Resumen

BATISTA, Fernando Dinis. O computador portátil no ambiente de sala de aula numa escola do Alentejo Litoral. Educ. Form. Tecnol. [online]. 2010, vol.03, n.01, pp.41-58. ISSN 1646-933X.

The use of the laptop computer in our country’s educational contexts is becoming increasingly noticeable. Its utilization is being gradually shaped into opportunities for broaden and collaborative practices. This article presents a case study, which examined the impact of the use of laptops in the classroom. The participants in this study were nine students per class, including their teachers, across two 6th grade classes (students from 11 to 12 years old) and two 8th grade classes (13 to 14 years old). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to gather data, including teacher interviews and additional observations within the classroom itself. The results showed that teachers go through an adjustment phase in terms of technology integration during their teaching and learning processes, in which they adapt their traditional practices to the introduction of the laptop computer. Their attitudes, conceptions and professional development roles are influenced by this adjustment process, in addition to impacting the school technological infrastructure. The utilization of laptop computers by the students allows for an increment in participation, general interest, motivation and selfmanagement skills, associated to the use of a wide range of resources and presentation formats. It also offers opportunities to advance students’ technological skills.

Palabras clave : Classroom Environment; Laptop Computer; Information and Communication Technology; ICT use in Education.

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