactions. This ever-changing technology makes effective research into IT in education difficult, complex and challenging.