Integration of Laptop Computers in High School Biology: Teacher Perceptions

This paper presents a study on teacher perceptions of integrating laptop computers. The qualitative, descriptive study documents the role of high school biology teachers in the integration of laptop computers in the classroom, their perceptions of integrating laptops into their biology courses, key factors about the integration process, and how the integration was accomplished. The teachers who participated in the study identified ongoing challenges for accessing appropriate professional development, and for sharing knowledge, skills, and teaching materials.

[1]  Catherine C. Marshall,et al.  Designing Qualitative Research , 1996 .

[2]  Fethi A. Inan,et al.  Pattern of Classroom Activities during Students' Use of Computers: Relations between Instructional Strategies and Computer Applications. , 2010 .

[3]  Jeasik Cho,et al.  Rethinking Curriculum Implementation: Paradigms, Models, and Teachers' Work. , 1998 .

[4]  Henry Jay Becker,et al.  How Exemplary Computer-Using Teachers Differ From Other Teachers: Implications for Realizing the Po , 1994 .

[5]  Information and communications technology in the science curriculum: an Australian case study , 1999 .

[6]  Scott Slough,et al.  Mathematics Classrooms: Is the Implementation Process the Same for Both Disciplines? , 2002 .

[7]  Zina O'Leary,et al.  The essential guide to doing research , 2004 .

[8]  Nigel Fielding,et al.  Using Computers in Qualitative Research , 1991 .

[9]  I. Seidman Interviewing as qualitative research : a guide for researchersin education and the social sciences , 1991 .

[10]  R. Yin Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[11]  Sharan B. Merriam,et al.  Case Study Research in Education : A Qualitative Approach , 1991 .

[12]  Richard E. Ferdig,et al.  Assessing technologies for teaching and learning: understanding the importance of technological pedagogical content knowledge , 2006, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[13]  Rosanne Steinbach,et al.  Changing leadership for changing times , 1999 .

[14]  R. Stake The art of case study research , 1995 .

[15]  Mary E. Webb Affordances of ICT in science learning: implications for an integrated pedagogy , 2005 .

[16]  Gertrude W. Abramson,et al.  Computers as ubiquitous tools for teachers and learners: a case study of the maine laptop initiative , 2006 .

[17]  Kendall Hartley,et al.  Teacher Concerns During Initial Implementation of a One-to-One Laptop Initiative at the Middle School Level , 2007 .

[18]  Chun-Yen Chang,et al.  The Interplay Between Different Forms of CAI and Students' Preferences of Learning Environment in the Secondary Science Class , 2005 .

[19]  Del Siegle,et al.  Laptop Computers and Multimedia and Presentation Software: Their Effects on Student Achievement in Anatomy and Physiology , 2001 .

[20]  Marcia C. Linn,et al.  Targeted Support for Using Technology-Enhanced Science Inquiry Modules , 2008 .

[21]  Matthew Kearney,et al.  Exploring Pedagogy with Interactive Whiteboards in Australian Schools , 2008 .

[22]  Jolie A. Mayer-Smith,et al.  An Examination of How Science Teachers' Experiences in a Culture of Collaboration Inform Technology Implementation , 1998 .

[23]  J. Creswell Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions. , 1998 .

[24]  J. Rogan An uncertain harvest: a case study of implementation of innovation , 2007 .

[25]  Matt Dunleavy,et al.  What added value does a 1: 1 student to laptop ratio bring to technology-supported teaching and learning? , 2007, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[26]  Albert Strickland,et al.  Factors Related to Teacher Use of Technology in Secondary Geometry Instruction , 2004 .

[27]  Judy M. Parr Extending Educational Computing , 1999 .

[28]  Geoffrey R. Smith,et al.  Using Laptops in the Biology Classroom and Laboratory. , 1999 .

[29]  K. Sahl,et al.  Tracing Teachers’ Use of Technology in a Laptop Computer School: The Interplay of Teacher Beliefs, Social Dynamics, and Institutional Culture , 2002 .

[30]  William Muirhead,et al.  Faculty Use of Tablet Computers at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. , 2007 .

[31]  Elizabeth A. Davis,et al.  Challenges New Science Teachers Face , 2006 .

[32]  Matt Dunleavy,et al.  The Impact of 1:1 Laptop Use on Middle School Math and Science Standardized Test Scores , 2007 .

[33]  Tony Fisher,et al.  Questioning teachers about their use of portable computers , 1999, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[34]  Thomas M. Dana,et al.  Factors Influencing Exemplary Science Teachers' Levels of Computer Use. , 2005 .

[35]  Sue Trinidad,et al.  Focusing on ICT in Rural and Regional Education in Australia , 2006 .

[36]  G. M. Simmie Teacher Design Teams (TDTs)—building capacity for innovation, learning and curriculum implementation in the continuing professional development of in-career teachers , 2007 .

[37]  Joi L. Moore Designing and Implementing Performance Technology for Teachers , 2004 .

[38]  Chrystalla Mouza,et al.  Learning with Laptops , 2008 .

[39]  Judy Perry,et al.  Using Palm Technology in Participatory Simulations of Complex Systems: A New Take on Ubiquitous and Accessible Mobile Computing , 2005 .

[40]  Wendy Bell,et al.  It's installed ... now get on with it! Looking beyond the software to the cultural change , 2005, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[41]  Meredith D. Gall,et al.  Educational Research: An Introduction , 1965 .

[42]  K. A. Owusu,et al.  Effects of computer-assisted instruction on performance of senior high school biology students in Ghana , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[43]  Jerry Willis,et al.  Computers and qualitative research , 1999 .

[44]  Larry Cuban The hidden variable: How organizations influence teacher responses to secondary science curriculum reform , 1995 .

[45]  Mwangi Ndirangu,et al.  Effectiveness of a Computer-Mediated Simulations Program in School Biology on Pupils' Learning Outcomes in Cell Theory , 2004 .

[46]  Alain Jaillet What Is Happening with Portable Computers in Schools? , 2004 .

[47]  H. Becker,et al.  The Influence of Computer and Internet Use on Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices and Perceptions , 1999 .

[48]  Michele W. Spitulnik,et al.  Supporting Teachers’ Use of Technology in Science Instruction Through Professional Development: A Literature Review , 2008 .

[49]  Steven M. Ross,et al.  When each one has one: The influences on teaching strategies and student achievement of using laptops in the classroom , 2003 .

[50]  Ben Levin,et al.  Learning about System Renewal , 2008 .

[51]  C. Paul Newhouse,et al.  A longitudinal study of the use of student-owned portable computers in a secondary school , 2001, Comput. Educ..

[52]  Peter Albion Laptop orthodoxy: is portable computing the answer for education? , 1999 .

[53]  C. Paul Newhouse A follow-up study of students using portable computers at a secondary school , 2001, Br. J. Educ. Technol..