Teachers of digikids: Do they navigate the divide?

Abstract

International studies suggest that digital technologies play an important role in students' out-of-school reading. Research literature and motivation theory on 'reading' suggest an increase in student motivation and reading success when teachers make links with students' out-of-school experiences. A study conducted in 2007, which examined the text beliefs of 41 New Zealand English teachers when planning for Year 10, explored whether teacher definitions of text incorporated digital technologies and, if so, whether this was evidenced in their reported textual choices. The study also investigated whether linking school reading to students' out-of-school experiences influenced teacher aims when choosing texts. The key findings of the study show teachers theoretically embracing digital text but hesitating in their practice.