As part of the National Operational Programme (NOP) – “Education and Skills for Development” 2007-2013, Indire carried out research activities to meet the need-to-know on training requirements and the degree of digital skills among teachers and students who took part in the training interventions, sponsored by the Single Planning Process in the period from 2007-2013.

This research project intended to explore and observe the use of ITC in terms of the digital skills possessed by students and teachers who took part in the Single Planning Process 2007-2013, and intercede in their further training needs.

Attention was paid mostly to the use of technologies in students and teachers’ daily practice. The study proposed a snapshot of current habits, the presence (at home or at school) of technological devices, the integration of media in daily and scholastic life, and provided elements for analysis of training needs as perceived by students and teachers. The body of data gathered permitted, in a medium-term perspective, a subsequent focus on the digital contents and cognitive styles of the young generations.

The research results provided elements of reflection for scientific debate on the theme, and could give useful indications to support the implementation of lines of intervention to be realised during the programming cycle for 2014-2020.

This research, concluded in 2015, involved 9,508 students and 7,732 teachers from schools of all levels of some of the Italian Convergence Objective regions (Campania, Calabria, Apulia and Sicily).

The structure and dimension of the analysis of this research arose from considerations and stimuli given by EC recommendations and surveys carried out in Europe and internationally, regarding the use of ITC and the level of development of digital skills in the Italian education system.

In particular, the main dimensions explored, for teachers were:

• ICT habitat inside and outside the school;
• Didactic use of ICT;
• Perception of efficacy and learning needs.

For students, the main aspects investigated were:

• ICT habitat and support in using ICT;
• Use of ICT at school;
• Use of ICT outside the school for educational goals and in their free time;
• Perception of competence and learning needs.

A new survey will be implemented during the years 2016-2017, aimed at widening the research to all the Italian Regions involved in the 2013-2020 National Operative Programmes.