The role of ICT in the classroom is becoming increasingly prominent for the transmission of knowledge. One of the challenges associated with the educational use of ICT is finding out what motivates...Show moreThe role of ICT in the classroom is becoming increasingly prominent for the transmission of knowledge. One of the challenges associated with the educational use of ICT is finding out what motivates teachers to use ICT for educational purposes. The main focus of this study is to examine the relationship between external factors and the educational use of ICT among primary school teachers. A distinction was made between three types of external factors: postive cognitive valences, perceived external support and school collegial support. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 227 primary teachers in the Netherlands. Ten teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. No relationship is found between gender and positive cognitive valences. The data didn’t support the expectations of a relationship between school collegial support and educational ICT use. The results show that perceived external support influences the educational use of ICT among primary school teachers. In particular, the results show that environments supporting teachers to engage in ICT activities increase the ICT usage of primary school teachers. The outcome of the qualitative analysis shows that teachers referred mostly to the school as a source of external support. Parents were the second-most mentioned source and students seemed to be the least prominent source of external support. Further research is necessary to make a distinction between different types of perceived external support and their influence on educational ICT use.Show less
