Teachers`experiences of impact of digital tools on pupils writing

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine how high school teachers in Swedish perceive the impact of computers, iPads and smartphones on their students´ writing skills. To achieve this, four teachers were invited to participate in individual qualitative semi-structures interviews. The interview data show that three out of four teachers believe that digital and social media has had a negative impact on their students writing skills in school. The teachers report that their pupils use abbreviations and slang in a way that is not appropriate in a formal school text. In contrast, the fourth teacher believes that her pupils produce more complex texts if they are allowed to use their computers or iPads. The interview data also reveal a contradiction between the teachers´ beliefs and the finding of the surveyed research.