Who says school provides computer skills? Early ICT exposure and later skill perceptions – evidence from school and home environments in Ireland

This research contributes to the underexplored literature on student perceptions of ICT skill learning, examining cohort data for over 5600 children in Ireland. The article asks whether ICT exposure at school or at home, aged 9 and 13, is associated with student perceptions that school provides computer skills at age 17, and how school and home factors mediate this association. This research extends activity theory of ICT learning and presents new evidence on student beliefs distinct from the extant literature on self-efficacy and attitudes. Few factors related to ICT at school impacted student beliefs; however, computer availability and use at home were significant. 
Socio-economically disadvantaged students were more likely to say school provides computer skills, as were girls, especially those in female-only schools and students in vocational (‘Education and Training Boards’) schools. This study addresses the need for empirical findings on the impact of technology at school on student learning beliefs.