The impact of technology as a communication tool within the class: the teachers’ perceptions

The introduction of ICTs in the school system has been a powerful catalyst for educational and pedagogical practices. But there is more than meets the eyes: in fact, an increasing influence of technologies in the school is evident especially if one considers the social-relational side. This is mostly due to the pervasiveness of mobile devices and the proliferation – in terms of time and space – of communication channels that mediate the exchanges between the school’s actors – via email, through classroom information management systems, through chat or IM exchanges. By describing a research run in four secondary schools aimed to understand the ICTs’ influences on classroom climate, the purpose of this paper is to shed light on how teachers perceive the new aspects of technologies and their use in their daily work, highlighting how these technologies influence the way in which they build relationships with students, parents and colleagues.