TO WHAT EXTENT DO SAUDI SCIENCE TEACHERS USE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN ENHANCING LEARNING AND TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS?

This paper aims to gain an understanding of teachers’ current use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their teaching practice to develop an effective learning and teaching environment for science in primary schools in Saudi Arabia. In particular, the main purposes of this research are to investigate science teachers’ practices in ICT-supported learning and teaching environments, to identify teachers’ perspectives about the importance of ICT in science education, to investigate teachers’ use of ICT, and to identify barriers to teachers’ utilisation of ICT in science education.
Qualitative data collection and analyses study including interviews with nine primary science teachers and nine science supervisors was utilised in this study. In the interviews, supervisors were asked about the teachers under their supervision, while the teachers were asked about themselves.
The results of this study revealed that most teachers believed in the importance of using new technology in science pedagogy. The findings also indicate that Saudi science teachers reportedly used ICT in primary classrooms in various ways. They sometimes used PowerPoint presentations with pictures and videos to deliver science lessons. Teachers also accessed the Internet at home to find ready-to-use presentations and up-to-date scientific information. The use of ICT however, was quite limited in both extent and range as ICT use happened within a traditional approach to teaching; it seems not to have been very successful in helping teachers to develop an effective learning and teaching environment for science. Teachers seemingly focused on whole classroom teaching, rather than individual and group learning. With the use of ICT, teachers appeared to act as experts, information givers and knowledge transmitters, while students seemed to have a passive role in the classroom, which meant just receiving, listening and doing what their teachers wanted. The teaching seemed to be teacher-centred and teacher-in-control, with little attention being paid to students’ prior learning or the need for them to play an active role in their learning.
Those responsible for the integration of ICT into science education have a strong desire for it to take place. However, teachers have encountered many barriers. The major barriers are related to lack of access to ICT resources, lack of effective professional development, insufficient time, an inflexible curriculum and lack of technical support. The removal of any one barrier will not be sufficient in itself to produce good teaching and learning and all these barriers need to be addressed.
The findings of this study indicate that ICT cannot be integrated successfully into Saudi primary science education unless the role of teachers and students in the classroom is developed in a supported environment. As part of integration of ICT into education, Saudi educators and decision makers have to take into account what is required to develop effective learning and teaching environments.