Concept-guided development of ICT use in ‘traditional’ and ‘innovative’ primary schools: what types of ICT use do schools develop?

The fit between existing educational practices and promoted classroom use of information and communication technologies is increasingly recognized as a factor in successful integration of such technologies in classroom practice. Using a descriptive multiple-case study design, we characterize the types of information and communication technology (ICT) use resulting from a ‘concept-guided’ approach in five schools. Teachers at schools characterized as having a ‘traditional’ or an ‘innovative’ school concept were supported in designing and implementing ICT-enhanced learning arrangements that fit their schools' educational concept. In the traditional schools, ICT was primarily applied to extend and support the use of standard teaching materials in mostly teacher-directed activities. The innovative schools on the other hand used ICT tools primarily to support open-ended activities with a lot of input from the pupils. All five schools expected ICT to increase pupils' motivation, improve learning results, promote self-directed learning, and enable differentiation between pupils. Yet underneath these goals, we find distinct differences in expectations between the two school types.