ICT Access and Use by Teachers and Information Professionals: Perspectives and Constraints for the Development of Media and Information Literacy in Brazil

The Media and Information Literacy Program (MIL) proposed by UNESCO aims at the promotion of a conscious use of information by bringing together academic and public initiatives aware of the relevance of information and communication technology (ICT) in contemporary society. The MIL program elects communication and information professionals and teachers in general as a key professional group. The objective of this work is to collect data on Brazilian MIL professionals: how they are accessing, using, and learning ICT. The data considered in the analyses presented were obtained from the Brazilian Bureau of Census (IBGE). Results suggest that, although they access the Internet for personal use, MIL professionals in Brazil do not have sufficient technological infrastructure at their disposal. Besides, focusing on the sub-category of elementary and high-school teachers, we observed a lack of institutional support for their ICT learning and preparation to act as MIL promoters.