Abstract:
Schools throughout New Zealand are using a range of digital technology devices to engage students in literacy learning. This is partially in response to The New Zealand Ministry of Education’s commitment to providing access to digital learning opportunities to support 21st century practice in teaching and learning. The Ministry suggests (Ministry of Education, 2015) that schools should explore not only how Information Communications and Technology (ICT) can supplement traditional ways of teaching, but also implement new and innovative ways of teaching and learning. While teachers have an obligation to keep abreast of global changes in education, caution and time are needed to ensure there is robust research evidence to support the new directions. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the effects of 1:1 laptop programmes on students’ literacy engagement in low decile schools. A Problem Based Methodology (PBM) examines the central issue of student engagement to establish what factors in teacher practice result in successful educational outcomes for diverse students. To answer the research questions, this study has gathered information from teacher questionnaires and classroom observations. Factors regarding approaches and instructional strategies teachers use, and the consequences of these for student engagement, require consideration if our goal is for students in low decile schools to succeed. This is particularly the case when the context for this study is decile 1A schools with the most socially and economically disadvantaged students. This study aims to address an important gap in current literature by identifying and addressing approaches and strategies teachers use in digital learning classrooms that lead to effective student engagement. Teacher perceptions of the existing barriers to effective student engagement in literacy learning are also considered and recommendations offered.
