Abstract
Teachers face challenges in adopting ICT applications for science teaching and learning. An in-service teacher education course module addressing the needs of science teachers particularly was developed through a design-based research (DBR) project. The course module is designed to improve the readiness of teachers in choosing ICT applications for science education and taking the technical and pedagogical usability of the application into account. An international survey showed that clarifyingthe needs and constraints of using ICT applications in science education as well as introducing and discussing both technical and pedagogical usability with the teachers was important. Moreover, a theoretical analysis of the usability of ICT applications offers various views on meaningful learning and motivational aspects of science teaching and learning. In this paper, we report what we learned from the experience of designing the course module, which is described and discussed in terms of theoutcomes of both the theoretical and empirical problem analysis.
Highlights
The OECD (2006) has pointed out the increasing gap between the current use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning at schools and the daily experiences that pupils have with ICT outside of school
We have described the design of a course module intended to support teachers in improving their potential as users of ICT applications in science education
The design-based research (DBR) approach has provided a framework for this process
Summary
The OECD (2006) has pointed out the increasing gap between the current use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning at schools and the daily experiences that pupils have with ICT outside of school. There is broad agreement on the reasons why ICT applications should be integrated into science education and the advantages of its use in teaching and learning science. Use of ICT in science education could support meaningful learning and student motivation (Osborne & Hennessy, 2003). Teachers do not rely on research-based evidence in identifying good practices, nor do they see the usefulness of ICT use in science education. It is generally known that implementation of educational policy and reforms in science education is either very slow or tends to fail (Lavonen, Juuti, Aksela, & Meisalo, 2006). Supporting science teachers in adopting the use of ICT as a part of their teaching and to appreciate the usefulness of ICT in the science classroom is a challenge
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