Teachers support students in sensitive situations on the internet

Six out of ten teachers needed to support students in dealing with sensitive situations experienced on the internet. Among these situations is the excessive use of games and digital technologies, cyberbullyingdiscrimination, dissemination or leaking of images without consent and harassment.

The information comes from the ICT Education 2022 survey, launched this Monday (25) by the Regional Center for Studies for the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), of the Information and Coordination Center of Ponto BR (NIC.br).

The data also shows that students, especially older ones, seek out teachers to ask for help and find out about the use of digital technologies. On the other hand, there are still gaps both in teacher training and in the provision of classes and courses in schools for students, guardians and the school community focused on these issues.

The survey shows that the majority of teachers, 61%, stated that they supported students in dealing with sensitive situations experienced on the internet. This percentage increased compared to 2021, when 49% said they supported students on these issues. Among the reasons are the excessive use of games and digital technologies (46%); cyberbullying (34%); discrimination (30%); dissemination or leaking of images without consent (26%); and harassment (20%).

According to the study, the younger the students, the more they look to their parents or guardians for information about the use of digital technologies, this percentage reaches 80% among those aged 9 and 10.

As they get older, this percentage drops, reaching 34% among those aged 18 and over. The search for teachers remains practically constant, around 43% up to 17 years old. In rural areas, the search for teachers is even greater, reaching 56%, considered the average for all ages.

“The proportion of students looking for parents and guardians and family members is decreasing according to age group. So, those 15, 16 and 17 year old students become more independent. Friends appear, videos and tutorials on the internet or even learning alone becomes more relevant than seeking information from parents and guardians. However, teachers are a more stable source of reference in the development of students”,

says the coordinator of the ICT Education research, Daniela Costa.

The proportion of those who learn from videos and internet tutorials varies between 63% and 90% as students grow older. The proportion of those who learn alone goes from 76% among those aged 9 and 10 and reaches 97% among those aged 18 or over.

According to students, they receive more guidance from teachers as they get older. In the 4th and 5th of elementary school, less than half of students say they have received any information. In high school, this proportion reaches up to 67%. Among the topics covered are how to use the internet safely, what to do when something bothers you on the internet, how to check if news or information is false and instructions for school work.

Courses and subjects

Given the demand for information, teachers say they need training. For most teachers, 75%, there is a lack of a specific course aimed at adopting digital technologies in educational activities with students.

When incorporating technology into the classroom, teachers also face challenges: 50% say that students become scattered when technology is used during classes. According to Costa, schools must be careful when prohibiting the use of technological equipment and this must be incorporated into a pedagogical proposal.

“Often when there is this restriction on use or even a ban, we run the risk of, once again, making usage opportunities unfeasible for students who already face inequalities in opportunities in other areas”says the research coordinator.

“We found that teachers and students use this device, so there is a need, in schools, for greater conversation and debate about the use of technology and how it can be better used by students and teachers, to take advantage of opportunities and critical use , safe and responsible use of these technologies.”

Regarding how these subjects are dealt with formally in classrooms, according to the survey, 47% of school coordinators say that the activities are part of the content of one or more subjects in the school’s common curriculum. Another 27% say that they are offered in subjects or extracurricular activities and 17% say that these activities are only carried out when students face a problem using the internet or technology.

When it comes to involving the school community, around half of schools offer activities only once a year or even do not offer activities aimed at parents, guardians and other school staff on the use of technology.

More access

The study also shows that Brazilian schools are more connected after the pandemic, but there is still a lack of devices to access the internet and greater qualifications in use.

“When we think about meaningful connectivity for the school, we are not just talking about connectivity itself, access to the internet or devices, we are talking about meaningful education mediated by digital technologies. This meaningful connectivity and meaningful education encompass digital education, education for use and the inclusion of this topic in the school curriculum as well,”

says Costa.

The ICT Education survey has been carried out since 2010 and aims to investigate the availability of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Brazilian primary and secondary schools and the use and appropriation by students and educators.

In the 2022 edition, TIC Educação carried out, in person, between October 2022 and May 2023, 10,448 interviews in 1,394 municipal, state and federal public schools and in private schools. In total, the researchers interviewed 959 school managers, 873 coordinators, 1,424 teachers and 7,192 students. The survey is available on the internet.

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