Using digital technology by teachers at the university: what variety? What explanatory factors?
In this article, we are interested in the nature of information and communication technologies (ICT) mobilized by university teachers to teach and the factors that explain this use. First, we proceed to theoretical insights, particularly concerning the concepts of “ICT” and “use”. Then, in support of data collected in May 2016 from 248 teachers at a French university, we show that ICTs mobilized by teachers during and outside class hours can be described as classics. Teachers also use ICT more in tutorials and practical work than in lectures. We then analyze the factors, related to the characteristics of the teacher as well as to the teaching context, which play an explanatory role in the use of ICT by teachers. It emerges that the teacher's sense of ICT competence and the pedagogical methods used in class are important variables in explaining this use of ICT. We discuss these results in the light of the existing scientific literature on the subject and propose several research perspectives.