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Abstract This paper examines how secondary teachers of the core subjects of English, mathematics, and science have begun to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into mainstream classroom practice in English schools. It draws on an analysis of 18 focus‐group interviews with subject departments in these fields. Evident commitment to incorporating ICT was tempered by a cautious, critical approach, and by the influence of external constraints. Teacher accounts emphasized both the use of ICT to enhance and extend existing classroom practice, and change in terms of emerging forms of activity which complemented or modified practice. A gradual process of pedagogical evolution was apparent; teachers were developing and trialling new strategies specifically for mediating ICT‐supported learning. In particular, these overcame the potentially obstructive role of some forms of ICT by focusing pupils' attention onto underlying learning objectives. Acknowledgements Thanks to Rosemary Deaney, Louise Goodwin, Alison Miller, and the teacher participants for their various contributions to carrying out this study, and to the Wallenberg Research Centre for Educational Improvement for supporting the research partnership and this particular project. Notes Kenneth Ruthven is Reader in Education at the University of Cambridge, focusing on curriculum and with an interest in mathematics education. He advises curriculum projects in the UK and US and is an advisory editor of Educational Studies in Mathematics. Sara Hennessy is a Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, 17 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA, UK; e‐mail: sch30@cam.ac.uk. Her current research focuses on teachers' pedagogic strategies for using ICT to support mathematics and science teaching and learning and she is co‐directing an ESRC‐funded project in this area. Sara Hennessy is a Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, 17 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA, UK; e‐mail: sch30@cam.ac.uk. Her current research focuses on teachers' pedagogic strategies for using ICT to support mathematics and science teaching and learning and she is co‐directing an ESRC‐funded project in this area. Sue Brindley is a Lecturer in Education at the University of Cambridge where she is course leader for the English PGCE. Her current research interests are in e‐learning, the acquisition of professional knowledge, and the impact of ICT on English teaching. The three core subjects in the National Curriculum (NC) for England and Wales are required until age 16. Attainment in each of these subjects is measured through annual teacher assessment, NC tests at the ages of 7, 11, and 14, and national GCSE examinations at 16. The nine non‐core foundation subjects are required until age 14 and are not subject to NC testing. Previously known as 'information technology', use of ICT was introduced as a cross‐curricular skill in the NC for England and Wales well over a decade ago (NCC Citation1989). ImpaCT2 was a large‐scale longitudinal study of ICT and student attainment undertaken between 1999–2002 by the UK Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta Citation2004). The survey item offered only these two options. The following year, when an intermediate option was added, the profile of responses altered to 'Substantial' ∼ 20%, 'Some' ∼ 60%, 'None' ∼ 20%. Hadley and Sheingold (Citation1993) constructed a similar typology of teachers, but the US orientation of the study makes it less resonant with the British situation. National requirements for ICT use are more specific in this subject. A gender dynamic might possibly be operating here, since English is more of a female culture than the other core subjects. As alluded to earlier, this may impact negatively on teachers' confidence with technology and their perceptions of agency in influencing colleagues to use it. This is an interesting issue for future research. Further discussion of subject culture differences in this data is provided by Ruthven et al. (Citation2004). Olson (Citation1981) pointed out that over‐protection of these elements may limit curriculum reform. The second, developmental phase of this project comprised a set of classroom case studies carried out in partnership with teachers researching and developing their own practice. Promising pedagogic strategies were trialled in depth across a range of curriculum subjects. An over‐arching analysis of this data examines how teachers create the conditions for successfully supporting learning using ICT, charts the development of their practical theories over time, and explores teachers' and pupils' shifting roles in this context (Hennessy et al. Citation2003, Deaney et al. Citation2004, Ruthven et al. Citation2005). Additional informationNotes on contributorsSARA HENNESSY Footnote Kenneth Ruthven is Reader in Education at the University of Cambridge, focusing on curriculum and with an interest in mathematics education. He advises curriculum projects in the UK and US and is an advisory editor of Educational Studies in Mathematics. Sara Hennessy is a Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, 17 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA, UK; e‐mail: sch30@cam.ac.uk. Her current research focuses on teachers' pedagogic strategies for using ICT to support mathematics and science teaching and learning and she is co‐directing an ESRC‐funded project in this area. Sue Brindley is a Lecturer in Education at the University of Cambridge where she is course leader for the English PGCE. Her current research interests are in e‐learning, the acquisition of professional knowledge, and the impact of ICT on English teaching.
Hennessy et al. (Sat,) studied this question.