Middle Years Science Teachers Voice Their First Experiences With Interactive Whiteboard Technology

Abstract

Among new technologies, interactive whiteboards (IWBs) particularly seem to engage students and offer entertainment value that may make them highly beneficial for learning. This study examined 10 Grade 6 teachers’ initial experiences and uses of IWBs for teaching science. Through interviews, classroom visits, and field notes, the outcomes demonstrated that teachers perceived benefits to using IWBs, including greater instructional flexibility and access to information. Furthermore, they used the IWBs in a range of ways including as a presentation tool but also as a means for students to develop their own knowledge and organization of it. Teachers commented that in order to use this technology effectively they needed sufficient time to plan and prepare lessons as well as opportunities to share ideas with their colleagues.

Résumé

Parmi les nouvelles technologies, le tableau blanc interactif (ou TBI) semble attirer et amuser particulièrement les élèves, c'est pourquoi il pourrait s'avérer fort utile comme outil d'apprentissage. Cette étude a analysé les premières utilisations des tableaux interactifs chez 10 enseignants de 6e année dans leurs cours de sciences. Les résultats, obtenus au moyen d'entrevues, de visites de classes et de notes sur le terrain, montrent que les enseignants voient de grands avantages à utiliser cette forme de technologie, car elle permet entre autres une plus grande souplesse dans l'enseignement et donne un meilleur accès à l'information. De plus, le tableau blanc interactif a été utilisé de plusieurs façons différentes, aussi bien comme outil de présentation que comme moyen permettant aux élèves de développer et d'organiser leurs propres connaissances. Les enseignants ont affirmé que, pour utiliser cette technologie avec efficacité, ils avaient besoin d'assez de temps pour planifier et préparer leurs cours, et qu'il leur fallait aussi multiplier les occasions de partager et d’échanger des idées avec leurs collègues.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Thank you to the teachers, principals, students, parent councils, and school board who supported this research.

This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council as part of the Centre for Research in Youth Science, Teaching and Learning (CRYSTAL) Project.A portion of this paper was presented at the Manitoba Education Research Network (MERN) Conference on Science, Mathematics, Technology, Teaching and Learning, February 2009, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Notes

1. Two participants were excluded from this study, one in year 3 who did not complete a final interview due to health reasons and one in year 4 whose data are the focus of another manuscript.

2. Teachers were recruited based on their willingness to learn to use the IWB in the classroom, whether they were teaching science as part of their workload, and whether they did not yet have an IWB permanently mounted in their classrooms.

3. The schools of participating teachers covered the costs of cables and mounting equipment and installation for IWBs and projectors.

4. Classroom visits were conducted at the teachers’ convenience. During visits the teachers and students demonstrated how they used the IWBs for science content. All of these sessions occurred within the last 3 months of the school year once the teachers had been working with the boards for several months.

5. Many of the examples cited in the Results section point to the hands-on approach that the teachers employed in their rooms. In many instances, their comments reflect the fact that they focused on trying to get students doing something in order to understand science content.