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[File] Digital education: "What do we know today about the place and use of digital in schools?"

Published on 20 January 2022
Update on 26 September 2022
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Summary

The Department of Evaluation, Forecasting and Performance (DEPP) of the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports has undertaken to take stock of "what is known today about the place and use of digital technology in schools".

This summary is based on a decade of studies, on recent publications by the DEPP and on evaluations of several schemes set up to develop the role of digital technology in education (D'COL, the Collèges connectés, and more recently the Plan numérique).

The evolution of digital equipment in schools

The number of students per computer has declined sharply over the past decade in the first grade and in college:
  • in kindergarten, the number of students per computer decreased from 25.3 to 15.9 students per computer between 2009 and 2019 ;
  • Over the same period, it dropped from 11.6 to 6.9 in elementary school and from 8.1 to 3 in middle school;
  • In high school, the indicator has remained relatively stable since 2010, due to an already high equipment rate (it went from 3.1 to 2.3 between 2010 and 2019).
Digital technology is becoming more and more important for schools, which are increasingly equipped: computers but also tablets, interactive digital boards, overhead projectors, etc. The number of interactive digital boards has increased, for example, from 2 per 1000 students in elementary schools in 2009 to 17 per 1000 students in 2019. In middle schools, it has increased from 3 per 1,000 students to 17.7 per 1,000 students over the same period.

In addition, the DEPP observes a strong increase in the percentage of establishments and schools whose project makes reference to information and communication technologies.

Digital-related teaching practices: frequency, sense of effectiveness, and training needs

While teachers largely use digital tools to prepare their lessons (94% for primary and 88% for secondary education), fewer use them to guide classroom sessions (50% and 70% respectively) and even fewer let students use ICT for projects or class work (14% and 36% respectively).

A survey had specifically focused in 2019 on the pedagogical practices implemented in the teaching of mathematics. In 2019, the digital tool most used by 9th graders in mathematics was the calculator: 56% of teachers said that they "very often" had their students work with a calculator, while only 3 to 5% said that they "very often" used dynamic geometry software, a spreadsheet or even an online exercise bank.

Less pedagogical integration of digital tools by teachers

Periodic Survey of Education (PSDE) data indicate that "the pedagogical use of digital technology is considered the lowest priority and least feasible practice by college professors, and also stands out as the least widespread pedagogical practice."

The use of digital technology by teachers in primary schools is even lower than in secondary schools; however, the degree of priority is comparable in both schools.

Teachers are increasingly trained in digital technology as part of their initial training

In 2018, 53% of elementary classroom teachers (and 51% of middle school teachers) reported that their pre-service training addressed the use of ICT

This finding masks, however, disparities according to the date of graduation:

  • Only 21% of school teachers who graduated before 1996 report having dealt with digital technology as part of their initial training, compared to 85% of those who graduated after 2008;
  • In secondary education, only 18% of teachers who graduated before 1996 indicate that they had dealt with digital technology during their initial training, whereas 74% of those who graduated after 2008 did so.

But often dissatisfied with this training

The DEPP also observes differences in teacher satisfaction with their initial training, depending on the date of graduation, seniority and territory of practice. "Thus, teachers with less seniority (less than 5 years) are more likely than those with more seniority to feel very satisfied with their initial training in terms of content related to digital education (in both primary and secondary education), but also more likely to attend in-service training in this area in primary education.

Despite the changes that have taken place in initial training, only 25% of those who said they had dealt with the use of ICTE in this way were satisfied with their preparation for this subject in primary education, compared with 47% in secondary education.

In-service digital training can compensate for the limitations of initial training: only 34% of French primary school teachers and 50% of secondary school teachers had participated in ICTE-related training in the past 12 months, according to a survey conducted in 2018.

"The limitations mentioned in terms of training may explain why pedagogical practices using digital technology for learning are underdeveloped. [....] It could be that the use of ICT in the classroom, as a new teaching method, is held back by the low level of feeling of preparation in this field .

Students' digital skills

Students today are clearly "connected" students with a significant likelihood of having their own cell phone (smartphone many times) and/or digital tablet.

83% of parents of middle and high school students said that their child had his/her own phone at the time of the lockdown, 45% had his/her own computer and 24% had his/her own tablet.

However, the possession of personal digital tools by students seems to differ according to the social origin of the parents and their school. For example, 34% of students in private schools have their own computer, compared to 26% of students in priority education schools.

French students' digital skills are average compared to international surveys

According to the International Computer and Information Literacy Study ( ICILS ) 2018 assessment by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), France scores an average of 499 in digital literacy, just slightly above the international average of countries participating in the survey.

"This score means that, on average, students know how to use a computer for the basic tasks of collecting and managing information. However, it is important to note that only 40% of French students reach this level. They know how to make simple changes and add content to existing digital documents. They also know how to create simple information documents by respecting the rules of page-setting. They demonstrate knowledge of information protection mechanisms. These results undermine the "digital native" myth that students from recent generations who grew up in an environment marked by the development of the Internet and new technologies would find it easier to use digital technology.

The ICILS assessment also looks at computational thinking. "France obtains an average score of 501, one point above the international average. This means that, on average, French students are able to implement simple solutions to real problems on the computer.

The greater presence of digital tools in the daily lives of young people is not always associated with progress in learning, comments the DEPP: "This is due in particular to the fact that the tasks required in school learning differ from the tasks performed by students in their personal use of tools. Indeed, they use digital tools (phone, tablet, computer) mainly to send messages, connect to social networks, play or watch videos. In a school setting, if digital tools are used at all, it is more for research, creating written documents or oral presentations, or for computer programming.

In both first and second grades, girls score better, on average, than boys. On the other hand, vocational education students are over-represented in the lowest performing groups and under-represented in the highest performing groups. The same is true for students from schools with a low social position index. (These results are confirmed by the international ICILS assessment).

A nuanced assessment of three recent schemes

Several studies in the international literature suggest that the use of digital technology in the classroom promotes the development of cross-curricular skills (perseverance, self-confidence, autonomy, curiosity, etc.) identified as assets for academic success but also for future "success.

The DEPP relies here on the results of three schemes set up with the aim of developing the place of digital technology in teaching and learning: D'COL, the Collèges connectés, and the 2015 Digital Plan.

  • D'COL, a digital aid system for students in difficulty in the sixth grade, deployed in vocational schools: "Although the system does not have an overall effect on the learning of students as a whole, D'COL does seem to improve the results of the weakest students, mainly in math and English. The teaching teams, as well as the students involved in the program, believe that it fosters autonomy, self-confidence and motivation in the students.
  • The "Connected Colleges" program was implemented in September 2013. At the national level, 72 colleges were selected to benefit from specific investments and support to enable them to integrate digital technology more widely into their teaching and school life. "The integration of digital technology into teaching and school life seems to be closely linked to the actual equipment of the colleges, the actions of the head teacher, the support that teachers receive, and their perception of digital technology in general and its use in their profession. "More teachers in the first phase of connected middle schools have their students use digital tools in class. This regular use of digital tools in class by students goes hand in hand with a more frequent implementation of "active" teaching practices, emphasizing experimental activities, promoting group work or differentiation.
  • 2015 Digital Plan for Education: the main component of this plan was the distribution, via calls for projects, of mobile digital equipment (mainly tablets) to secondary schools for individual or collective use, in class and/or at home. These tablets were distributed individually to students (individual mobile equipment - EIM) or collectively to schools in the form of mobile classes (CM). At the end of the 5th grade, we observed a positive effect of the individual mobile equipment on the students' results in oral comprehension of French and on their digital skills. At the end of the fourth grade, the results of the students benefiting from the MIS also show a positive evolution in written comprehension of French and in mathematics compared to the non-equipped students. A positive impact of the Mobile Classrooms can also be observed on the mathematical and numerical skills of 4th grade students at the end of the school year. The availability of individual mobile equipment leads teachers to integrate digital technology more into their professional practices, while the availability of a mobile classroom has no effect.
 

Référence :

Sources

[File] Digital education: "What do we know today about the place and use of digital in schools?"

The Department of Evaluation, Forecasting and Performance (DEPP) of the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports has undertaken to take stock of "what is known today about the place and use of digital technology in schools".

This summary is based on a decade of studies, on recent publications by the DEPP and on evaluations of several schemes set up to develop the role of digital technology in education (D'COL, the Collèges connectés, and more recently the Plan numérique).

The evolution of digital equipment in schools

The number of students per computer has declined sharply over the past decade in the first grade and in college:
  • in kindergarten, the number of students per computer decreased from 25.3 to 15.9 students per computer between 2009 and 2019 ;
  • Over the same period, it dropped from 11.6 to 6.9 in elementary school and from 8.1 to 3 in middle school;
  • In high school, the indicator has remained relatively stable since 2010, due to an already high equipment rate (it went from 3.1 to 2.3 between 2010 and 2019).
Digital technology is becoming more and more important for schools, which are increasingly equipped: computers but also tablets, interactive digital boards, overhead projectors, etc. The number of interactive digital boards has increased, for example, from 2 per 1000 students in elementary schools in 2009 to 17 per 1000 students in 2019. In middle schools, it has increased from 3 per 1,000 students to 17.7 per 1,000 students over the same period.

In addition, the DEPP observes a strong increase in the percentage of establishments and schools whose project makes reference to information and communication technologies.

Digital-related teaching practices: frequency, sense of effectiveness, and training needs

While teachers largely use digital tools to prepare their lessons (94% for primary and 88% for secondary education), fewer use them to guide classroom sessions (50% and 70% respectively) and even fewer let students use ICT for projects or class work (14% and 36% respectively).

A survey had specifically focused in 2019 on the pedagogical practices implemented in the teaching of mathematics. In 2019, the digital tool most used by 9th graders in mathematics was the calculator: 56% of teachers said that they "very often" had their students work with a calculator, while only 3 to 5% said that they "very often" used dynamic geometry software, a spreadsheet or even an online exercise bank.

Less pedagogical integration of digital tools by teachers

Periodic Survey of Education (PSDE) data indicate that "the pedagogical use of digital technology is considered the lowest priority and least feasible practice by college professors, and also stands out as the least widespread pedagogical practice."

The use of digital technology by teachers in primary schools is even lower than in secondary schools; however, the degree of priority is comparable in both schools.

Teachers are increasingly trained in digital technology as part of their initial training

In 2018, 53% of elementary classroom teachers (and 51% of middle school teachers) reported that their pre-service training addressed the use of ICT

This finding masks, however, disparities according to the date of graduation:

  • Only 21% of school teachers who graduated before 1996 report having dealt with digital technology as part of their initial training, compared to 85% of those who graduated after 2008;
  • In secondary education, only 18% of teachers who graduated before 1996 indicate that they had dealt with digital technology during their initial training, whereas 74% of those who graduated after 2008 did so.

But often dissatisfied with this training

The DEPP also observes differences in teacher satisfaction with their initial training, depending on the date of graduation, seniority and territory of practice. "Thus, teachers with less seniority (less than 5 years) are more likely than those with more seniority to feel very satisfied with their initial training in terms of content related to digital education (in both primary and secondary education), but also more likely to attend in-service training in this area in primary education.

Despite the changes that have taken place in initial training, only 25% of those who said they had dealt with the use of ICTE in this way were satisfied with their preparation for this subject in primary education, compared with 47% in secondary education.

In-service digital training can compensate for the limitations of initial training: only 34% of French primary school teachers and 50% of secondary school teachers had participated in ICTE-related training in the past 12 months, according to a survey conducted in 2018.

"The limitations mentioned in terms of training may explain why pedagogical practices using digital technology for learning are underdeveloped. [....] It could be that the use of ICT in the classroom, as a new teaching method, is held back by the low level of feeling of preparation in this field .

Students' digital skills

Students today are clearly "connected" students with a significant likelihood of having their own cell phone (smartphone many times) and/or digital tablet.

83% of parents of middle and high school students said that their child had his/her own phone at the time of the lockdown, 45% had his/her own computer and 24% had his/her own tablet.

However, the possession of personal digital tools by students seems to differ according to the social origin of the parents and their school. For example, 34% of students in private schools have their own computer, compared to 26% of students in priority education schools.

French students' digital skills are average compared to international surveys

According to the International Computer and Information Literacy Study ( ICILS ) 2018 assessment by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), France scores an average of 499 in digital literacy, just slightly above the international average of countries participating in the survey.

"This score means that, on average, students know how to use a computer for the basic tasks of collecting and managing information. However, it is important to note that only 40% of French students reach this level. They know how to make simple changes and add content to existing digital documents. They also know how to create simple information documents by respecting the rules of page-setting. They demonstrate knowledge of information protection mechanisms. These results undermine the "digital native" myth that students from recent generations who grew up in an environment marked by the development of the Internet and new technologies would find it easier to use digital technology.

The ICILS assessment also looks at computational thinking. "France obtains an average score of 501, one point above the international average. This means that, on average, French students are able to implement simple solutions to real problems on the computer.

The greater presence of digital tools in the daily lives of young people is not always associated with progress in learning, comments the DEPP: "This is due in particular to the fact that the tasks required in school learning differ from the tasks performed by students in their personal use of tools. Indeed, they use digital tools (phone, tablet, computer) mainly to send messages, connect to social networks, play or watch videos. In a school setting, if digital tools are used at all, it is more for research, creating written documents or oral presentations, or for computer programming.

In both first and second grades, girls score better, on average, than boys. On the other hand, vocational education students are over-represented in the lowest performing groups and under-represented in the highest performing groups. The same is true for students from schools with a low social position index. (These results are confirmed by the international ICILS assessment).

A nuanced assessment of three recent schemes

Several studies in the international literature suggest that the use of digital technology in the classroom promotes the development of cross-curricular skills (perseverance, self-confidence, autonomy, curiosity, etc.) identified as assets for academic success but also for future "success.

The DEPP relies here on the results of three schemes set up with the aim of developing the place of digital technology in teaching and learning: D'COL, the Collèges connectés, and the 2015 Digital Plan.

  • D'COL, a digital aid system for students in difficulty in the sixth grade, deployed in vocational schools: "Although the system does not have an overall effect on the learning of students as a whole, D'COL does seem to improve the results of the weakest students, mainly in math and English. The teaching teams, as well as the students involved in the program, believe that it fosters autonomy, self-confidence and motivation in the students.
  • The "Connected Colleges" program was implemented in September 2013. At the national level, 72 colleges were selected to benefit from specific investments and support to enable them to integrate digital technology more widely into their teaching and school life. "The integration of digital technology into teaching and school life seems to be closely linked to the actual equipment of the colleges, the actions of the head teacher, the support that teachers receive, and their perception of digital technology in general and its use in their profession. "More teachers in the first phase of connected middle schools have their students use digital tools in class. This regular use of digital tools in class by students goes hand in hand with a more frequent implementation of "active" teaching practices, emphasizing experimental activities, promoting group work or differentiation.
  • 2015 Digital Plan for Education: the main component of this plan was the distribution, via calls for projects, of mobile digital equipment (mainly tablets) to secondary schools for individual or collective use, in class and/or at home. These tablets were distributed individually to students (individual mobile equipment - EIM) or collectively to schools in the form of mobile classes (CM). At the end of the 5th grade, we observed a positive effect of the individual mobile equipment on the students' results in oral comprehension of French and on their digital skills. At the end of the fourth grade, the results of the students benefiting from the MIS also show a positive evolution in written comprehension of French and in mathematics compared to the non-equipped students. A positive impact of the Mobile Classrooms can also be observed on the mathematical and numerical skills of 4th grade students at the end of the school year. The availability of individual mobile equipment leads teachers to integrate digital technology more into their professional practices, while the availability of a mobile classroom has no effect.
 

Référence :

Sources

Labo Société Numérique

Labo République Française Agence nationale de cohésion des territoires
[File] Digital education: "What do we know today about the place and use of digital in schools?"