THE USE OF INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARD IN INQUIRY BASED EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE FROM THE CASE STUDY IN CZECH REPUBLIC

Renata Ryplova, Martina Majerova

Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic)

E mail: ryplova@pf.jcu.cz

Two core processes recently highlighted in Czech Republic among factors, proposed to help enhance the attractiveness of natural sciences for the young people and to increase the achievement of science education:

1. The implementation of the Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE)

2. Introducing modern smart technologies into science teaching (interactive whiteboard - IWB)

AIMS of work:

To make –up teaching program aimed to the morphological properties of the leaf based on both, IWB as well as inquiry approach

To conduct a case study tracking a classroom research on this teaching program and to investigate its‘ impact on pupils‘ achievement

To search for a use of IWB among teachers using IBSE

Design of the IWB – IBSE teaching program

interactive inquiry program introductory question „ Are all the leaves the same? “ this question should be answered at the end of the

program by pupils as conclusion from all the activities they have absolved during their work on interactive program.

the interactive program forces the pupils into creating hypothesis and proving them through the activities included

the hands - on activity is not real, but digital. (Instead of real leaves the pupils work with digital photos)

Research methodology

Focus group: the 7 th grade pupils (12 -13 years old) from three different schools in South Bohemia. At each school one half of the pupils was educated through inquiry approach by using IWB and another half of pupils was taught the same topic by the same teacher through classical frontal teaching without IWB.

The level of pupils understanding was evaluated by pre and post-test and the results of the tested pupils taught by inquiry - IWB education were compared to the results of control group of pupils taught by frontal teaching.

Research methodology

For the survey aimed to the use of IWB in IBSE 33 teachers applying IBSE in biology and using IWB at basic schools were asked:

a) how they use IWB and

b) whether they use IWB during their inquiry lessons.

Results

Fig.1: The ways of use of interactive white board (IWB) by teachers using inquiry approach and IWB in teaching science at Czech basic schools (n=33). The most of the respondents use the IWB just like „data projector“, or as a tool for testing and „evaluating pupils“, some of them use IWB for motivation of pupils through „didactic games“, just a few teachers use the IWB during their inquiry lessons „IBSE“.

Results1. An impact of interactive – inquiry program on pupils’achivement

Fig.2: Comparison of the pupils‘ achievements expressed as percentage of the maximum test score for the matched pre-test and post-test. IBSE = the students absolved inquiry teaching through IWB, FE= students absolved frontal teaching. Statistically significant differences according to Student t-test (a = 0,05) are marked by an asterisk

Conclusions

Inquiry approach by using IWB was very efficient and was accepted very positive by pupils. Inquiry teaching through IWB increased significantly pupils’ understanding of morphological properties of the leaf

The teachers use the interactive whiteboard in IBSE very seldom

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:This work was supported by project no. GAJU 078/2013/S