This research focuses on the complex processes of inertia and change achieved through a case study approach. The innovation in question is the use made by secondary school geography departments of computer assisted learning. This longitudinal study (between 1983 and 1989) studies a selection of schools in two local education authorities. Particular emphasis is placed on the enabling and constraining roles of a range of 'actors' and 'environments'. 'Actors' include geography teachers, heads of department, advisers and heads. 'Environments' include departments, schools, local education authorities and Microelectronics Education Programme (M EP) regions. The structure of the thesis is as follows: The researcher's personal interests and involvement in curriculum development and IT and geography education are outlined; the literature on innovation, change and IT and geography education is reviewed; this is followed by the focus and related research design; the wider context of the nineteen eighties is portrayed both as 'educational' and 'IT' environments before the core and peripheral data is analysed via 'portraits' and 'themes'; existing theoretical models are applied to the data and then new models are developed to help describe and explain the data; the research is concluded by pointing out its limitations, making some personal (the authors) observations and suggesting opportunities for further research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:362876 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Kent, W. A. |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10019220/ |
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