Handicraft and home economics teachers’ understandings of the possibilities of ICT usage in their practice
2017
Veeber, E., Tallinn Univ. (Estonia) | Taar, J., Tallinn Univ. (Estonia) | Paas, K., Tallinn Univ. (Estonia) | Lind, E., Tallinn Univ. (Estonia)
Manual activity has been considered as an essential component of personality development for a couple of centuries in Estonian education. Although handicraft and home economics (HHE) is school subject where the student obtains basic skills that are constant in time, its content is also reactive to the changes in the society. One might think that using ICT is the opposite of the physical process of making with hands and that HHE subject’s predominantly practical content has difficulties when trying to keep up with rapid digital development. People like to make things by hands and share them not only on the pragmatic purpose, but also for sense of belonging. As digital technology has become part of our everyday life, therefore it may be viewed as an extension of the physical space offering a meeting place where it is possible to act, find like-minded people and meaningful information without the limitations of physical world. The aim of the study was to find out HHE teachers’ understandings of the usage of ICT tools in subject teaching in the compulsory school. Data consisted of teachers’ writings where they described the personal experiences of using ICT tools. Writings were analysed using inductive coding. The results of the study show that HHE teachers’ readiness to use ICT tools is dependent of their subject specific views. Even if HHE teachers see digital technology as a part of daily life that can be integrated in their work they do not use the full potential of new possibilities. Their writings showed lack of digital pedagogical skills and inability to apply modern technologies in student-centred instruction.
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