Rationales for Modern ICT Implementation into Schools: a case of tablet PCs

In the last few decades, ICT has strongly influenced society as well as education as it has become a ubiquitous part of daily life offering access to a world of knowledge. Schools try to match these changes by incorporating ICT in their education. This study explores a school’s rationales for using ICT by means of a case study in which parents, teachers and management involved in a pilot project concerning the implementation of iPads are informed about their motives to use ICT. Interview data were combined with questionnaire data and analysed. Support was found for a preparative rationale, a pedagogical rationale, a catalytic rationale, an accessibility rationale, a motivational rationale and an administrative rationale. In addition, some differences between the stakeholder groups were found, which need to be bridged in order to build a widely supported vision and policy plan on educational ICT use.