High School Science Teachers' Confidence withClassroom Technology Integration

Volume 13 Issue 1 June - August 2017

Research Paper

High School Science Teachers' Confidence withClassroom Technology Integration

Zahrah Hussain Binmubarak Aljuzayri* , Brandy Pleasants**, Brian Horvitz***

* PhD Scholor, Mallinson Institute for Science Education, Western Michigan University, USA

** Faculty Specialist II, Mallinson Institute for Science Education, Western Michigan University, USA

*** Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology, Western Michigan University, USA.

Aljuzayri, Z.H.B., Pleasants, B., and Horvitz, B. (2017). High School Science Teachers' Confidence with Classroom Technology Integration.i-manager’s Journal on School Educational Technology, 13(1), 21-32. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.13.1.13699

Abstract

Integrating technology in the science classroom can help support many teaching goals. However, research indicates that teachers need confidence in using technology to effectively integrate it into classrooms. The purpose of this study was to describe high school science teachers' confidence with integrating various forms of technology into their classrooms, and how that confidence varies by teaching discipline, gender, age, and teaching experience. This quantitative descriptive study used a four-point Likert scale survey to collect self-reported confidence data from 40 practicing high school science teachers in the Midwest region of the United States. Overall, 100% of the science teachers reported confidence in using the internet, and 90% or more reported confidence with computers, email, and powerpoint. Interestingly, these findings indicate that physics teachers reported lower confidence in using several types of technology compared to teachers of other disciplines. The author also found that males tended to report higher confidence in their use of technology than females did. While this study provides information for professional development opportunities that focus on improving confidence in classroom technology use by addressing skills and motivation for science teachers, we should note that the sample sizes were low and additional investigation is warranted. This research also leads to new questions about whether confidence translates to higher levels of technological use in the classroom.