ABSTRACT

In the Republic of Ireland, the decision to introduce interactive technology into secondary schools is typically made at the school level. Tablet PCs are argued to be one form of technology with the potential to promote more student-centred teaching and learning. This article qualitatively examines the student voice on the benefits, drawbacks and potential for this technology, drawing on a thematic analysis of 32 semi-structured student focus group interviews from a theoretical sample of 10 secondary schools of differing ICT orientation. A key finding is that tablet PCs provide another way to actively engage students – provided other conditions such as reliable school and home Internet are satisfied. The article also highlights how students could play an important role in school decision making in this area. Findings suggest that maximising the benefits of this new technology requires ongoing evidence and evaluation, especially during a time of rapid technological advancement.

摘要

在爱尔兰共和国，将交互式技术引入中学的决定通常是在学校一级进行的。平板电脑被认为是一种技术形式，有可能促进以学生为中心的教学。本文从对10家不同ICT方向的中学的理论样本中对32个半结构化的学生焦点小组访谈进行了主题分析，从而定性地研究了学生对该技术的优点，缺点和潜力的看法。一个重要的发现是，平板电脑提供了另一种方式来积极参与学生-提供满足其他条件，例如可靠的学校和家庭互联网。文章还强调了学生如何在该领域的学校决策中发挥重要作用。研究结果表明，要最大限度地利用这项新技术，就需要不断的证据和评估，尤其是在技术日新月异的时代。