Factors that facilitate or limit the incorporation of emerging technologies in the classroom

Abstract

[eng] This study explores the perceptions of the teachers from the District Education Secretariat (Bogotá-Colombia) on the factors that facilitate or limit the incorporation of Emerging Technologies in the classroom. The sample used for this research was based on 241 teachers from different educational institutions. The data were collected through an anonymous survey with quantitative and qualitative questions. Open and axial coding was used to identify the different factors in contextual levels, such as microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem. It was found that sociodemographic variables do not influence the incorporation of technology in the classroom, in addition, there are three necessary and basic conditions for teachers to begin to incorporate technology in the classroom: motivation, infrastructure and information and communication technologies skills, but for any processes to be successful the teacher must be aware of what he is doing but any attempt to incorporate technology will fail. On the other hand, government entities must be responsible to generate policies or strategies in order to improve infrastructure, as well as design training plans according to the needs of each teacher and each institution.