Differences in educational computer use: the influence of subject cultures

Abstract Despite two decades of computer use in schools and colleges, considerable differences persist in levels of IT use throughout all levels of education. Within institutions it is noticeable that huge variations in computer use exist between different subject areas, yet little analytical work has been carried out to explore the reasons behind this. On the basis of interviews with 96 students and 20 teachers in 16‐19 education, this article examines the underlying influences behind the varying levels of computer use in different subject areas. In particular, the influence of subject ‘cultures’ are highlighted as having a significant effect on teachers’ and students’ use of IT in school, most notably in terms of subject content, pedagogy and assessment. Furthermore, subjects were found to differ in terms of their cultures of interest and access to IT within the institution. On the basis of these data, conclusions are then drawn as to alleviating subject differences in the use of IT.