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ICT in Education
UNESCO ICT-CFT
The ICT-CFT Matrix

The ICT-CFT Matrix

📝 Cheat Sheet
  • The ICT-CFT is a grid: 3 levels across, 6 aspects down.
  • 3 levels x 6 aspects = 18 named competencies.
  • The three levels are
    1. Knowledge Acquisition
    2. Knowledge Deepening
    3. Knowledge Creation
  • The six aspects are the parts of a teacher’s work, from policy to professional learning.
    1. Understanding ICT in Education Policy
    2. Curriculum and Assessment
    3. Pedagogy
    4. Application of Digital Skills
    5. Organisation and Administration
    6. Teacher Professional Learning

A Grid, Not a List

The ICT-CFT is laid out as a grid. Three columns run across the top, and six rows run down the side.

It is a developmental map, not a tick-box checklist.

The three columns are the levels.

The six rows are the aspects of a teacher’s work, from understanding policy through to ongoing professional learning.

Every place where a column meets a row is one named competency. There are eighteen competencies in total.

Each cell has its own short label that describes what a teacher does in that aspect at that level.

Flashcard
What are the two dimensions of the ICT-CFT matrix?
Tap to reveal
Answer
Three levels across the top (Knowledge Acquisition, Knowledge Deepening, Knowledge Creation) and six aspects down the side (the parts of a teacher’s work).

Here is the full matrix reproduced as a table.

#Aspect ↓Knowledge AcquisitionKnowledge DeepeningKnowledge Creation
1Understanding ICT in Education PolicyPolicy UnderstandingPolicy ApplicationPolicy Innovation
2Curriculum and AssessmentBasic KnowledgeKnowledge ApplicationKnowledge Society Skills
3PedagogyICT-enhanced TeachingComplex Problem-solvingSelf-management
4Application of Digital SkillsApplicationInfusionTransformation
5Organisation and AdministrationStandard ClassroomCollaborative GroupsLearning Organisations
6Teacher Professional LearningDigital LiteracyNetworkingTeacher as Innovator

The UNESCO ICT-CFT matrix showing three levels across the top and six aspects down the side, with eighteen labelled competency cells

❓ Pop Quiz
How is the ICT-CFT structured?
❓ Pop Quiz
How many competencies are in the matrix?

The current version is Version 3, published in 2018. Earlier versions existed, but this is the one to study.

How to Read the Matrix

Read the matrix as a map, not a checklist. It is not a list of boxes to tick off in a weekend.

It shows a path: a teacher tends to start in the Knowledge Acquisition column and grow toward the right over years of practice.

You can be at different levels in different aspects at the same time, which is normal. The grid lets you place yourself honestly and pick a sensible next step.

❓ Pop Quiz
How should the matrix be read?
❓ Pop Quiz
Can a teacher sit at different levels in different aspects?
Flashcard
How many competencies does the matrix hold?
Tap to reveal
Answer
Eighteen. Three levels multiplied by six aspects gives eighteen named cells, each describing what a teacher does in that aspect at that level.
❓ Pop Quiz
Which version of the ICT-CFT is current?
Flashcard
Is the matrix a checklist?
Tap to reveal
Answer
No. It is a developmental map. It shows a path of growth from left to right, and a teacher can be at different levels in different aspects at once.

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Last updated on • Talha
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