The Use and Perception of ICT Among Educators: The Italian Case

When observing the impact of ICT on education, it's possible to distinguish two main areas of interest: how the ICTs are integrated in the educational strategies by teachers and students and how they are used by the students in activities that interfere with the educational process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the school-related uses, perceptions and representations of ICTs among primary and secondary school educators. More specifically, the research focused on the differences in ICT usage among the educators and their opinions on how ICTs are employed by the students, and what is the diffusion of problems connected with ICT misuse among their students. A sample of 796 educators from all over Italy answered to an online questionnaire composed of three parts, assessing their ICT skills, their perception of ICT use in school and their perception of the risks connected with ICT use. Four patterns of ICT use are found among the educators, going from highly skilled users to insecure users. These groups differ in their propensity to using ICTs in their teaching. On the whole, the sample highlighted a request for additional training on ICT use, and a wide diffusion of problems such as Internet addiction or cyberbullying in all the school levels, primary, middle and upper-school.