A proper policy in the permanent teacher’s training: Key impulse of the ICT Centre in Andalusia (Spain)

The analysis of the information provided by the focus groups corroborates much of the data supplied by the interviews. Regarding the resources and organization handicaps, which are basic for the development of ICT Centres, these sessions allowed us to share more explanations and opinions concerning the identification of organization problems: necessary equipment, space management, attitude and implication by the educational community, staff stability, effects on teaching routines, etc. The issues which have caused most debates refer to organization factors, such as support from the administration, coordinator role, CGA attention and the problem with staff instability. Thus, everything indicates that these are the main problems that the centres must solve in order to optimally develop their projects, as shown by the analysis of the interviews.

Organization factors (frequency)

The frequent references to the administration, both by ICT coordinators and by centre directors, indicate their unrest due to the carelessness perceived when developing their projects. The comments refer to a lack of attention to the first demands by the agents in the centres, aggravated by the lack of reasonable arguments. In other cases this lack of attention is seen in unfulfilled promises (statements by some of the administration representatives). Almost unanimously stated is the difficult and scarce relationship between the centres and the administration. Directors and coordinators express an important lack of confidence towards it. Opinions like this one are shown:

A growing gap exists between the administration and the centres, between what facilitates the implementation and assessment and what is actually done... Moreover, people in the CGA think that those in higher positions don’t pay attention to them... The inspection does not really get involved... (Informant 23).

The assessments about ICT Centres don’t capture the actual problems and reality of these centres. Furthermore, the educational inspection, the main communication between the administration and the ICT Centres, seems to be, in general, insufficiently carried out in the project monitoring.

The crucial problem is that in many centres less than 50% of what was presented in the project has been carried out... not that the projects are not properly designed... but other changes and much more support are needed... (Informant 23).

Finally, the alternative measures, which are emphasized in the results we have analyzed, are those regarding the Project assessment and update. An external and internal assessment in the ICT Centres is demanded, as well as improvement plans that are consistent with the results and with the support from the administration. In short, the aim is to really integrate the ICT Project in the PEC (Centre Educational Project). It will then become a living instrument which can be developed and adapted to the centre’s specific characteristics and needs.

One of the most commented suggestions for improvement is the constant maintenance of the equipment and the programmes. Technical assistance is indispensable in order to allow the coordinator to have more spare time to devote to focus group dynamization and to adopt a leadership role in the project:

But we also understand that if we go into a classroom and the computers do not work, what do we want so much dynamization for? The project must be complemented with other things. We have suggested the creation of a sort of internal ICT commission (session 1.3.a, maintenance, 8, char 18311 to 18537 of page 1 of S13A~1.TXT).

The role of the coordinator should be recognized and, in order to promote the development of the project, his consideration as a member of the directive board is demanded:

The coordinator of an ICT Centre should be part of the directive board… If not, the directive board and the director should be extremely involved in this project and in many cases this is not the case. So the only solution is including the ICT coordinator in the directive board (session 1.2.a, coor_equipo_directivo, 2 char 283 to 685 of page 1 of S12C~1.TXT).

Regarding the answers to the staff instability and the lack of implication by the teachers, the suggestion is defining specific posts for ICT Centre teachers. This measure would allow the temporary workers arriving at the centre to get involved in the project, supporting and reinforcing the work of the teaching staff as a whole.

I do not know if the teachers’ mobility has a solution, but at least those who come to an ICT Centre should have specific training because there are people out there looking forward to being in an ICT Centre (session 1.2.a, plazas_especificas, 3, char 9042 to 9662 of page 1 of S12C~1.TXT).

Another suggestion is related to the incentives for the teachers. The directors could inform of the work done by the teachers in an ICT Centre, and this could be implemented as an incentive.