Who needs teachers? Factors associated with learning ICT skills from teachers in a multilevel analysis of the ICILS data

Abstract

While great responsibility is placed upon schoolteachers for educating children and adolescents in media and technology, the increasing access to technology offers opportunities for youngsters to develop information and computer technology (ICT) skills informally. Thus, they do not depend solely on the school to develop computer and information literacy (CIL). Conversely, studies confirm that in some countries students report that they have learned specific ICT skills mainly from their teachers. However, little is known about the conditions under which students rely on teachers to develop CIL skills. This study explores the characteristics of students, schools, and countries that are associated with the incidence of learning CIL from teachers. Based on previous studies, a model was developed and tested employing a three-level analysis with data from 14 participant countries of the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS). The model reveals significant associations with students’ socioeconomic conditions, students’ self-efficacy in advanced ICT tasks, students’ gender and countries’ ICT Development Index score. The schools’ characteristics do not contribute significantly to the model. Furthermore, implications for the involvement of both students and teachers regarding media education in schools are discussed.