Literature Review
Using IWBs in Teaching
According to Abuhmaid (2014), the Interactive Whiteboard (IWBs) is an expanded touch-sensitive unit that can display information once connected to a computer and a digital data projector. The functioning of IWBs involves computer screening, interactive board, and as a mouse tool. Any user may change the monitor or directly use it concurrently. In the primary classroom teaching environment, the user may use a specialised electronic pen, fingers, stylus, or a pointer in operating or controlling different icons. Ahmed and Parsons (2013) noted that all teacher activities done on the IWB could be automatically saved and revisited in case there is a need for a recap. Interestingly, this tool has the capability of storing even an instructor’s handwriting. Introduced in 1991, the IWB has experienced a wider acceptance across the globe in many primary school environments (Teck, 2013). At present, there are two main categories of IWBs, which are the Front Projection Board and the Rear Projection Board (Yang & Teng, 2014). The former functions with a pre-existing computer or data projector and is always fixed in a wall within the classroom with an overhead projector.
Significance of IWBs in Teaching
The literature review on the development of the IWBs within the educational setting reveals that these tools have several benefits in learning, teaching, and motivation. The impacts of IWB on teaching at the primary school level include improvement in the efficiency and proactive instructor-learner engagement. According to Sweeney (2013), a study carried out by the British Educational Communication and Technology Agency in 2003 indicated that the interactive whiteboard has a series of positive impacts on the teaching process. For instance, as a presentation tool, the findings noted that it assists teachers in increasing their instructional delivery time by enabling them to deliver more than a single item or resource at any given time (Sung, Chang, & Liu, 2015).
Besides, it improves on the efficiency in lesson delivery since the use of face-to-face call and instructions at the same time is an effective method of teaching. The other benefit attributed to using IWBs is enabling the instructors to proactive use web-based teaching resources in whole-class setup. It has the potential of expanding the education coverage beyond the classroom walls (Pamuk, Cakir, Ergun, Yilmaz, & Ayas, 2013). Moreover, IWBs enables an instructor to link different objects, which is a prerequisite for excellence in lesson delivery in a non-linear classroom environment. The IWBs is known to empower the teachers to engage in multimedia materials that facilities the presentation and explanation of the lesson content and concepts (Lipshitz, Friedman, & Popper, 2014).
According to Guven (2014), IWBs “enables teacher to save and print what is on the board, including notes made during the lesson, reducing duplication of efforts and facilities revision for future use” (p. 2830). In the primary classroom environment, the IWB empowers teachers to be in a position to effectively provide information and materials through pictures, sounds, text, animation, and video segments, among others. As a result, it enhances the direct learner engagement as opposed to the conventional or traditional teaching approach. Through encouraging creativity, seamlessness, and diversification, the IWB is an effective tool for a teacher in using different teaching materials (Jwaifell & Gasaymeh, 2013). Lastly, the IWBs supports “classroom management with the ability to walk around the classroom, and be near learners; this could make a difference in a diverse classroom environment” (Chen, Tan, & Lo, 2013, p. 12). The literature review indicates that the IWBs have a myriad of benefits in teaching.
Primary Teachers’ Attitude and Application of IWBs
Several previous studies have indicated positive teachers’ attitude in the application of IWBs. For instance, Fernandez-Lopez, Rodriguez-Fortiz, Rodriguez-Almendros, and Martinez-Segura (2013) researched to examine the opinions and attitudes of EFL instructors within Turkey on the application of IMB technology. The findings revealed that most of the instructors were positive towards this instruction delivery technology. The teachers noted that IWB is a useful tool in instruction delivery since it promotes proactive teacher-learner engagement. Another study by Chauhan (2016) indicated that teachers were motivated when employing IWBs since it makes the lessons more exciting, engaging, and interesting to the learners.
A similar study carried out in Jordan by Jwaifell and Gasaymeh (2013) examined the use of IWBs by female instructors in the modern primary school system. The findings indicated that “the extent of teachers’ use of IWB is influenced by their perceptions of the four main aspects: Relative advantage, compatibility, simplicity, and observability” (Jwaifell & Gasaymeh, 2013, p. 148). This means that regular use of the IWB has transformed the instructors’ teaching methodology from a traditional approach to employing group work, open sources, and dialogues. On the same note, Abuhmaid (2014) explored the perspective of teachers on IWBs as an instruction delivery technology and factors influencing proper IWB implementation. The findings indicated that the participant school engaged a lot of resources to promote effective IWB integration within the syllabus. Interestingly, the findings also revealed that IWBs made the teaching job “not easier” in relation to the workloads (Bruce-Low et al., 2013).
Within the Saudi context, a study carried out by Alshumaimeri and Gashan (2015) to explore the attitudes of primary school teachers towards IWBs usage in classroom revealed that it plays a significant role in learning and teaching process. Actually, most instructors are of the option that the IWB is an efficient tool that could be transformed into a content delivery support instrument for effective classroom interaction of support. However, the findings indicated that majority of the respondent teachers use the overhead projector for search on the internet but rarely explore other significant features of IWBs. Al-Faki and Khamis (2014) attributed this trend to limited IWB technology knowledge; thus, there is a need for further training of primary school teachers.
Barriers to Effective Implementation of IWBs in the Classroom Environment
The barriers to effective implementation of IWBs in the classroom environment include lack of technological know-how, ineffective training, and complexity of the ever changing technology. According to Alshumaimeri and Gashan (2015), lack of general computer competence is a threat to self-reliance in the application of IWBs in the primary classroom environment. There is limited ‘need to know basis’, especially for teachers with less ICT confidence. In order to reverse this trend, Abuhmaid (2014) suggests that there is a need for co-operation between beginners and experienced teachers to provide technical support during lessons. Another setback is the practicality in the usage of IWBs. As noted by Akcay, Arslan, and Guven (2015), the physical location and height (low or high) where the board is placed might be challenging for users. In addition, shadow, sunlight, temperature, and dust in the classroom environment might limit the proper usage of the IWBs. Apart from technical challenges, the other drawbacks can be addressed by simple adjustments.
Limitations of the Study and Research Gap
In summary, the previous studies have indicated that there is a positive attitude towards IWBs with the exception of the Jordanian case study, which indicated that the IWBs make the teachers’ workload heavier. The proposed study aims at exploring the gender-based teachers’ attitude towards IWBs usage in the primary classroom environment and the potential problems that they might face. A clear knowledge of the gender-influenced attitudes of primary teachers towards IWBs is necessary in order to present a clear basis for their pedagogical use.
Methodology
Research Techniques
The researcher will employ a mixed-method design consisting of qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (questionnaires) research phases in the implementation of interviews and survey and analysis of the collected data. The researcher will maintain a sense of neutrality in conducting multifaceted interviews. Since the proposed research has a focused, dynamic, and subjective scope, the use of mixed-method would be ideal in gaining accurate insight into the current situation as related to the case study (Miller, Mauthner, Birch, & Jessop, 2013). Moreover, the mixed method will enable the researcher to present a detailed analysis and have adequate room for further probing of the collected data using divergent analysis tools within the allowed error margins and assumption limits (Denscombe, 2015). The researcher will use online questionnaires and direct interviews with a few selected teachers.
Data collection will be done through one-on-one interviews with the aid of closed-ended and open-ended questions in addition to filling an online questionnaire for participants who cannot afford 30 minutes for direct interviews. The questions for the interview and questionnaire filling were pretested for their relevance and applicability in the proposed study. The selected questions were comprehensive to ensure that a respondent is given delve deep and provide answers that can provide a concrete research problem insight (Miller et al., 2013). The research will then subject the responses to transcription. For each response from every participant, the transcripts will be examined to pinpoint appropriate and relevant responses (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2013). Instances of convergent or divergent opinions from the norm will be properly marked.
The use of mixed-method research design will enable the researcher to understand individual attributes that related to attitudes towards the application of IWBs. The different attributes of the study will be qualitatively examined to establish a trend and diversion from the same. This process will empower the researcher to note the qualitative behaviours observed (Miller et al., 2013). On the other hand, the quantitative method will apply to the analysis of the data collected through the integration of analytical tools such as correlation, regression, and Chi-Square. These tools will be significant in the identification of statistical patterns in the collected data (Denscombe, 2015). Before data collection, several steps will be taken to protect the participants. These steps include proper selection of the respondents and the creation of a consent form. Once the consent form is signed by the potential respondent, interviews will be scheduled for the available participants while the rest will be requested to fill in the online questionnaire form.
Research Sampling
The research will target 100 primary school teachers within the region of Hail in Saudi Arabia. This means that the research will have a sample space of 100 respondents. The researcher will ensure that an appropriate sampling criterion is used to represent the statistical picture on the ground. This means that the level of experience, gender, age, and other demographic factors will be balanced (Miller et al., 2013). This approach was adopted to minimise the potential bias as a result of an imbalanced sample space. In addition, adoption of the proposed sample plan was necessary to avoid compromising the impact of comparative study the decision-making process (Denscombe, 2015). The sampling formula adopted for this study is summarised below.
n=N/ (1+N (e2))
Where:
n = sample size
N= target population
e= degree of freedom
n=100/ (1+100*0.052)
n=100/1.075
n= 87.907
Generalisation and Vigour
The chosen sample for the survey indicates a verifiable, clear, and a scientific criterion for decision making in surveying the dynamic technology-based learning. This means that it is representative of the specified intervals in the sample space. As a result, it will permit comprehensive comparative research since the quantitative design will be adopted in testing the degree of freedom and accuracy of the results (Denscombe, 2015). Therefore, it is expected that the survey will be an accurate representation of the study subject.
Validity and Reliability
Reliability and validity determine the research accuracy in data collection and analysis. In order to ensure validity in the questions within the questionnaire, it was necessary to subject them to further pretesting. On the same note, reliability tests the consistency magnitude of different research instruments and resulting outcomes. In this study, the researcher will be in a position to grasp the perspectives of different respondents, especially in the qualitative phase (Denscombe, 2015). When properly utilised, these experiences will form part of the framework for developing the study and creating a unique comprehension of personal experiences. The interviews will be conducted on the basis of common sector, career, and culture in order to give uniform personal information that can be modelled to avoid prejudices (Miller et al., 2013).
Justification of the Mixed-Method
Using the qualitative approach is necessary for comprehending the individual attributes that are related to the study. For instance, through observations during the face-to-face interviews, the researcher will be in a position to note down a trend and predict the expected results. On the other hand, the integration of quantitative approach will provide a fertile ground for further transcription and analysis of the collected data with the aid of different scientific tools (Miller et al., 2013). Therefore, the mixed methodology will be instrumental in the identification of statistical patterns and interpretation of these trends to address the research problem.
Ethical Considerations
The researcher will ensure that the ethical tenets of scientific research are upheld from the beginning to the end of this study. For instance, the inclusion of the consent form, seeking permission from the relevant authority, and observing confidentiality in dealing with the respondents will ensure that the study does not suffer from any ethical imbalance (Denscombe, 2015). Since the researcher has prior training and wide experience in data collection, the issue of unprofessionalism is not bound to arise. Moreover, the integration of qualitative and quantitative research will ensure credibility in data collection, analysis, and presentation of the results. In addition, because of the large sample space, data transferability is possible (Miller et al., 2013). However, in this case, transferability might not be possible since data collection will be carried out in more than one institution of learning.
In summary, the mixed method design proposed for this study is sufficient in addressing all the research questions and objectives. The use of statistical tools in data analysis will ensure that the findings address the research problem.
References
Abuhmaid, A. (2014). Teachers’ perspectives on interactive whiteboards as instructional tools in four Jordanian schools. Contemporary Educational Technology, 5(1), 73.
Ahmed, S., & Parsons, D. (2013). Abductive science inquiry using mobile devices in the classroom. Computers & Education, 19(63), 62-72.
Akcay, A., Arslan, H., & Guven, U. (2015). Teachers’ attitudes toward using interactive whiteboards. Middle Eastern & African Journal of Educational Research, 22(17), 22-30.
Al-Faki, M., & Khamis, H. (2014). Difficulties facing teachers in using interactive whiteboards in their classes. American International Journal of Social Science, 3(2), 136-159.
Alshumaimeri, Y., & Gashan, A. (2015). Teachers’ attitudes toward using interactive whiteboards in English language classrooms. International Educational Studies, 8(12), 176-183.
Blaxter, L,. Hughes, C., & Malcolm, T. (2013). How to research, Berkshire, UK: Open University Press.
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