Journal of Education & Social Policy Vol. 8, No. 1, March 2021 doi:10.30845/jesp.v8n1p2 1 Writing in English in rural elementary schools in Spain: A contrastive analysis of ICT and non-ICT resources Alejandro Curado Fuentes a Elena Suárez Núñez a a University of Extremadura Faculty of Business and Tourism Cáceres, Spain 10003 Abstract Studies on the application of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in Primary Education have grown over the past years. However, in low-income rural schools, this use of ICTs has not been explored as much. Our research sets out to cover this topic according to two main phases: (1) An examination of our national / regional Primary Education context in the light of ICT deployment; (2) a contrastive analysis of three rural public schools in the north of Extremadura, Spain, by comparing three experimental groups who use ICTs with three control groups of learners performing similar tasks and activities but not using ICTs. In addition, ethnographic information gathered on site can enhance the analysis by comparing different factors that may influence English writing tasks when ICTs are applied in rural elementary schools with more vulnerable students. Keywords: Primary Education; ICTs; EFL; writing; rural schools; CLIL. 1. Introduction In elementary school classrooms and other learning situations, a considerable number of studies seems to demonstrate that technological resources, as developed in a systematic, planned manner, often lead to successful and effective results (e.g., Cassells et al.,2015; Mazohl & Makl, 2016; Camacho-Martín & Esteve Mon, 2018, among others). Amidst this backdrop of projects, a generic question is whether deploying ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) entails positive learning improvements. Also, a widely examined notion is that ICTs may contribute to YLs’ (young learners’) dynamic engagement and optimal performance because the resources are novel / innovative. In terms of EFL (English as a Foreign Language), the legislation in Spain (BOE, 2011; BOE, 2013) has greatly emphasized foreign language competences for Primary Education. As a result, more intensive teaching has taken place in English not only in the form of compulsory EFL courses but as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) practices. And yet, the EF / EPI (English Proficiency) agency (2020) places Spain at position 34 in the world’s ranking for EFL levels (intermediate), and Extremadura, our region, has the lowest EPI level in Spain. This seems to unveil a mismatch between current EFL/CLIL objectives and actual learning outcomes in our region. In addition, current policies emphasize the importance of actively integrating ICTs in language learning, but the fact is that not much has been done in terms of ICT development in lower-income rural contexts over the past ten years. Our general goal is thus to find out about EFL learning in regional elementary schools, where ICTs are introduced because of their alleged innovative / improving mechanics. In the use of ICTs for EFL writing activities, we hypothesize that students’ writing, after the session treatment, may significantly improve: 1) if assisted by ICTs, 2) if not assisted by ICTs, 3) with no specific approach, or 4) with both types of instrumentation. The specific objectives of this study are as follows: 1) To evaluate the role of ICT integration in EFL writing developments as compared to other means and instruments that rely on similar methodological strategies and aims, but without ICTs. 2) To analyse cognitive processing and learning outcomes among fourth year Primary Education students after doing specific writing tasks in EFL. 3) To complement our results in these rural areas with feedback from Primary Education teachers and other Education agents by means of semi-structured interviews and discussions.