Information communication technology in schools : students exercise ‘Digital Agency’ to engage with learning

In contemporary society nationally and internationally, the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has become a vitally important component in the workforce, recreationally, and in schools. In Australia, as in many countries, there is a nation-wide priority within education systems that endeavours to ensure that in an increasingly digital world, students possess the ICT skills to participate fully in their schooling and, later in contemporary society. While progress has been made towards achieving these goals, research demonstrates that there is a general loss of engagement and confidence in ICT tasks as student progress through school systems. In order to explore what students currently in secondary schools think and feel about their use and engagement levels regarding ICTs, this paper draws on a pilot project conducted in Australian schools. This pilot study found that agency and design-based pedagogy concerning the use of ICTs were key factors in engaging students and promoting learning. To further explore the findings of the project, the authors have formulated a model of Digital Agency. This term, ‘Digital Agency’ is defined as the students’ experience of autonomous technology learning in the classroom. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V