This long-term research project looked into effective technology use in teaching in Moscow and the Moscow region (supplemented with classroom observation and teacher journals from other regions of Russia).
The main goal of this project was to research exactly why some teachers are able to implement technology in a consistent, principled and productive manner and to formulate a possible way forward for encouraging and helping to promote wider-scale adoption of technologies in all sectors.
Stage 1 was largely anecdotal in nature, and based purely on recommended examples of best practice. In this introductory phase the aim was to get a general ‘big picture’ overview of technology in teaching in Moscow and to draw some basic conclusions to inform subsequent data gathering rounds of investigation.
The main thesis of this round of research was based on the concept that most teachers working successfully with technology were likely to be working in isolation, largely self-taught and – possibly- supported by online communities or Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) outside their institutional settings.
Interviews were conducted with both PRESET and INSET institutions to gauge exactly what kind of exposure new and experienced teachers have to technology training. This was followed up with interviews with teachers actively using technologies, a focus group held at the British Council office in Moscow and a small sample first round of teacher observations.
General conclusions found many infrastructural issues impeding consistent technology adoption in general education as well as human factors such as ageing trainer and head teacher populations, issues of ‘respect’, self-esteem and support. A lack of a ‘sharing culture’ within the education system, coupled with a very introspective outlook on the part of teachers leading to isolation, introspective practice and stagnation both in terms of development and implementation
Stage 2 involved an online survey, using Survey Monkey, which was opened in May 2011 and closed in April 2012. The survey was taken by 476 teachers from around the country, with a completion rate of 343 (72.1%). In the survey, teachers were asked for basic personal information related to their work environment, about their attitudes to technologies, their use of technologies and their successful technology integration moments. Participants who identified as not using technologies in their teaching were asked to consider factors contributing to their lack of adoption.
Anonymised results can be viewed at this URL (password: bcmoscow2012):
The survey in itself does not suggest any great deviations from what is known about the use of ICT in other countries, but general conditions impeding greater use and integration include:
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lack of good modeling of ICT use in initial training |
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lack of exposure to ICT related teacher training opportunities |
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frequent poor infrastructure and connectivity |
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infrequent or non-existent technical support in institutions |
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infrequent emphasis on the link between technology and pedagogy |
These are common themes, and there is a great need to address these large issues of teacher training, teacher support and ongoing teacher development in order to ensure successful ICT adoption going forward.
In Stage 3, sixty-four classroom observations were carried out by ten observers in ten different locations in Russia:
- Krasnoyarsk2 classes
- Kazan 4 classes
- Rostov-on-Don 5 classes
- Yaroslavl 5 classes
- Yoshkar-Ola 5 classes
- Vologda 8 classes
- Moscow 8 classes
- Ulyanovsk 8 classes
- Saint-Petersburg15 classes
We are indebted to Lidia Agafonova, Natalya Alatyreva, Olga Belyaeva, Elena Kazachkova, Tatiana Likintseva, Liudmila Lipilina, Ilnur Minakhmetov, Nataliya Pateeva, Ekaterina Shadrova and Irina Titarenko for carrying out the observations.
Observations were carried out over a period of six months between November 2011 and April 2012. Observers worked from an agreed observation template designed and refined in consultation with them during a workshop in Moscow. Anonymised completed observations sheets may be viewed on request to Olga Barnashova at the British Council (subject to permissions): Olga.Barnashova@britishcouncil.ru.
Initial results from the teacher observations suggest an over-reliance on PowerPoint as the dominant technology in class, leading to a predominately ‘chalk and talk’ approach to usage, with little learner production of artifacts through ICT.
In Stage 4, selected teachers were asked to keep journals over a space of four weeks to get a more in-depth picture of their ICT use and the precise level of integration of the technologies in their teaching. Although the overall picture corresponded closely to that unearthed in Stage 3, there were some surprisingly creative uses of technologies.
The final report from the project is now available to download. This includes in-depth analysis of the data from all four stages as well as general conclusions and actions points addressing the major impediments to successful implementation.
You can now donwload the report from this webpage. Technology-Enhanced Teaching by Gavin Dudeney
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