Technology-based learning environments
F. Tari; M. Javadipour; R. Hakimzadeh; M. Dehghani
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Following the outbreak of covid19, e-learning has provided a unique opportunity to face the limitations of face-to-face education and achieve the ideal of education for all. Since teachers are considered as the most important influential factor in the teaching-learning process, ...
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Background and Objectives: Following the outbreak of covid19, e-learning has provided a unique opportunity to face the limitations of face-to-face education and achieve the ideal of education for all. Since teachers are considered as the most important influential factor in the teaching-learning process, the analysis of their successful and unsuccessful educational experiences can give us a deeper understanding of the current situation and provide solutions to achieve the desired situation and strengthen it. Given the vast amount of research conducted on the challenges and problems of teachers in the electronic context, the present study aims to focus specifically on the strengths of teachers' teaching experiences in the new learning environment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is identifying and modeling the importance of successful educational experiences of elementary school teachers in the e-learning environment.Methods: This is a qualitative and phenomenological study. Participants in this study include all elementary school teachers who had the experience of teaching in electronic context (Shad Program) in the academic year 2020-2021. Eighteen teachers among them were selected through purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were used to collect information until the researcher could achieve theoretical saturation. The findings were analyzed, using Colaizzi's seven-step strategy. In-depth analysis of the interviews resulted in the identification of 7 main categories and 25 related sub-categories. In the next step, the identified key categories entered into the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) software. In this section, first the structure of the communications between the categories was drawn in the form of an interactive network and then the importance of each of them was determined.Findings: The research findings showed that successful educational experiences of elementary school teachers in the e-learning environment in the order of their importance include the development of technological competencies (61 points), progress and modernization of curriculum elements (60 points), paying attention to emotional-psychological needs (53 points), promotion of social skills (51 points), development of scientific education (28 points), paying attention to aspects of biological and physical education (21 points) and strengthening aesthetic capacities (17 points).Conclusion: The results of the present study can be considered as a continuum in which, on the one hand, the development of technological competencies is of the highest importance and, on the other hand, the strengthening of aesthetic capacities is of the least importance. Based on the results obtained, a major overhaul of pre-service and in-service teacher training methods is needed to keep pace with the developments in technology-rich environments. In order to improve the quality of the teaching and learning process in the electronic context, teachers should also pay attention to the specific requirements of this new educational environment and its developmental capacities, and instead of using traditional teaching methods, prioritize their focus on educating students in all areas, encouraging group collaboration and participation in the virtual classroom, fostering students' curiosity and flourishing their individual creativity, strengthening students’ motivation students and paying attention to students’ individual abilities, interests, talents and personal differences of students in the new ecosystem so that they teachers could hope for an effective and active presence of students in their virtual classes.
Educational Technology
H. Khosh Akhlagh; M. Eslami
Abstract
stage requires invoking interest and motivation among them. In this regard their proper level of motivation can only be achieved through the right educational approach. This motivation is more important in elementary school because in this period, the educational infrastructure of students is formed ...
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stage requires invoking interest and motivation among them. In this regard their proper level of motivation can only be achieved through the right educational approach. This motivation is more important in elementary school because in this period, the educational infrastructure of students is formed and it has a great impact on higher education levels. The purpose of this study was to present a model to strengthen the academic motivation of elementary school students with emphasis on educational technologies.Methods: The present study is an applied study in terms of purpose; in terms of nature and research method, it is considered as qualitative. The statistical population of the study consisted of university professors and experts in the field of education who were selected by purposive sampling. Experts in this study were people who had at least 15 years of studying or teaching experience in providing educational models. Sampling continued until the theoretical saturation was obtained. Finally, 20 university professors and experts from Isfahan province answered the research questions. To check the validity of the measurement tool, content validity was used and interview questions were given to the professors and experts to be checked in terms of their accuracy. Also, to determine the reliability of the measuring instrument, the value of interclass correlation coefficient in terms of compatibility and absolute agreement was confirmed. Interviews with experts were in the form of four main questions related to general factors affecting the motivation of elementary school students, factors affecting the motivation of elementary school students in relation to information and communication technology, factors affecting the motivation of elementary school students in relation to the teacher and factors affecting the motivation of primary school students were related to the students themselves. Interpretive structural modeling approach using MATLAB software was used to analyze the data.Findings: The findings of Mick Mac analysis showed that eight factors were related to strengthening the academic motivation of elementary school students with emphasis on educational technologies which are divided into two categories of influential and linking factors with regard to permeability and dependence. The factors including students’ attitudes, knowledge of information and communication technology, teachers' attitudes, quality of content and the need for technical and telecommunication infrastructures in relation to the subject were highly guided and highly dependent. In addition, the factors of perceived ease, perceived usefulness and system quality had the highest impact and the least impact in the current model compared to that of other components, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that such factors as students’ attitudes, information and communication technology knowledge, teachers' attitudes, content quality and the need for technical and telecommunication infrastructure had a prominent role in motivating students so that they could predict their motivational trajectory. In addition, perceived ease, perceived usefulness, and quality of the educational system based on interpretive structural modeling resulted in both having motivated students to learn more and increasing their motivation to learn. Increasing teachers’ familiarity with up-to-date information and technological knowledge and correcting students' attitudes towards academic motivation were some of the practical suggestions in this article.
