Digitalization in schools: An empirical study of teachers’ attitude towards the use of ICTs after the introduction of a “One Laptop per Teacher” Initiative

To improve the quality of teaching, many governments around the world have begun implementing extensive programs aimed at supporting teachers in their efforts to employ information and communication technologies (ICTs) to facilitate their introduction in the teaching-learning process. A prominent case study is the “One Laptop per Teacher” (OLPT) initiative, which was introduced in Bolivia in 2011. Due to the lack of evidence regarding the success and effect of this program, this empirical study first deals with teachers’ attitudes towards ICTs by employing a quantitative approach based on three dichotomous distinctions, including: (a) personal experience with ICTs use versus consequences for the society of ICTs use, (b) ICTs use for learning and working versus ICTs use for entertainment and communication, and (c) positive attitudes (i.e., ICTs as beneficial tools) versus negative attitudes (i.e., ICTs as autonomous entities). Study results confirm that most teachers display positive attitudes towards the use of technologies from a personal perspective, but from a social point of view, the use of ICTs to deliver entertainment and communication content is perceived quite negatively, and many teachers still consider ICTs as suppressors of creativity and personal interactions. Significant differences were found in personal attitudes between rural and urban areas, the indicators for ICTs as generators of anxiety were higher in the former. Moreover, teachers with more experience in the use of ICTs and teachers who have participated in virtual courses clearly held more positive attitudes towards the use of ICTs in the workplace