A bridge too far? Explaining beginning teachers’ use of ICT in Australian schools

Frank Bates in his article, "A bridge too far?", explains that Information Communication Technologies (ICT) is not being fully utilized in the current Australian educational context, despite teachers and regulators best intentions towards equipping children with a skillset to live in a digital society. Frank investigates a number of case studies within WA, he does note that the relatively small number of participants in his study undermines it somewhat, and argues that the current state of the incorporation of ICT in the educational system is thoroughly lacking. He refers to a framework explored by Mishra and Koehler, who developed the concept to combine technological knowledge along with pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK Framework). Frank’s findings are reinforced are by my own experiences within education systems within primary, secondary and tertiary levels where teachers consistently demonstrate high levels of pedagogical and content knowledge but very low ICT competencies. 

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