Learning through technology in middle school classrooms: Students’ perceptions of their self-directed and collaborative learning with and without technology

In the present study, students’ perceptions of their self-directed and collaborative learning with and without technology were examined in ICT-supported middle school classrooms. Three hundred and twenty middle school students from eight schools across Alberta, Canada participated in the study by completing a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA and correlational analysis were used to analyse the questionnaire responses. Descriptive statistics revealed that middle school students perceive themselves as readily engaging in self-directed and collaborative learning within their classrooms. Students’ self-directed learning with and without technology was significantly related to the instructional quality in their classroom with lower instructional quality classrooms having a significant small effect on self-directed learning. Gender was also found to have a small effect, with girls more readily engaging in self-directed learning, although this difference was not sustained when using technology. When learning with technology, while indicating that they engage in self-directed learning within their classrooms, students reported less engagement in collaborative activities with their peers, particularly in earlier middle school grades. Students may benefit from additional support to engage in collaborative activities while using technology. Likewise, teachers may benefit from professional development to support their facilitation of self-directed learning and collaborative learning as well as implementation of technology within the classroom.