The ‘Good School’ and Information Technologies In Education: Reflections On Contributions and Challenges In Portugal

This article explores what it means to be a “good school” in the digital age and reflects on the main contributions and challenges associated with the use of Information Technologies in Education in the Portuguese context. Its primary objective is to present key concepts related to the “good school” and to examine how digital technologies can support Portu-guese schools in moving towards this ideal. Drawing on literature about effective schools, school quality and frameworks for the pedagogical integration of digital technologies, the paper argues that a good school today cannot be understood without considering how tech-nologies shape learning, equity and participation. Methodologically, the article is conceptual and draws on a narrative review and synthesis of international and Portuguese studies on school effectiveness and digital education. On this basis, it proposes a set of reflections and recommendations aimed at helping Portuguese schools use technologies more strategically, critically and ethically, aligning digital initiatives with a broader vision of what counts as a “good school”. The paper concludes by suggesting that technologies can contribute to good schools only when they are integrated into coherent educational projects that prioritize ped-agogical quality, equity and the relational fabric of school life.