Abstract:

The widespread use of smartphones by students represents an untapped opportunity for education, particularly in the area of biology. While smartphones primarily serve as communication and multimedia devices, they hold immense potential for improving biology education. Smartphone-based microscopy is a burgeoning technology that shows particular promise in biology education. In the first part of study, prospective biology teachers were guided in building microscopes using smartphones and readily available household materials. The second part of study addressed the consequences and impact of this innovative pedagogical approach.

Study used a multifaceted approach to comprehensively examine prospective biology teachers' perspectives and attitudes regarding the integration of smartphones into the classroom. The results of this study have the potential to shed light on the feasibility and benefits of using smartphones as a pedagogical tool and offer valuable insights to both teachers and students in the field of biology education.

The research questions underlying this phase were as follows:
(a) What is the perceived usefulness of smartphones in the context of biology instruction from the students' perspective?
(b) From the students' perspective, how easy is it to incorporate smartphones as a teaching tool in biology classes?
(c) To what extent do students enjoy using smartphones in the context of biology class and do they perceive a benefit in doing so?
(d) Are students satisfied with the use of smartphones as a teaching tool in biology classes?
(e) Do students express an intention to continue using smart mobile devices as a learning tool in their future biology classes?

The participants' diverse academic backgrounds add depth to their perspectives and provide a holistic view of smartphone integration in the biology classroom.

The dataset of responses regarding the perceived usefulness of smartphones in the biology classroom was subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to uncover underlying structures and patterns within the data. The 21 elements of views and opinions were transformed into four distinct components. The criterion for retaining these components was eigenvalues greater than 1, which together explained 89.1% of the total variance. All 21 items that had a loading value greater than 0.4 were included in the analysis to ensure a comprehensive examination of participants' views.

Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to elicit the different viewpoints of prospective biology teachers regarding the integration of smartphones into the classroom. The results of this analysis provide valuable insights into the facets of enjoyment, convenience, satisfaction, and perceived usefulness of smartphones in the context of pedagogy. Student responses reveal a multifaceted landscape in which smartphones are viewed as promising pedagogical tools, though not without their associated challenges. This nuanced view underscores the potential importance of smartphones in shaping future biology education.

Integrating smartphones into the biology classroom is a promising way to enrich students' learning experiences.

Keywords:

Biology education, Microscopy, Smartphone, Prospective teachers.