The Construction of Failure and Success Concepts in K-12 ICT Integration

The integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into educational systems is one of the greatest challenges faced by educators and policymakers. Despite high-profile efforts and significant investments of resources, ICT integration programs in the K-12 system generate plenty of talk about failure. This study explores the construction of these failure and success concepts in the Israeli national ICT integration program. An application of actor-network theory (ANT) to the national program, as well as to a local ICT integration program, reveals significant similarities and differences in the networks of the two programs. We propose that five categories of these differences point to possible causes for the increased level of talk of failure in the national program. The ANT findings suggest further analysis, utilizing the social construction of technology (SCOT) approach to study the interpretive flexibility of the relevant social groups involved in the ICT integration programs. The SCOT analysis suggests that the interpretive flexibility of the different groups is a source of disagreements around the ICT integration programs. Keywords: actor-network theory, social construction of technology, K-12 education, ICT integration.