Learning management system adoption in schools : a consideration of the impact on teachers’ professional ethics.
Lossec, Nathalie; Millar, Nicholas (2021)
Lossec, Nathalie
Millar, Nicholas
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052912453
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052912453
Tiivistelmä
During the COVID-19 pandemic Google Workspace for Education (GWfE) became key to continued education. Google’s Learning Management System (LMS), being so simple to implement and use during online learning, drastically changed the delivery of education. Due to the open-endorsement of governments worldwide, it was implemented exponentially in both private and public education. GWfE provided educational stakeholders in the Czech Republic and England with most basic services and this also facilitated its fast implementation in secondary schools. Yet a consideration of stakeholder and societal impacts was idle and by giving a less than fully ethical company complete access to secondary schools without due diligence, a rushed and uncautious implementation of this LMS can be seen as naive and short-sighted.
This study examined the impact that the use of GWfE had on teachers’ professional ethics and data safeguarding in two secondary schools in England and two in the Czech Republic. To gain a fair understanding of its impact, through a blended approach, the study collected qualitative data through interviews with five educational leaders working in four different secondary schools and quantitative data through an online survey administered to 73 educators directly working with GWfE. The analysis of this data was based on the theoretical background of the educational context, educator competencies and digital literacy in both countries. Research findings showed that, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of GWfE had exponentially increased, and during this time, stakeholders’ voice was rarely consulted. Secondly, due diligence was not applied in most cases before and during implementation. Thirdly, an ethical analysis of the platform was rarely done prior to implementation. Fourthly, the implementation of GWfE had restricted stakeholder autonomy through its use.
Finally recommendations were made for further areas of study and to increase due diligence regarding edtech tools in secondary schools and improve digital literacy for all stakeholders in order to negate some of these negative consequences regarding educators’ ethics.
This study examined the impact that the use of GWfE had on teachers’ professional ethics and data safeguarding in two secondary schools in England and two in the Czech Republic. To gain a fair understanding of its impact, through a blended approach, the study collected qualitative data through interviews with five educational leaders working in four different secondary schools and quantitative data through an online survey administered to 73 educators directly working with GWfE. The analysis of this data was based on the theoretical background of the educational context, educator competencies and digital literacy in both countries. Research findings showed that, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of GWfE had exponentially increased, and during this time, stakeholders’ voice was rarely consulted. Secondly, due diligence was not applied in most cases before and during implementation. Thirdly, an ethical analysis of the platform was rarely done prior to implementation. Fourthly, the implementation of GWfE had restricted stakeholder autonomy through its use.
Finally recommendations were made for further areas of study and to increase due diligence regarding edtech tools in secondary schools and improve digital literacy for all stakeholders in order to negate some of these negative consequences regarding educators’ ethics.