Conceptions or misconceptions? Primary teachers' perceptions and use of computers in the classroom

Why should computers be used in primary schools and what roles have they come to play in the classroom? This paper describes an investigation into UK primary teachers' perceptions and use of computers in the classroom. The responses collected illustrate the existence of two broad groups of teachers. Those who adopt a computer awareness perspective and those who believe that the computer should be used as a means to facilitate and enhance teaching and learning. Furthermore, the responses suggest an association between teachers' beliefs about computer use and teachers' patterns of actual computer use and thus demonstrate that educational innovations are primarily and intrinsically realized in our way of thinking before they become practice. Yet, this way of thinking may be formed not only by teachers' interpretations of official orders and requirements but also by their knowledge of information technology (IT) and their comprehension of what teaching and learning is about. © 1998 IFIP, published by Chapman & Hall Ltd.