Life and Learning of Digital Teens : Adolescents and Digital Technology in the Czech Republic

This book describes and explains how digital technologies enter adolescents’ everyday life and learning in different contexts and environments. The book is based on research conducted in recent years in the Czech Republic, the results of which are set within a broad theoretical and international framework. The authors consider the theoretical and methodological anchoring of the topic, describing various approaches in an effort to comprehensively describe and understand the learning process of today’s pupils. They focus on ways to explore learning in the digital era, domestication of digital technology in families, and parents' approaches to digital technology. Attention is paid to adolescents’ competences and autonomy in the use of digital technologies, as well as their views on technology in their lives and learning. The authors summarize the most important results of the research, but also consider the options of empirical research and their own experience with the research of such a complex concept. Preface Acknowledgments Contents List of Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables About the Authors Chapter 1: Introduction Bibliography Chapter 2: Education, Life, and Digital Technologies in the Czech Republic: The Story of a Post-Socialist Country in Central Europe 2.1 Czech Republic: A Short Introduction to Its History, Economy, and Life 2.1.1 History 2.1.2 Economy 2.1.3 Daily Life and Households 2.1.4 Digital Technologies in Households 2.2 From a Totalitarian to a Democratic School System 2.3 The Path of Digital Technologies into the School System 2.3.1 Technology and Education Behind the Iron Curtain (Before 1989) 2.3.2 Post-revolution Waiting (1990s) 2.3.3 New Era, New Challenges (2000–2014) 2.3.4 Strategy vs. Reality (2014–Present) 2.4 Conclusion Bibliography Part I: Digital Teens’ Use of Digital Technologies in the School Contex Chapter 3: Teachers and Their Use of Digital Technologies in School 3.1 Theoretical Background 3.2 Level of Equipment of Czech Schools with Digital Technologies 3.3 Use of Digital Technologies by Teachers 3.4 Teachers’ Skills and Abilities in the Use of Digital Technologies 3.5 Teachers’ Approach to Digital Technologies 3.6 Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 4: The Availability and Use of Digital Technologies in Relation to Students’ School Performance 4.1 Theoretical Background 4.2 The Availability and Use of Digital Technologies in School 4.3 The Availability and Use of Digital Technologies at Home 4.4 The Role of ICT in Student Life in Relation to School Performance 4.5 Conclusion Appendix Bibliography Part II: Digital Teens’ Use of Digital Technologies in the Family Context Chapter 5: Home Use of Digital Technologies by Teens: The Role of Family, School, and Peers 5.1 Theoretical Background 5.2 Gender and ICT Interest as Predictors of ICT Use by Young People 5.3 The Effects of Family Background Characteristics on Student Use of ICT 5.4 The Effect of ICT Use at School on ICT Use Outside of School 5.5 The Role of Peers in the Use of Digital Technologies by Young People 5.6 Conclusion Appendix Bibliography Chapter 6: Parental Approaches to Digital Technologies 6.1 Theoretical Background 6.2 Parentals Idea of Their Children’s Free Time and School Preparation 6.3 Struggle for Generational Domination 6.4 Various Forms of Digital Generation Gaps in Families 6.4.1 Deepening the Generation Gap: Mutual Misunderstanding 6.4.2 Maintaining Status Quo in the Digital Generation Gap: Conditional Armistice 6.4.3 Crossing the Digital Generation Gap: Active Efforts for Mutual Understanding 6.5 Conclusion Bibliography Part III: Digital Teens’ Use of Technologies in the Context of Everyday Life Chapter 7: Young People and the Development of Digital Competence and Autonomy 7.1 Theoretical Background 7.2 The Effect of the First Use of Digital Device on Digital Competence and Autonomy 7.3 The Effect of the First Use of the Internet on Digital Competence and Autonomy 7.4 Conclusion Appendix Bibliography Chapter 8: Digital Technologies and the Everyday Lives and Learning of Present-Day Adolescents 8.1 Theoretical Background 8.2 ICT as Both a Good Servant and a Bad Master in Adolescents’ Lives 8.2.1 Natalie’s Story 8.2.1.1 Natalie’s Use of ICT in Relation to the Family 8.2.1.2 Natalie’s Use of ICT in Relation to Orientation in the World 8.2.1.3 Natalie’s Use of ICT in Relation to School Purposes Outside of School 8.2.1.4 Natalie’s Use of ICT in Relation to Her Peers Outside of School 8.2.1.5 Natalie’s Use of ICT in Relation to Herself 8.2.2 Alice’s Story 8.2.2.1 Alice’s Use of ICT in Relation to the Family 8.2.2.2 Alice’s Use of ICT in Relation to Orientation in the World 8.2.2.3 Alice’s Use of ICT in Relation to School Purposes Outside of School 8.2.2.4 Alice’s Use of ICT in Relation to Her Peers Outside of School 8.2.2.5 Alice’s Use of ICT in Relation to Herself 8.2.3 Petra’s Story 8.2.3.1 Petra’s Use of ICT in Relation to the Family 8.2.3.2 Petra’s Use of ICT in Relation to Orientation in the World 8.2.3.3 Petra’s Use of ICT in Relation to School Purposes Outside of School 8.2.3.4 Petra’s Use of ICT in Relation to Her Peers Outside of School 8.2.3.5 Petra’s Use of ICT in Relation to Herself 8.2.4 Matej’s Story 8.2.4.1 Matej’s Use of ICT in Relation to the Family 8.2.4.2 Matej’s Use of ICT in Relation to Orientation in the World 8.2.4.3 Matej’s Use of ICT in Relation to School Purposes Outside of School 8.2.4.4 Matej’s Use of ICT in Relation to His Peers Outside of School 8.2.4.5 Matej’s Use of ICT in Relation to Himself 8.2.5 Renata’s Story 8.2.5.1 Renata’s Use of ICT in Relation to the Family 8.2.5.2 Renata’s Use of ICT in Relation to Orientation in the World 8.2.5.3 Renata’s Use of ICT in Relation to School Purposes Outside of School 8.2.5.4 Renata’s Use of ICT in Relation to Her Peers Outside of School 8.2.5.5 Renata’s Use of ICT in Relation to Herself 8.2.6 Jiri’s Story 8.2.6.1 Jiri’s Use of ICT in Relation to the Family 8.2.6.2 Jiri’s Use of ICT in Relation to Orientation in the World 8.2.6.3 Jiri’s Use of ICT in Relation to School Purposes Outside of School 8.2.6.4 Jiri’s Use of ICT in Relation to His Peers Outside of School 8.2.7 Jiri’s Use of ICT in Relation to Himself 8.3 What Do Adolescents’ Stories and Their Lives with ICT Tell Us? 8.4 Conclusion Bibliography Conclusion Recommendations Recommendations to Policymakers Recommendations to Schools and Teachers Recommendations to Parents Recommendations to Teens Index