<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This article presents a survey census study performed in a small, remotely located municipality with four rural schools in the north of Sweden. The study is part of a larger project, Remote Consulting in special needs education between special educators and class teachers, the aim of which is to increase the equivalence between the municipality’s schools by giving more class teachers improved access to special needs education (SNE) consultations provided by special educators via remote consulting.</p>
<p>Prior to the start of the project, a questionnaire was sent out to all the class teachers in the participating schools. All the teachers approached answered the questionnaire. One of the aims of the survey was to gain increased knowledge about the teachers’ self-efficacy in their use of ICT. The most intriguing result was that three of the five 50-59 year-old teachers estimated their knowledge about ICT to be above average compared to that of their colleagues. A similar pattern was identified in the teachers’ use of ICT in their teaching. Of those who used ICT every day, three were 30-39 years old, three were 50-59 years old and one was 40-49 years old, while all of those who used ICT less than once a week were younger than 39. The results of the study indicate that the teachers in this study are adequately equipped to proceed from physical counselling to remote consulting in special needs education.</p>
</abstract>

This article presents a survey census study performed in a small, remotely located municipality with four rural schools in the north of Sweden. The study is part of a larger project, Remote Consulting in special needs education between special educators and class teachers, the aim of which is to increase the equivalence between the municipality’s schools by giving more class teachers improved access to special needs education (SNE) consultations provided by special educators via remote consulting.
Prior to the start of the project, a questionnaire was sent out to all the class teachers in the participating schools. All the teachers approached answered the questionnaire. One of the aims of the survey was to gain increased knowledge about the teachers’ self-efficacy in their use of ICT. The most intriguing result was that three of the five 50-59 year-old teachers estimated their knowledge about ICT to be above average compared to that of their colleagues. A similar pattern was identified in the teachers’ use of ICT in their teaching. Of those who used ICT every day, three were 30-39 years old, three were 50-59 years old and one was 40-49 years old, while all of those who used ICT less than once a week were younger than 39. The results of the study indicate that the teachers in this study are adequately equipped to proceed from physical counselling to remote consulting in special needs education.

Educators’ Digital Competence in Swedish Rural Schools

European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Educators\u2019 Digital Competence in Swedish Rural Schools"}

This article presents a survey census study performed in a small, remotely located municipality with four rural schools in the north of Sweden. The study is...

Educators’ Digital Competence in Swedish Rural Schools

Published Online: Dec 10, 2020

Page range: 65 - 82

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2020-0011

Keywords
Class teacher, Digital communication, Remote Consulting, Rural Schools, Special Needs Education, Special Educator

© 2020 Gerd Pettersson et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Educators’ Digital Competence in Swedish Rural Schools

Published Online: Dec 10, 2020

Page range: 65 - 82

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2020-0011

KeywordsClass teacher, Digital communication, Remote Consulting, Rural Schools, Special Needs Education, Special Educator

© 2020 Gerd Pettersson et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Class teacher, Digital communication, Remote Consulting, Rural Schools, Special Needs Education, Special Educator