Policies and practices for the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in education in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This report presents the results of a study on policies and practices related to the incorporation of information and communications technologies (ICTs) into education systems in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The purpose of the study was to ascertain how well-defined the policy dimensions for ICTs in education are and to determine the extent to which they have been implemented. The study was designed using three theoretical approaches: Traditional concepts used to gauge ICT penetration in society. Findings of studies that seek to identify and describe factors impacting ICT use in school systems. The concepts linked to stages of ICT uptake by organizations, and, particularly, by schools. With this conceptual foundation, and taking into consideration the scarcity of reliable statistical data on these topics, the data were gathered by means of a questionnaire designed to cover the major concerns of the study, i.e. the design and implementation of policies for ICTs in education as assessed by a set of indicators. The questionnaire was sent to representatives designated by the ministries of education of 17 countries in the region, as described in the corresponding section of this report. The findings on policy definition show that, while only about half of the countries have formal, published policies, most of them have units that are responsible for policies related to ICTs in education. Most of these policies focus on the teaching-learning process and on school management, as well as the development of ICT competencies among students and teachers.