Use Of Technology In Classes Research Articles

Learning analytics for student homework activities during a long break: Evidence from K-12 education in Japan

Learning Analytics (LA) is an emergent field that aims to better understand students and provide intelligence to learners, teachers, and administrators using learning log data. Although the use of technology in class is increasing in the K-12 sector and tertiary education, cases of effective implementation of LA in secondary schools have rarely been reported. This study offers an example of LA implemented in a junior high Math class during long vacations in Japan. This paper comprises two studies: first, we analyzed 121 students’ answer logs and their exam performance after vacation by the K-means clustering method. We found that students’ progress patterns were categorized into four types of engagement—early, late, high, and low—and the early and high-engagement groups obtained significantly higher scores than the low-engagement group. In the second study, we implemented a real-time dashboard that visualizes students’ progress patterns and gives students insights about their progress during the vacation period. We found that the dashboard significantly increased students’ interactions with the assignment, and the questionnaire survey determined that the LA dashboard motivated students to learn during the long vacation period. Considering the previous studies of LA, we estimate that LA-based interventions enhance students’ self-regulation skills, which is crucial for learning during long vacation periods. Our study offers a novel approach to implementing LA in K-12 education.

English Teachers’ Instructional Practices as Determinants to Students’ 21st Century Skills

The study aimed to examine how the instructional methods employed by English teachers and the overall academic performance of students contribute to the development of 21st-century skills The research involved 277 students from public senior high schools in Bais City. It utilized a descriptive-correlational approach, using a validated questionnaire for data collection, and applied statistical methods including mean, weighted mean, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis for data analysis. The study revealed that the extent of teachers’ instructional practices in terms of drills, contextualization, mediated learning, technology in the classroom, visualization, cooperative learning, and inquiry-based learning is “high.” It was also found that the students’ 21st-century skills in terms of problem-solving, information literacy, and critical thinking are classified as “high.” Moreover, the visualization and inquiry-based learning practices of the teachers were found to be significant predictors of the students’ problem-solving skills. In addition, the results indicated that contextualization, use of technology in class, visualization, and cooperative learning are determinants of students’ information literacy skills. Lastly, the findings signified that the use of technology in class and cooperative learning significantly predict students’ critical thinking skills.

Müzik Öğretmeni Adaylarının Teknoloji Kullanımına Yönelik Eğilimleri ve Öğretmenlik Uygulaması Dersinde Teknoloji Kullanım Durumları

This study aims to reveal the tendencies of prospective music teachers towards the use of technology in the lesson, their use of technology in the music lesson practices they conduct in the school environment within the scope of the "teaching practice" course, and their views on this. In this study, in which the mixed method has been followed, what is the simultaneous diversification pattern; qualitative and quantitative data were collected together but analyzed separately. The research group includes 88 prospective music teachers who are currently continuing their education in various state universities during the 2022-2023 academic year. The data were collected with multiple-choice questions in the Tendency Scale for Technology Use in Class and the Questionnaire Form on the Use of Technology in the Teaching Practice Course of the Prospective Teachers, and the qualitative data were collected with the open-ended questions in the same questionnaire. In line with the quantitative findings obtained, it has concluded that the pre-service teachers' tendencies towards technology use were at an above-average level, their recognition rate of music/hearing education software was below the middle, and the frequency of technology use in practice courses was generally below medium. In line with the qualitative data of the research, the opinions of the pre-service teachers emphasizing the advantages of technology as facilitating, being economical, and providing efficient learning, problems related to the internet connection in the classroom environment, and the inadequacy of technological equipment came to the fore. Among the suggestions of the participants, it was emphasized that the pre-service and in-service teachers should be trained in the use of technology.

A Gamified Experiential Learning Intervention for Engaging Students Through Satisfying Needs

A field experiment conducted across an academic semester tested the impact of a gamified experiential learning intervention strategically framing a student response system (SRS) to maximize student engagement through their technology use in class. Participants ( n = 123) aged 9–16 years received an experimental intervention designed to foster intrinsic motivation through optimally challenging engagement. To achieve this, the intervention utilized teamwork, made friendly competence-enhancing competition salient, and created choice. In a comparison condition, students used SRS without these additional enhancements. Students were surveyed at three time points. The experimental intervention reported increasing psychological need satisfaction for autonomy, competence, and relatedness and greater academic well-being. An observer rating demonstrated more classroom behaviors indicative of intrinsic motivation as compared to the comparison condition. The effects of the intervention increasing student-reported and observer-rated academic well-being were due to more immediate beneficial effects of the gamified experiential condition fostering basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence.

Investigation of the Relationship between Individual Innovation Profiles of Special Education Teacher Candidates and Their Tendency towards the Use of Technology in Class

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the individual innovativeness profiles of special education teacher candidates and their tendencies towards technology use in the lesson. The study group of the research designed in the survey model consists of 194 special education teacher candidates. Research data were obtained with “Personal Information Form”, “Individual Innovativeness Scale”, and “Scale of Tendency towards the Use of Technology in Class”. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. The research will contribute to the literature by revealing the relationship between the individual innovativeness profiles of special education teacher candidates and their tendencies towards the use of technology in the course, and the findings will be guiding for relevant individuals and institutions in terms of both research to be made in the field of innovation and professional development of special education teachers in terms of their professional development is considered.

On the Technology Acceptance Behavior of Romanian Preschool Teachers

300 participants were invited to participate in this research from 15 Romanian counties. 182 preschool teachers' questionnaires were utilized for data analysis after the return and screening of responses. A valid and accurate scale evaluating preschool teachers' behavior towards technology adoption was included in the questionnaire, along with self-reported demographic data, professional identification, and other information. Data was analyzed using SPSS V.16. (1) Intention to use, compatibility, perceived enjoyment, and actual use were positively associated. (2) The effect of compatibility and perceived enjoyment on the link between intention to use and actual technology use was carried out in the following way: Intention to use → Compatibility with technology → Perceived enjoyment → Actual use. We hypothesize that intention to use affects compatibility, compatibility affects perceived enjoyment, and, lastly, perceived enjoyment affects actual use. For a more robust validation of results, we have also modelled this relationship with the Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network. Compatibility and perceived enjoyment partially mediate the relationship between intention to use and actual technology use in class by Romanian preschool teachers. According to the theory of planned behavior, this study brought to light the intricacy of the relationship between preschool teachers' intention to utilize technology in the classroom and their actual usage of it. Limitations and implications are discussed.

What do Science Teachers Expect from a Technology-Based Professional Development Program?: Reflections from a Pilot Study

This study aimed to reveal science teachers’ expectations from a technology-based professional development program and designate the said program accordingly. The case study was carried out with 12 science teachers of gifted students. In order to identify the needs of the teachers for effective technology integration in the classes, interviews were conducted. The interviews unearthed that the use of technology in classes was mainly at a basic level, and resorted to with a view to providing visualization, make presentations, or web-search. The teachers declared that they would like to attend technology-based training programs to improve their technology competencies. After determing the teachers’ needs, the researchers developed a technology-based professional development program based on the ASSURE model and implemented the pilot study. After the pilot study, the participants put forth that the program was beneficial for enriching classes with technology in various ways. It is thought that the dissemination of this training by making extensive applications to teachers in different fields will contribute to the development of their technological competencies and help overcome the difficulties in the use of technology. In order to enhance the technological competence of teachers, technology-based trainings need to be designed and thereupon overcoming the barriers to technology usage can be made possible. It is recommended to carry out studies to evaluate teachers' technological abilities and efficiencies in other ways and pursue them according to their developmental characteristics.

A Radial Basis Function Neural Network Approach to Predict Preschool Teachers' Technology Acceptance Behavior.

With the continual development of artificial intelligence and smart computing in recent years, quantitative approaches have become increasingly popular as an efficient modeling tool as they do not necessitate complicated mathematical models. Many nations have taken steps, such as transitioning to online schooling, to decrease the harm caused by coronaviruses. Inspired by the demand for technology in early education, the present research uses a radial basis function (RBF) neural network (NN) modeling technique to predict preschool instructors’ technology usage in classes based on recognized determinant characteristics of technology acceptance. In this regard, this study utilized the RBFNN approach to predict preschool teachers’ technology acceptance behavior, based on the theory of planned behavior, which states that behavioral achievement, in our case the actual technology use in class, depends on motivation, intention and ability, and behavioral control. Thus, this research design is based on an adapted version of the technology acceptance model (TAM) with eight dimensions: D1. Perceived usefulness, D2. Perceived ease of use, D3. Perceived enjoyment, D4. Intention to use, D5. Actual use, D6. Compatibility, D7. Attitude, and D8. Self-efficacy. According to the TAM, actual usage is significantly predicted by the other seven dimensions used in this research. Instead of using the classical multiple linear regression statistical processing of data, we opted for a NN based on the RBF approach to predict the actual usage behavior. This study included 182 preschool teachers who were randomly chosen from a project-based national preschool teacher training program and who responded to our online questionnaire. After designing the RBF function with the actual usage as an output variable and the other seven dimensions as input variables, in the model summary, we obtained in the training sample a sum of squares error of 37.5 and a percent of incorrect predictions of 43.3%. In the testing sample, we obtained a sum of squares error of 14.88 and a percent of incorrect predictions of 37%. Thus, we can conclude that 63% of the classified data are correctly assigned to the models’ dependent variable, i.e., actual technology use, which is a significant rate of correct predictions in the testing sample. This high significant percentage of correct classification represents an important result, mainly because this is the first study to apply RBFNN’s prediction on psychological data, opening up a new interdisciplinary field of research.

Technology Distractions in Multimedia-Enhanced English Class in Blended Teaching Environment

Under the background of covid-19, more and more universities began to adopt blended teaching approach in real practice. In English class, teachers began to integrate information technology in courses more than ever before, which leaves room for technology distraction in the process and it may harm the effectiveness of teaching and learning. This study aims to find out the advantages and disadvantages on technology distractions in English class from a student’s perspective and explore the possible factors that affect students’ technology distraction levels. The findings reveal that self-regulation, interest and learning-oriented goal are intrinsic factors while learning environment and peer influence are extrinsic factors for influencing students’ distraction levels in technology use in class. Hopefully, this study will provide some practical suggestions to course instructors.

Teacher Professional Development: Mobile and Limited Technology-enhanced Pedagogy

This qualitative case study seeks to document and understand the influence of technology integrated/supported professional development (PD) on preK-12 grade teachers in Nepal. The study focuses on the value of collaborative, university-school relationships to foster buy-in among teachers to integrate technology for increased student learning. We used the TPACK framework and sociocultural theory of learning to understand how and why technology integration at a rural school in a poor country would support more engaged pedagogy for learning. The PDs were co-designed by the researchers with teachers’ input, and further supported in its implementation when teachers tried out the new strategies in their classrooms. Data was collected utilizing methods of observations, self-reflective fieldnotes, informal interviews, and artifacts. Data analysis indicated that effective and locally suitable technology integration relies on building relationships with the teachers and school community; technology integration needs to be focused on the local needs of students and teachers based on their resources and curricular demands; and while limited (mobile) technology integration can support better learning, student-centered inquiry-based pedagogy needs to guide technology use in class. Furthermore, the study argues that recognizing and valuing local cultural and school contexts are central to successful PD in technology integration.

Characterizing the Role of Technology in Mathematics Teachers’ Practices When Teaching About the Derivative

A current research problem in mathematics education is the characterization of the role of teachers in the processes of technology integration in mathematics classrooms. This article shows how two secondary mathematics teachers taught the concept of derivative of a function at a point and the concept of derivative function, one of them using digital technology and the other one without using it. Their teaching was characterized by describing their hypothetical learning trajectories (learning goals, learning activities and the hypothetical learning processes). APOS theory (which stands for Action, Process, Object and Schema) was used to describe the hypothetical learning processes. The results showed that the use of digital technology in class may promote reflection among students without excessive computations, thus helping them to construct the concept of derivative.

Reflection: A Powerful Tool for Teachers to Examine Their Own Teaching

This study is situated in a mathematics teaching practice setting where reflective practice by pre-service teachers was investigated. Instead of having a one-on- one lesson observation, followed by reflection thereafter, this study looked at the joint lesson observation and reflection amongst three student teachers and a supervisor/researcher. The purpose was to investigate their reflective practices as a group, investigating the following research question: Do mathematics student teachers change their teaching when they receive feedback from a knowledgeable other, in conjunction with their peers? If so, how do they change? Data were collected through interviews of the joint reflections of two lessons of each of the three pre-service teachers. The findings have potential value for learning to teach where the participants could incorporate take-up from each other‘s lessons, develop in terms of the pace at which they taught and improve the use of technology in class. Joint reflection can be proposed as it enhances teaching and opens up the space to talk about classroom experiences.

Technology-related teaching skills and attitudes: Validation of a scenario-based self-assessment instrument for teachers

Instruments that assess teachers' skills and attitudes on the basis of a broad range of specific standards and demands for teaching with digital technologies are lacking to date. Based on the K19 framework, we validated the scenario-based instrument IN.K19 that simultaneously assesses technology-related teaching skills and attitudes via self-assessment. In our study with N = 90 teachers and student teachers with teaching experience, we demonstrate that the instrument has satisfactory factorial validity in our confirmatory factor analyses. To investigate its predictive validity, we examined the instruments' relationships with teachers' frequency of technology use in class and teachers' initiation of different types of student learning activities involving technology. Results from structural equation modelling show relationships between self-assessed skills in different phases of teaching with technology and the self-reported initiation of student learning activities involving overt actions (active, constructive, and interactive learning activities), supporting the predictive validity of our instrument. Positive attitudes towards technology-related teaching also exhibit positive relationships with the initiation of learning activities involving digital technologies, but more specifically learning activities that do not include observable actions by learners (passive learning activities). Thus, teachers' self-assessed technology-related skills rather than attitudes might contribute to facilitating learning activities crucial for students’ learning.

Developing the usage index for teaching with technology: A case study for Motheo district, South Africa

Virtual reality has taken the world by storm over the past decade where learners are allowed to gain experiences that are not possible with ordinary teaching methods. The interactive technological devices such as GeoGebra have made Euclidean geometry easy to understand by learners. The current study aimed to investigate the use of technology in the teaching of Grade 12 Euclidean geometry. This study used a four-dimensional model for teaching with technology in the investigation. All responses were averaged and normalised to produce an index for the measurement of the effective technology use in teaching of Euclidean geometry in Grade 12. The learning style of students contributes significantly to the use of technology in classes, particularly the audio-visual learning style. Bloemfontein showed a high number of learners ready to be taught through technology. However, this is in opposition to the teachers in terms of their age groups and enthusiasm to use technology. In Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu areas that were previously resource-disadvantaged, the current government has ensured that technological teaching resources are available where unfortunately their usage is not satisfactory, ranging from ‘maybe used’ to ‘less use of technology’ in teaching of Euclidean geometry in classroom. The authorities are therefore advised to hold technology workshops for senior teachers, reduce class sizes and tighten security in schools to avoid connecting and disconnecting of technological devices from one classroom to another to avoid wastage of teaching time.

Changing Multitasking Intention with Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs)

Aim/Purpose: This article aimed to design and evaluate a pedagogical technique for altering students’ classroom digital multitasking behaviors. The technique we designed and evaluated is called course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). With this technique, the students wrote a research article based on a multitasking experiment that the instructor conducted with the students. The students conducted a literature review, developed their own research questions, they analyzed experiment data, and presented results. This study evaluated the how the CURE contributed to student multitasking behavior change. Background: Multitasking is defined as doing more than one thing at a time. Multitasking is really the engagement in individual and discrete tasks that are performed in succession. Research showed that students multitasked very often during courses. Researchers indicated that this was a problem especially for online teaching, because when students went online, they tended to multitask. Extant research indicated that digital multitasking in class harmed student performance. Multiple studies suggested that students who multitasked spent more time finishing their tasks and made more mistakes. Regardless of students’ gender or GPA, students who multitasked in class performed worse and got a lower grade than those who did not. However, little is known about how to change students’ digital multitasking behaviors. In this study, we used the transtheoretical model of behavior change to investigate how our pedagogical technique (CURE) changed students’ digital multitasking behaviors. Methodology: Using a course-based undergraduate research experience design, a new classroom intervention was designed and evaluated through a content analysis of pre- and post-intervention student reflections. As part of the course-based undergraduate research experience design, the students conducted a literature review, developed their own research questions, they analyzed experiment data, and presented results. This study evaluated the how teaching using a course-based undergraduate research experience contributed to student multitasking behavior change. Transtheoretical model of behavior change was used to investigate how our pedagogical technique changed students’ digital multitasking behaviors. Contribution: The paper described how teaching using a course-based undergraduate research experience can be used in practice. Further, it demonstrated the utility of this technique in changing student digital multitasking behaviors. This study contributed to constructivist approaches in education. Other unwanted student attitudes and behaviors can be changed using this approach to learning. Findings: As a result of CURE teaching, a majority of students observed the negative aspects of multitasking and intended to change their digital multitasking behaviors. Sixty-one percent of the participants experienced attitude changes, namely increased negative attitude towards multitasking in class. This is important because research found that while both students and instructors believed off-task technology use hinders learning, their views differed significantly, with more instructors than students feeling strongly that students’ use of technology in class is a problem. Moreover, our study showed that with teaching using CURE, it is possible to move the students on the ladder of change as quickly as within one semester (13 weeks). Seventy-one percent of the students reported moving to a higher stage of change post-intervention. Recommendations for Practitioners: Faculty wishing to curb student digital multitasking behaviors may conduct in-class experimentation with multitasking and have their students write a research report on their findings. Course-based undergraduate research experiences may make the effects of digital multitasking more apparent to the students. The students may become more aware of their own multitasking behaviors rather than doing them habitually. This technique is also recommended for those instructors who would like to introduce academic careers as a potential career option to their students. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should explore changing other unwanted undergraduate student behaviors with course-based undergraduate experiences. Researchers may use the transtheoretical model of change to evaluate the effectiveness of techniques used to change behaviors. Impact on Society: The negative outcomes of digital multitasking are not confined to the classroom. Digital multitasking impacts productivity in many domains. If techniques such as those used in this article become more common, changes in multitasking intentions could show broad improvements in productivity across many fields. Future Research: This paper constitutes a pilot study due to the small convenience sample that is used for the study. Future research should replicate this study with larger and randomized samples. Further investigation of the CURE technique can improve its effectiveness or reduce the instructor input while attaining the same behavioral changes.

A controlled study on an instrument that couples active learning with technology: student video creation

Background: Active learning strategies and the use of technology in classes have been widely indicated to enhance learning. Although much has been discussed on these topics, few studies have addressed them with adequate experimental designs. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of a strategy coupling active learning methodology and technology –video lectures production by students – on the students’ learning in comparison with traditional approaches. Methods: To investigate the impact of video production on students’ learning, approximately half of one class of undergraduate students in a Pharmacy program attended traditional classes on one of its modules, while the other half was instructed to elaborate video lectures about the same content. We recorded their scores in two exams on the topic covered by the video lectures, one prior to intervention and the second after the intervention. We also recorded their score in a final exam at the end of the course, which covered all modules in the course, and applied a questionnaire to assess students’ perceptions about the applied methodology. Results: The average score of the students in the video group became 46% higher than the control group’s score. The score on the final exam at the end of the course showed no difference between groups. Most of the students reported that the video lectures they produced in class improved their academic performance. Conclusions: The video lecture production activity, a teaching instrument that relies on active learning and technology, was able to improve learning indicators of a group of randomly selected students in comparison with a control group of students who attended traditional expository classes given by an instructor.

They Need More Than Technology-Equipped Schools: Teachers’ Practice of Fostering Students’ Digital Protective Skills

The intense use of digital media among children and adolescents raises concerns about online risks. In response, digital literacy frameworks for formal education usually include a set of protective skills. Considering that teachers have the responsibility to implement such frameworks, this study investigates factors associated with teachers’ practices of fostering students’ digital protective skills. Therefore, data from a survey conducted with 315 teachers in the state of Thuringia, Germany, was analyzed. The findings indicate positive associations between the importance teachers attribute to digital protective skills, the knowledge they have about guidelines for media education, their formal media training, and their media and technology use in class. Besides, the analysis revealed associations with school type, subject taught, and teacher age. Conversely, the factors of human and technological resources did not yield significant effects in the regression model. The final model explained 48% of the variance in the teachers’ practices of fostering protective skills.

A Mixed Blessing? Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives about Off-Task Technology Use in the Academic Classroom

The widespread use of technological devices in an academic classroom brought with it many learning opportunities, but also posed a challenge of handling the off-task technology use in class. The literature on this topic is growing, but we still know relatively little about students’ and instructors’ perceptions regarding the off-task technology use in class. This paper addressed this gap by examining (1) how do students and instructors perceive technology in the classroom, and (2) who do they believe should be responsible for minimizing off-task technology use in class? Analyzing data from a mixed-method study with students and instructors in a Canadian university, we show that while students acknowledged that the off-task technology use can be distracting, they considered it a matter of personal autonomy, which can only be regulated when it creates distractions for others. The instructors had a more complex view and posed some challenging questions about the relationship between student engagement and technological distractions, the impact of technology on learning process, and the responsibility of educators in higher education. In conclusion, we reflect on some of the questions that ought to be considered when handling the off-task technology in an academic classroom.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Mathematics Teachers and the Effect of Demographic Variables

With increasing global requirements for the use of technological tools and resources in K-12 settings, there is a need to examine the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) levels of mathematics teachers because technology use in class may enhance students’ engagement and motivation in learning mathematics. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a TPACK scale to be used in investigating mathematics teachers’ knowledge levels in TPACK components, and investigate if mathematics teachers’ TPACK levels differed in terms of gender, teaching experience and level of school. This study is based on survey research design. Data were collected from 202 mathematics teachers in the spring semester of 2016-2017 academic year. MANOVA was used for data analysis. As a result of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the TPACK instrument was developed as a valid and reliable 39-item 5-point Likert scale consisting of six scales: 1. Technological Knowledge, 2. Pedagogical Knowledge, 3. Content Knowledge, 4. Technological Content Knowledge, 5. Pedagogical Content Knowledge and 6. TPACK. The results also revealed that there were significant differences between gender and technological knowledge domain in favor of male teachers. However, it was found that teaching experience and level of school had no significant effect on TPACK domains.

Does Size Matter? Instructors’ and Students’ Perceptions of Students’ Use of Technology in the Classroom

Aim/Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore whether students’ self-initiated personal technology use differ by class size as well as to explore students and instructors’ perspectives on whether students’ technology use in class is a problem. Background: Because class size influences several aspects of student engagement, it is plausible that class size would affect students’ technology behaviours, but, to our knowledge, no study has directly examined class size as a factor in students’ on- and off-task technology use. There is also a paucity of research on how the use of off-task technology affects instructors. Methodology: We surveyed all undergraduate students and faculty in one Faculty at a Canadian university in Fall 2016. A total of 478 students and 36 instructors completed the survey. The survey contained questions about students’ and instructors’ behaviours and attitudes towards the use of technology in class. Quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS and Excel and qualitative excerpts from short-answer questions on the survey were analyzed in NVIVO 8. Contribution: This paper demonstrates that students’ on- and off-task technology use in class is influenced by class-size. It also informs us on the impact students’ technology use has on instructors in the academic classroom. Findings: Student-initiated technology use increased significantly as class size increased. Students and instructors expressed little concern about the impact of class-related technology use on learning and views did not differ significantly between these two groups. Although both students and instructors believed off-task technology use hinders learning, their views differed significantly, with more instructors than students feeling strongly that students’ use of technology in class is a problem. Recommendations for Practitioners: We need to develop guidelines on how to address off-task technology use in class. Recommendation for Researchers: More research is needed to explore how the use of technology in class affects instructors. Impact on Society: Higher education industry needs to consider how to manage the use of off-task technology in class. Future Research: We need to explore further how to mitigate the factors contributing to the off-task technology use in academic classroom.