INTEGRATING WEB-BASED LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

Recently, Web-based learning management systems have been extensively integrated in school management, in teaching and learning, and in internal and external communication, including home-school communication. This study investigates teachers' experiences and perceptions with regard to the implementation of a new system called Learning Room and its use in home-school communication. The data comprise a survey of 454 public school teachers (grades 1-12) from one Swedish municipality. The results reveal that the majority of the teachers were dissatisfied with Learning Room's functional features, which negatively impacted their perceptions and attitudes towards its usefulness and ease when communicating with parents. This, in turn, caused a general decrease in daily home-school communication. The results indicate that there is a need to reflect on the implementation process and to improve the system. The study also implicates that a successful implementation of technology in education calls for policy commitment, high- quality technical design features, sufficient organizational support, and positive personal attitudes and efforts.