Abstract

The purpose of this doctoral dissertation is to explore the key learning experiences of schools involved in introducing innovative technology models to support the introduction of ICT (information and communications technology), into the Irish school system. The background to the research is the ‘Schools IT 2000’ initiative that was launched by the Irish Department of Education and Science (DES) in 1998. The Schools Integration Project (SIP), administered by the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE), was a key strand of this initiative. Its remit was to explore creative ways in which ICT could be successfully integrated into the existing school system at primary and post-primary levels. Two SIP projects, one known as the “Wired for Learning” project and the other as the “Thin Client Server Solution” project are the focus of this research. The Wired for Learning project is a multi-site project involving five schools in Dublin and Cork, comprising both primary and post-primary schools, piloting the use of a collaboration and communications technology system, designed and supported by IBM, for the entire school community. The Thin Client Server Solution project is a single site project with a whole school development focus, piloting the suitability of an ICT infrastructure for primary schools, based on thin client network technology using Citrix metaframe. Using a collective case study methodology, the researcher has conducted a detailed qualitative investigation of the process involved in implementing these technology projects into schools. The study’s findings bring the issues of technology, teachers, change and the school and teaching culture into sharp focus, as the research unveils the ‘emic’ issues that emerged as these two innovative technology models were introduced and implemented. It provides a unique insight into the role of sociological and psychological factors in the processes of innovation.