Pupils' “representations” of ICT. A preliminary study in six European countries Christophe Dansac, Georges-Louis Baron, Eric Bruillard Abstract A co-ordinated empirical European work (Project REPRESENTATION, MM 1045) has been led in six countries, with the aim of getting an insight of pupils’representations regarding ICT. A common protocol was defined. According to it, the pupils of one classroom in each country (fourth and fifth graders) were asked to draw a computer, to label its parts and to write short texts about computer uses. Representations are at the same time rather similar (children tend to focus on the external parts of computers) and rather contrasted. representations seems to be much affected by the task proposed to pupils. the school context, the use of a computer at home and in school and, probably, the gender. 1. Context The European Project REPRESENTATION (MM 1045) has been launched in 1998 in order to develop knowledge about pupils' representations regarding Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It considers 10-12 years old pupils in Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom. We shall present here some results of the first year of this project, making use mainly of a deliverable we were responsible of (see http :// hermes. iacm. forth. gr for more information about the project). One of the main initial tasks was to establish an initial conceptual model of children's represen- tations. We decided to select contrasted cases, the granularity of observation being the school, with a focus on particular classes where teachers have been associated to researchers, following a scheme of action research. The empirical work was done in the spring of 1999. We made the choice of relying on a combination of drawings, text writing and interviews as a research tool. This choice could in effect lead to rich data and allow for rich interpretations. The canvas for getting data was the following. Each pupil of the chosen class was asked to draw on a sheet of paper a computer and to produce a legend giving the name of the different parts. Then, each pupil produced a short text (naturally in his mother tongue) on the theme "What is for me the usefulness of a computer". On the basis of this first production, six pupils were to be selected in each class and interviewed. Their selection intended at trying to represent the different pupil profiles as seen in the classroom. In a second time, the class was asked to produce a short collective work about what computers might bring in the future, under the supervision of the teachers. The process was realised by the way of the teacher’s choice. This scheme was globally respected. However, in accordance with the principles of action research, ecological validity made it necessary to adapt the tasks to the particular practice of each school and teacher. Two partners deviated from the initial framework. Depending on the class habits, interviews could not take place in Greece, and were replaced by a class discussion. The UK contribution to the data collection adopted a different protocol. This special protocol, relying on a spider-mapping task, has been set up in order to obtain richer data. Spider-mapping or indeed any type of linked drawings are a means to depict related or unrelated thoughts and produce something more concrete from which the initial ideas can be developed, or the methods of linkage considered. 2. Results about pupils’ ICT representations We’ll first present preliminary remarks about the different methods that have been used to capture children’s representations. Then findings will be classified under three headings : ICT objects, ICT functions or uses, ICT users. 2.1. Preliminary remarks The collection of data seems to have posed no major problem, the pupils being willing to discuss the topics and to express themselves. The data collected in six countries constitute a rich material that could be submitted to many in-depth analyses. So far, only an exploratory analysis was performed. Indeed, the aim of this phase of project REPRESENTATION was only to establish an initial image of pupils' representations of ICT The following section tries to highlight how the differently methodological approaches have contributed to the initial picture of pupils’ICT representation that will be presented afterward. 2.1.1. Drawings The drawings give very interesting clues as regards the ICT representation of the pupils. Although roughly similar as regards aesthetic features, they show considerable variations in their components. This leads one to think that the differences in drawing abilities cannot be the sole explanatory factor. Relating this variations to the data obtained