Tablets in education. Results from the initiative ETiE, for teaching plants to primary school students

Abstract

The study presents the results from the first phase of the initiative Emerging Technologies in Education. At this stage, we examined the learning outcomes from the use of tablets and an application as content delivery methods for teaching plants’ parts, reproduction types and organs, photosynthesis, and respiration. The project lasted for four months and the target group was 246 sixth-grade primary school students, divided into three groups. In the first, students were taught conventionally, using notes and the textbook. In the second, a contemporary teaching method was used, but the instruction was not technologically enhanced. The third group of students used the application. Data were collected by means of questionnaires and evaluation sheets. Results indicate that students in the third group outperformed students in the other two groups. On the other hand, there were no differences between the last two groups, regarding students’ misconceptions. The findings point to the need of further investigation of the educational uses of tablets and their applications.