ICT Education 2018: Growing Teacher Interest in Using Technologies in Educational Activities

Survey by Cetic.br indicates that 76% of teachers use the Internet to develop or enhance their knowledge about the use of technologies in teaching and learning processes

The search for information on how to use digital technologies in educational activities is increasingly common among Brazilian teachers. This is pointed out by the ICT Education 2018 survey, released this Tuesday (16) by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), through the Regional Center for Studies on Information Society Development (Cetic.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br). According to the study, 76% of teachers sought ways to develop or enhance their knowledge about using these resources in teaching and learning processes. 

Among the topics of interest among teachers when searching for courses and lectures, the most cited are the use of technologies in their specific teaching discipline (65%), the use of technologies in new teaching practices (65%), and ways to guide students on the safe use of computers, the Internet, and mobile phones (57%). According to ICT Education, 90% of teachers stated they learned to use the technologies on their own, 87% sought guidance from relatives and family members, and 82% sought help from their peers. The search for online videos and tutorials on the use of ICT in pedagogical practices increased by 16 percentage points from 2015 (59%) to 2018 (75%). 

Higher education teacher training courses have also been debating the use of digital technologies in pedagogical activities. ICT Education reveals that, in 2018, 64% of teachers under 30 had the opportunity to participate during their undergraduate studies in courses, debates, and lectures on the use of technologies and learning promoted by the college, and 59% engaged in projects and activities for their course on the topic. However, only 30% of teachers stated they participated in any continuing education program in the last year. Similarly, only 21% of public school principals stated that teachers in the institution participate in any teacher training programs for the use of technologies in activities with students. 

Digital Citizenship in Schools

"Training allows teachers to be better prepared to support and assist students in the appropriation of technologies, both as pedagogical resources and in terms of their critical, conscious, and responsible use," highlights Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br. Among teachers, 38% say they have already supported a student in dealing with uncomfortable online situations, such as bullying, discrimination, harassment, dissemination of images without consent, among others. 

For 44% of students in urban schools, teachers are considered sources of information about the use of technologies. According to the survey, 48% of them say teachers helped them use the Internet safely, and 39% that teachers talked about what to do if something bothers them online. "The dynamics of digital technology use experienced by students and teachers outside the school transcend school boundaries and emerge in discussions that also occur in the classroom," reinforces the Cetic.br manager. 

ICT Education 2018 also reveals that 51% of students say teachers advised them to compare information on different websites and 57% that teachers indicated which websites to use for school projects. "It is important that students and teachers have support forms and reference sources to extract more and better opportunities to use these resources. Educational policies, especially public ones, are very relevant for integrating education for digital citizenship into the school curriculum," adds Barbosa. 

NIC.br provides free materials that can help educators guide their students on safe Internet use, with the guide #Internet with Responsibility in your classroom and the slides of the CERT.br pamphlets, which can also be used during lessons. In addition, it offers in partnership with SaferNet Brasil a educator training course for conscious and responsible Internet use. 

Data Protection

Another topic that has caught the attention of the school community is the protection of personal data online: 59% of pedagogical coordinators sought courses, lectures, and information sources about the dissemination of students' and school's data on the Internet – an indicator collected for the first time by the survey. 

The presence of schools on the Internet was also investigated: 67% of public schools had a profile on social networks. Among private schools, this proportion is 76%, and 47% of them have a virtual learning environment. "Besides indicating a significant presence of schools on online platforms, the data suggest the relevance of integrating technologies into the curriculum also as a debate topic. The topic of data protection is an example. Although we already have a General Data Protection Law (LGPD), which comes into effect next year, its dissemination and knowledge among school actors still represents a challenge to be addressed by educational policies," notes Barbosa. 

Connectivity in Schools

ICT Education 2018 also indicates that access infrastructure to technologies remains one of the main challenges faced by schools: 58% of teachers in urban public schools use mobile phones in activities with students, with 51% of them using their own 3G and 4G networks for these activities. In rural schools, 58% of school administrators used mobile phones for administrative activities, with 52% stating it was a personal device, not provided by the school. 

About the Survey

Conducted between August and December 2018, the ICT Education survey investigates access, use, and appropriation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Brazilian public and private elementary and high schools, focusing on personal use by the school community and in management and teaching activities. In urban schools, 11,142 students from the 5th and 9th years of elementary school and 2nd year of high school; 1,807 Portuguese Language and Mathematics teachers and those teaching multiple subjects (initial years of elementary school); 906 pedagogical coordinators and 979 directors were interviewed in person. In schools located in rural areas, 1,433 directors or responsible individuals at the school were interviewed. 

To access the full ICT Education 2018 report and review the historical series, visit https://cetic.br/. Compare the evolution of the indicators through the data visualization available at: https://data.cetic.br/cetic/explore?idPesquisa=TIC_EDU. 

About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on Information Society Development, of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information about network development in the country. Cetic.br is a Regional Study Center under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br

The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a civil entity, of private law and non-profit, that, besides implementing the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, has among its responsibilities: coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding, and addressing security incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations — Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), implementing and operating Traffic Exchange Points — IX.br (https://ix.br/), enabling the Brazilian community's participation in the global development of the Web, and supporting the formulation of public policies — Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br), and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinates and integrates all initiatives of Internet services in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and dissemination of the offered services. Based on the principles of multilateralism, transparency, and democracy, CGI.br represents a multistakeholder governance model of the Internet with effective participation of all sectors of society in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/. 

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