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ERIC Number: EJ799566
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jul
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0263-5143
EISSN: N/A
Physics Instruction in Secondary Schools: An Investigation of Teachers' Beliefs towards Physics Laboratory and ICT
Siorenta, Anastassia; Jimoyiannis, Athanassios
Research in Science & Technological Education, v26 n2 p185-202 Jul 2008
This paper reports on the examination of physics teachers' beliefs and perceptions of laboratory and ICT supported physics instruction. The findings indicate that the teachers in the sample were generally positive about the affordances offered by the physics lab and ICT in physics instruction. However, school culture context, mainly the need to cover the physics content in the mandated curriculum and to prepare the students for their examinations, constitutes a critical factor shaping teachers' views about physics education in secondary schools. There are three discrete groups of physics teachers identified, which exhibited a rather consistent approach across the research items: (a) a group of "traditional" teachers, whose beliefs are dominated by rigorous presentation of the physics content while they are unwilling to incorporate laboratory and ICT-based activities in their classroom practice; (b) a second one consisted of "non-traditional" teachers, who are positive about the adoption of laboratory and ICT-based subject instruction; and (c) a third group of "undecided" teachers who combine elements of both belief structures and vacillate between traditional and non traditional approaches. Moreover, the multivariate analysis indicates that personal factors (for example teaching experience, age, teacher training and ICT competence) are strongly associated with teachers' beliefs and perceptions. The paper ends with some implications for the effective preparation and continuous support of physics teachers. (Contains 3 tables, 3 figures, and 1 note.)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Greece
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A