ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on a study conducted between 2006 and 2011 that enquired into learner perceptions of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and its assessment at age 16. It describes the research study and the findings from 2011, which was also the date that the then Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, delivered his speech to the Education World Forum, in which the changes to the ICT curriculum were first announced. The research found that learner perceptions of ICT and computing were largely focused on its utility and relevance for later life, for further education or for employment. The study identified three phenomena that emerged as central to the learners' views. Firstly, learners identified ICT as a subject that was predominantly about their future lives. Secondly, they saw, in common with many commentators, creativity and ICT as being intrinsically linked. Thirdly, their views were dominated by the culture of the school in which they were studying.
