ICT-integrated practices in Finnish schools: Examining institutional and individual influences – evicence from ICILS 2018

Abstract

Aim: This thesis employs a quantitative research approach, utilising data from ICILS 2018 to investigate the influence of ICT usage on teachers' ICT-integrated practices in Finnish schools. The research specifically examines the impact of institutional and individual factors, including leadership support, professional development, teamwork, and teacher attitudes, on these activities. In line with contemporary educational discourse, this study contributes to understanding how systemic and personal conditions shape teachers’ integration of ICT into pedagogical practices aimed at enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes.

Theory: The social constructivist perspective provides the foundation for understanding how institutional and individual factors shape teachers' ICT-integrated teaching practices. Building upon Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and his notion of mediation, this study conceptualises ICT as a cultural tool that supports socially mediated learning and instructional development. Within this framework, factors such as professional development, leadership support, collaboration among peers, and teacher attitudes are interpreted as culturally and institutionally structured supports that scaffold ICT use in classroom practices. Furthermore, the literature review offers a clear empirical basis by presenting validated relationships between these variables and ICT integration in teaching.

Method: Data analyses were conducted using a regression-based approach, drawing on quantitative data from the ICILS 2018 teacher questionnaire. The analytical procedure involved Pearson correlation, simple regression, and multiple regression analyses, all performed using IBM SPSS. These analyses examined the relationships between institutional factors (leadership support for ICT use, professional development, teacher collaboration) and individual factors (teachers' attitudes towards ICT) on ICTintegrated teaching practices. This approach enabled the identification of both individual and combined effects of these variables on teachers’ use of ICT in classroom instruction.

Results: The findings reveal that institutional and individual factors particularly leadership support, professional development, and collaboration positively impact teachers' ICTintegrated practices. These factors were associated with more frequent and meaningful use of ICT to foster student engagement and enhance learning outcomes. While the direct effects were substantial, the results also highlighted that certain institutional constraints, such as inconsistent access to training or limited collaborative structures, may hinder the full potential of ICT integration. These findings underscore the importance of systemic scaffolding through policy alignment, leadership vision, and continuous professional development to support sustainable digital teaching practices in schools.