Children and young people’s narratives and perceptions of ICT in education in selected European countries complemented by perspectives of teachers and further relevant stakeholders in the education context

Our latest working paper presents the main findings of work package 5 ‘ICT in education’ in five countries Estonia, Germany, Greece, Norway, and Romania which explores how children and young people regard their education in terms of preparing them for future life in the digital age. The findings are not only reported on the perspectives of children and young people but are also enriched by results from interviews with teachers and national stakeholders. This report is thus intended to provide broad insights.

"At the level of children and young people, beneficial aspects include the great potential of Internet use to learn more, get answers beyond textbooks and discover new things. In this context, video platforms offer learning material that goes beyond the school material, addressing individual needs and supporting individualised learning. (...) ICT use enables children and young people to network with each other and with teachers. One harmful aspect at the level of children and young people is that there are differences in each individual’s access to digital devices that are available at home to do homework, engage in school networks or participate in (pandemic-induced) distance learning formats. Inequality in access associated with educational inequality is related to differences in the children and young people’s socioeconomic backgrounds, sometimes resulting in circumstances that limit their access to ICT. These differences can increase the risk of children and young people falling behind, not only in learning but also in socialisation. Due to the periods of distance learning caused by COVID-19, the risk of desocialisation was particularly evident, with children and young people expressing a desire for face-to-face contact rather than online-only contact. In this context, children and young people have also reported the risk of cyberbullying and social exclusion, in general. At the teacher level, a beneficial aspect of ICT is the opportunity to work with a variety of appealing materials and methods in the classroom through ICT use. Teachers’ organisation and classroom management were also mentioned as a strength of ICT, as lesson plans and results can be documented and stored for easy access for years to come. This can be seen as smart and sustainable work. Cooperation between teachers can be facilitated through ICT, creating new opportunities and more flexibility. Frequently mentioned benefits also refer to ICT as a time-saving tool for teachers and for teaching, provided that the technology works properly, especially the Internet connection." (p.16)