The fluctuation of laptops between classrooms and home: the viewpoint of the families about the Educational Reform Escuela 2.0 (eduCAT1x1 programme)

Abstract

This study describes the opinion that families have about the introduction of the laptop in the academic life of secondary school students by means of the local programme in Catalonia eduCAT 1x1, linked to Escuela 2.0, a national reform in Spain aimed at the digitalisation of classrooms. The viewpoint of the families provides new insights on the impact that educational reforms have be-yond the classrooms. The analysis of 16 interviews reveals that while parents consider technology to be beneficial for the academic and professional future of their children, they also feel discomfort for feeling forced to manage the extra-escolar uses of the laptop, since leisure and social communication compete with the academic activity. Some families do not feel empowered by the 1x1 educational reform and give diverse reasons: 1) the digitalization of the classrooms has been improvised and developed too quickly; 2) the intro-duction of the laptop in the life of their children has produced changes in the academic practices (and not all are seen as positive) and 3) the digitalization has implied a loss of control of the children activity by the parents. The study suggests the necessity of coordinating educational reforms and family dynamics, since parental mediation is essential to ensure both the success of educational innovations and the social transformations sought.