Athanassios Jimoyiannis

Examining teachers’ beliefs about ICT in education: implications of a teacher preparation programme

Abstract The survey presented in this article examines current teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. A total of 1165 primary and secondary education teachers participated in the study, immediately after following a training programme on basic ICT skills. The authors’ results showed that the majority of the teachers in the sample have positive attitudes towards the training programme they attended, the general role that ICT can play in education and the integration of ICT in the educational process. The authors’ findings also revealed some parameters that interfere negatively, thus making many teachers cautious of or sceptical about ICT integration in educational practice. Multivariate analysis identified three groups of teachers that exhibited a consistent approach: a group of teachers having positive attitudes towards the items of the research, a second group with negative attitudes and a third one with neutral beliefs about ICT in education. Moreover, the authors’ analysis extracted significant information on the profile of the teachers within each of the three groups. They found that personal factors (subject matter, teaching experience and gender) are strongly associated with the beliefs and perceptions teachers hold about ICT in education.

Physics Instruction in Secondary Schools: An Investigation of Teachers' Beliefs towards Physics Laboratory and ICT.

This paper reports on the examination of physics teachers’ beliefs and perceptions of laboratory and ICT supported physics instruction. The findings indicate that the teachers in the sample were generally positive about the affordances offered by the physics lab and ICT in physics instruction. However, school culture context, mainly the need to cover the physics content in the mandated curriculum and to prepare the students for their examinations, constitutes a critical factor shaping teachers’ views about physics education in secondary schools. There are three discrete groups of physics teachers identified, which exhibited a rather consistent approach across the research items: (a) a group of traditional teachers, whose beliefs are dominated by rigorous presentation of the physics content while they are unwilling to incorporate laboratory and ICT‐based activities in their classroom practice; (b) a second one consisted of non‐traditional teachers, who are positive about the adoption of laboratory and ICT‐based subject instruction; and (c) a third group of undecided teachers who combine elements of both belief structures and vacillate between traditional and non traditional approaches. Moreover, the multivariate analysis indicates that personal factors (for example teaching experience, age, teacher training and ICT competence) are strongly associated with teachers’ beliefs and perceptions. The paper ends with some implications for the effective preparation and continuous support of physics teachers.

Blended Collaborative Learning Through a Wiki-Based Project: A Case Study on Students’ Perceptions

Wikis are currently gaining in popularity in schools and higher education institutions and they are widely promoted as collaborative tools supporting students’ active learning. This paper reports on the investigation of university students’ beliefs and perceptions of a wiki authoring activity, designed to support blended and collaborative learning. The study was administered in the context of an authentic coursework project activity in a first semester university course on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), attended by 47 first year students. Research findings indicated that the students in the sample were generally positive about the collaborative experience offered through the wiki and the consequent learning outcomes. Students’ perceptions of the functionality and usability of the wiki environment were also positive. They considered the wiki as an effective and easy to use technology. In overall, they evaluated positively the wiki assignment, as well as the technical and learning support they received on-line, through the wiki pages, and by their instructors during the class sessions.

Educational Blogging: Developing and Investigating a Students’ Community of Inquiry

The study presented in this is paper reports on the investigation of students’ engagement in an educational blog established as a project-based learning environment. Twenty-one secondary education students (aged 15 years), coming from two separate K-9 classes, were involved in this learning activity and the research reported. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, the analysis of the content posted shed light into the multiple ways of students’ engagement into the blog learning space, namely their social and cognitive presence that supported the development of a CoI. The results suggested that the students in the sample achieved higher cognitive levels through enhancing their communication and collaboration skills, and their analytical and critical thinking as well.

Research on e-Learning and ICT in Education

This book aims to serve as a multidisciplinary forum covering technical, pedagogical, organizational, instructional, as well as policy aspects of ICT in Education and e-Learning. Special emphasis is given to applied research relevant to educational practice guided by the educational realities in schools, colleges, universities and informal learning organizations. In a more generic scope, the volume aims to encompass current trends and issues determining ICT integration in practice, including learning and teaching, curriculum and instructional design, learning media and environments, teacher education and professional development, assessment and evaluation, etc.

Developing a Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework for Science Education: Implications of a Teacher Trainers' Preparation Program

In this paper we describe a science teacher preparation program, implemented in Greece, aiming at ICT integration in classroom practice. The development of this teacher preparation program was guided by the various components of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) while attempting to meet the professional development needs of science teachers. We begin with an overview of this teacher preparation program. Next, we look specifically at program components and correlate them with the knowledge bases for science education in secondary schools, particularly Pedagogical Content Knowledge. This is followed by a review of recent research findings that report the impact of the teacher preparation program on teachers’ views, perceptions and abilities to integrate ICT in science classroom. Finally, we draw on the apparent successes and challenges of the teacher preparation program to make suggestions regarding further applications of the construct of TPACK in science teacher preparation.

Analysing students’ engagement and learning presence in an educational blog community

This paper reports on a case study investigating students’ participation and learning presence in an educational blog implemented as a cross-thematic inquiry activity exploring and debating on the acid rain problem. Twenty-one secondary education students (14–15 years aged), coming from two separate classes, were involved. The content and commentary postings of the blog were analysed using a combined framework, combining the model of Community of Inquiry (CoI) and the representation of learning mapping, aiming to reveal students’ engagement in blogging activities. The analysis shed light into the different patterns of participation that students showed and their gradual evolution of learning presence which supported the development of a CoI. The results suggested that properly designed blog activities can help students to achieve higher cognitive levels through enhancing their collaboration skills and critical thinking. The findings showed that the proposed framework could be of value for the design of blog-based instructional practices and ongoing research in the field.

Analysis of Students' Participation Patterns and Learning Presence in a Wiki-Based Project.

The educational applications of wikis are becoming very popular among instructors and researchers and they have captured their attention and imagination. This paper reports on the investigation of a wiki project designed to support university students’ collaborative authoring and learning. The design framework of the wiki-based project is outlined and an analysis framework is proposed as the result of combining analysis of students’ collaborative actions, e.g. edits and posts in the wiki pages. The framework was applied to investigate students’ engagement, their contribution to the wiki content and the patterns of collaboration and content co-creation they followed during the project timeline. Our findings revealed different patterns of students’ contribution to their group wiki as well as their different roles. The paper concludes with suggestions for future development of the framework and research in the field of wiki learning design.

Digital Literacy in a Lifelong Learning Programme for Adults: Educators' Experiences and Perceptions on Teaching Practices

The study presented explores aspects of adult learning on digital literacy in the context of a lifelong learning programme for social cohesion in Greece. The article outlines the framework of the digital literacy subject and underlines its associated objectives regarding adults’ knowledge and competence in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The exploration draws upon the experiences and perceptions of eight adult ICT educators. The findings reveal that the educators tried to use flexible instructional practices that were adjusted to adult learners’ needs and interests. Common effective instructional practices used were: ICT competence sessions, interdisciplinary and multi-literacy lessons, ICT-based projects, individual instruction sessions. Additionally, the article reveals the difficulties that adults faced in the course of developing ICT literacy skills. The article ends with implications for the design of adult digital literacy courses in lifelong learning programmes, and for the preparation and development of the ICT educators in the years to come.

DAVE: A Dynamic Algorithm Visualization Environment for Novice Learners

Acquiring knowledge about algorithms and programming skills is a difficult and complex process in particular. Various algorithm visualization systems have been developed, using animation techniques to illustrate the behavior of basic algorithms, to facilitate studentspsila learning and skills development. This paper presents DAVE, an interactive dynamic algorithm visualization system for the introductory lessons in algorithm design and programming. DAVE allows studentspsila experimentation not only with sample algorithms, constructed by the designer, but, mainly, with the automatic animation of their own algorithms.