Factors affecting school teachers’ perceptions of the instructional benefits of educational digital media

Abstract

This study aims to identify the factors that affect primary and secondary school teachers’ perceptions of the potential benefits of digital media for teaching and learning in schools. These perceptions are related to beliefs about the value of using digital media in education. Various studies have shown that when teachers believe that the use of digital media is valuable for instruction and learning, they are more likely to incorporate their use into teaching practice. Three sets of factors were used as independent variables: the general profile of the school and the teacher, the technological profile of the school, and the technological profile of the teacher. This study used survey data gathered from 702 teachers at 356 primary and secondary schools in Spain. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between the independent variables and teachers’ perceptions. The results show a strong relationship between these perceptions and the technological profile of teachers. The factors that best predict the dependent variable are the area of study, digital literacy, ICT training, and the frequency of Internet access, both inside and outside the school. Finally, we suggest that the integration of digital media in the classroom is not an isolated objective to be achieved separately from pedagogical goals, but is closely interrelated with teachers' educational aims..