It is important to identify and understand important factors underpinning the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools. And, it is important that ICT is adopted in a sound pedagogical manner. The aim with this study was to suggest a model for the actual use of ICT in schools and how it may be related to important factors such as technological pedagogical expectations. The design of the model was inspired by TAM2 and UTAUT models, but with some modifications. We have developed a model which highlight the pedagogical aspects beyond the technical ones. Furthermore, our suggested model also include the adoption of digital techniques in everyday life as a potential predictor of adoption of ICT at work. The sample consists of 122 teachers and we analyzed the model with a structural equation model. This study contributes with a suggested model including a new construct for measuring expected performance from a technological pedagogical point of view. This new construct was a significant predictor to actual use of ICT in school. Furthermore we also developed a new construct for adoption of ICT in everyday life, which also was a significant predictor to actual use of ICT in school.

Being the first university in the world to provide doctoral program in Work-integrated Learning (WIL), we face the challenge of how to integrate doctoral courses into the WIL philosophy, which is the profile of the University West, Sweden. To exemplify what we mean by such a notion of integration, we introduce and demonstrate our proposed ontological approach to integrate a PhDcourse into the fundamental concepts underpinning WIL. The WIL within the context of informatics research (which is a subfield of the IS discipline) playsfive different roles of (1) the main course content, (2) the target occupation ofthe students and occupational field of the teachers, (3) the analytical perspective of the research activities in the course, (4) the educational method where teachers and students conduct collaborative research activities as a cognitive apprenticeship learning model, and (5) a co-authored research paper as outcome.The outcomes of such a conducted approach and lessons learned from the course will be thoroughly described. In the course, a meta-analysis of WIL informatics research will be performed to examine four dimensions which are: theories relevant for WIL; methods used in WIL research; occupational fields in WIL informatics studies; and roles of technology in WIL research. The course is arranged in the these phases: Local investigation; locally rooted research within the informatics field is examined by the course participants in dialogue with the authors of a number of published articles in order to see the extent and the how aspects of these identified WIL-oriented research work; Local synthesis; both teachers and the PhD students (i.e., course participants) explore the results and synthesize a local WIL-model; Global overview; a number of related international literature is selected and studied; Global synthesis; The local WIL model is compared to the global investigation. Co-authoring; a research paper is co-authored by the course participants and presented at a conference. By doing so, we enhance our understandings and thus contribute to one additional practical application of WIL's pedagogical philosophy, which influences the course content, the course format, the activities, the teaching-learning model,and the outcome of the course.

Broadly speaking, educational technology is primarily viewed as learning tools. But whenever we emphasize on the adjective "educational", we must however be clear about what we mean by the educationalness aspect of these technologies. Therefore, we shall consider that there exist a lot of conceptual problems associated with the particularly such an ambiguous loaded term. As an example, researchers use various keywords/concepts such as 'learning' aimed at saying learners are either learn:'via'; 'through'; and, 'with' educational technologies but not definitely 'by' them. Why? Because in the latter case; using the English proposition 'by' it means we have in somehow accepted these tools are able to teach learners automatically. However, at the end; it's only the learner who learn depending on manyfactors, each determining the ratio of her/his leaning curve. So, knowing which appropriate English proposition to use is of paramount importance. Inspired by Heideggerian approach to the notion of technology, which should concern us today as well, the main purpose of this paper is to discuss the"what" aspect of the learners regarding how they maintain their relationships with whatever educational technologies in use. It seems that these Teaching-learning tools such as YouTube has not been used effectively due to mainly the various learners, more or less, unawareness about how to approach the "essence" of these learning tools. To operationalize the Heideggerian approach to learning, his notion of the "essence of technology" will be discussed by using Technology, Pedagogy, and Content (TPAC) framework. Using such a framework will help us to discuss what and how learners manage their knowledge cognitively.

The concept of Work-integrated learning (WIL) is very closely connected to the concept of purposefully designed curriculum. The main focus is on conducting a range of rigorous approaches to integrate theory with the practice. The existing view of the WIL emerged out of the theory of employability. WIL has been traditionally viewed as a strategic merely curriculum design rather than adopting a Whole-organization approach to effective leadership theory–practice symbiosis (LTPS), which we advocate. Such an approach is useful in enhancing an awareness to consider concerns and interests of all stakeholders that are involved in the multiple initiatives pursued in higher education institutions. But it requires fundamental rethinking and radical design of WIL-inspired educational processes such as course design. Rethinking implies approaching WIL ontologically. Depending on which extent the concept of WIL has been perceived by universities worldwide, it has been thus viewed and implemented from a diverse spectrum of perspectives. First, we discuss the implications for the existed conceptual differences. Thereafter, and inspired by the main philosophical assumptions underpinning a Whole-organization approach to WIL, we propose and thus thoroughly concretize a framework which we call Work-related Educational Activities (WREA). The model which is the theoretical foundation of WREA consists of a category of several components. After identification of the main components of the model, we adopt an ontological approach to the reconceptualization of WIL. The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to demonstrate how University West in Sweden views WIL, which is its newly announced research profile. Secondly, an attempt to re-conceptualize WIL by conducting an ontological approach to WREA.

The deployment of ICT in school setting is in many ways a complex managerial task that involves several stakeholder groups. Firstly, principals and deans have to relate to the local, regional, national, and international policies and governing systems. Furthermore, the voices of teachers, students and their parents have to be considered and negotiated. In this paper, we explore how school principals’ and municipal IT-managers’ perceive the usefulness and the potential role that ICT play in the school context. In a pilot study of a single school district in a Swedish municipality, we have interviewed representatives from the municipal board of education, the municipal IT-support for schools, and two principals. By using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM3) as an analytical lens to understand the two constructs of “Perceived usefulness” and the possible role of ICT, we conclude that the barriers for successful integration of IT into educational practices requires firstly overcoming the lack of coordinated ICT investment strategy and tracking of ICT. This can be done by having a clearly articulated ICT policy distributed to school staff which we argue will positively influence the perceived usefulness as expressed by principals and their governing body. Secondly, inclusion of ICT in all aspects of teachers’ professional school activities will bring change to school activities and processes.

In nowadays increasingly ICT-related investments in an overgrowing competitive school setting, the deployment, maintenance, and particularly the effective use of ICT is in many ways a complex multifaceted managerial task involving several stakeholder groups. In a pilot study of a single school district in a Swedish municipality, we have interviewed representatives from the municipal board of education, the municipal IT-support for schools, and two principals. We have used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM3) as our analytical lens to explore how school principals’ and municipal IT-managers’ perceive ICT adoption, usefulness, and the potential role of ICT. We conclude that the barriers for a successful integration of ICT into school-related activities requires a holistic managerial thinking in order to overcome the lack of coordinated ICT investment strategy and tracking of ICT.

This paper describes the rationale behind the concrete steps how we systematically have gone through the case selection process as the first phase of a research project named Consequences of the Digitalization of Schools. The project is a single-case longitudinal (5-year long) study and adopts a so called Whole-School Approach. Previous research has criticized case studies for lack of both systematic approach and transparency in the presentation of the case selection process. The purpose of the presentation of this case selection process is to contribute to enhancing understanding of and broadening knowledge on systematic and transparent case selection techniques. The SIRIS database has been used to select a typical Swedish primary school in the chosen municipality where the project will be conducted. The SIRIS database contains annually statistics from all primary schools in Sweden, and is available online for public use. We demonstrate how and why a particular school representing a so called typical school was selected as our case. 

As information systems/technologies (IS/IT) become embedded in organizations, these systems cannot be isolated from important issues such as human intellect, culture, philosophy, politics and socio-organizational changes. Limited business resources on one hand and the various concerns and demands from different stakeholders on the other hand have led to an ever-growing need to evaluate IS/IT investments. In other words, due to the heavy rise of IS/IT costs IS/IT investments must be justified. Evaluation of IS/IT investments is generally taken to mean the identification and the measurement of capital expenditures spent on and the initial anticipated revenues gained from the deployments of these systems (IS/IT). One of the main fundamental characteristics of interpretive approach (IA) is to highlight and facilitate evaluation as an interactive learning process. Interpretive approach concentrates on the lifecycle perspective of IS/IT investments argued to be a complex managerial issue. It is crucial to notice that stakeholders, their claims, concerns and issues are at the core of IEA.