Home Economic Teachers’ ICT Use in Finland Seen From a Lens of Reciprocal Determinism

This study aims to investigate Finnish home economic (HE) teachers’ use of information and communications technology (ICT) and uses triadic reciprocal causation as a means to enhance understanding of it. The study also aims to provide new insight into how HE teachers should be supported in their use of ICT to enhance student learning. Data were collected through semi- structured interviews with 12 HE teachers in 2019 and further examined through an abductive approach to content analysis. The findings show that HE teachers used ICT in a variety of ways, although they had trouble expressing their goals for its use. The findings further show that HE teachers’ use of ICT not only depends on their goals, but also on several influences identified at both environmental and personal level in Bandura’s model of triadic reciprocal determinism. Based on these findings, HE teachers need to be given support in settings goals for their ICT use. These goals are important because, in combination with performance feedback, they enable teachers to specify the conditions for successful ICT use. Furthermore, the study shows the need for HE teachers to develop digital skills and to have sufficient ICT infrastructure, on-hand pedagogical and technical support, shared practices, collegial support and follow-up teacher training that focuses on their individual requirements. Based on the results, we found Bandura’s model to be useful for enhancing our understanding of the influences related to HE teachers’ ICT use and their goals for its use.