Student-centred models based on active learning have aroused interest among teachers and students. At the same time policymakers encourage the use of information and communication technologies in education. Research on active learning and flipped classrooms took an upward turn in quality and magnitude with the advent of COVID-19. The research proposal was developed just prior to the pandemic and was altered to deal with the new situation. This research has contributed to the research generated by the pandemic. This cover study incorporates the data and analysis from four published articles. The purpose of this research was to develop a classroom intervention in organic chemistry using ICT and assess the perspectives of three classes of student-teachers and their chemistry teachers (“the threesome”) on their experience. The data were gathered on-site in Ghana by the threesome and with online questionnaires for both educators and student-teachers, online interviews, and a focus group. The threesome and the researcher met regularly online before and during the COVID-19 period of restrictions on school attendance. The main aim was to understand the extent to which teacher educators and student- teachers could use ICT to adopt flipped classrooms as a pedagogical approach while teaching organic chemistry. Four weeks of instruction in the traditional format of classroom lectures and written homework were replaced by a flipped mode of instruction in which students studied organic chemistry in school and in out-of-school settings. No changes were made regarding the content as prescribed in the national curriculum for tertiary education. The same topics from organic chemistry were introduced in all three colleges at the same time, using the flipped, active learning and incorporating extensive use of ICT. The educators found it difficult to shift their pedagogical practice and adopt online teaching. ICT skills were weak as was the ICT infrastructure in the colleges. Some ICT resources in the form of data bundles were provided to all the student-teachers and the threesome and mobile Wi-Fi equipment to one educator. Some student-teachers who could not access the internet at home used these resources for their pre-class activities. On reflection, the threesome believed that integrating flipped classrooms could provide opportunities for student-teachers to develop their skills and change their pedagogical practices. The threesome had some ICT knowledge, but there were weaknesses in the colleges in using and integrating it into the teaching. One of the reasons was that participants had not received professional ICT training that would enable them to be competent in delivering or receiving technology-enhanced lessons. The threesome indicated further that even for those who had received some ICT training, it was not effectively organized or enough to enable teachers to put integration into practice. ICT-focused workshops were one-time only and too short and rushed to be beneficial. The student-teachers perceived that the flipped classroom approach would enable them to take a more active role and responsibility for their learning because of the flexibility of the approach. Student-teachers felt they could interact with their teachers and collaborate with their peers through the flipped approach. Further, they believed that the flipped classroom activities enhanced conceptual understanding and increased academic achievement and critical thinking skills. Both the threesome and student-teachers faced challenges implementing the national curriculum because of deficiencies in ICT infrastructure, and few opportunities to develop the relevant knowledge, skills, and competences for teaching and learning for the 21st century. The support that the researcher provided highlighted the value of teachers supporting each other when they have the same issues. In this case the context of the intervention with flipped classrooms, it is important to consider that educators with knowledge, skills, and competence in ICT could produce quality teaching and the necessary learning processes. Ongoing professional development enables educators and teachers to integrate ICT sufficiently into their teaching, for example, in chemistry. At the ed of the study, a so-called SWOT strategic analysis of innovation was carried out based on the data we had assembled before, during and after the intervention. Strengths and weaknesses of internal factors affecting the stated task of the institution, that is training teachers according to the national curriculum were identified as well as opportunities and threats to active learning found in the external environment. It is our conviction that the crucial factors for effective integration are adequate ICT knowledge and skills, functional ICT infrastructure, and regular use of ICT.
Kennsluhættir sem byggja á virku námi hafa vakið áhuga meðal kennara og nemenda. Á
sama tíma leggja stefnumótunaraðilar áherslu á notkun upplýsingatækni í skólastarfi.
Rannsóknir á virku námi og vendinámi jukust bæði að fjölda og gæðum í COVID-19
faraldrinum. Rannsóknaráætlun var unnin og aðlöguð til að bregðast við þessum
aðstæðum sem mörkuðust af breyttri viðveru. Rannsóknin er framlag til þeirrar þekkingar
sem faraldurinn varð kveikjan að. Kápa þessi er byggð á gögnum og greiningu úr fjórum
birtum vísindagreinum.
Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að framkvæma íhlutun í kennslu á lífrænni efnafræði
með notkun upplýsingatækni og meta viðhorf og reynslu kennaranema sem og kennara
þeirra. Gögnum var safnað í þremur kennaraháskólum í Ghana með þremur
efnafræðikennurum. Spurningalistar voru lagðir fyrir breiðan hóp kennara og
kennaranema, og teking vour viðtöl og rýnihópaviðtal á netinu. Kennarar og rannsakandi
voru í reglulegum samskiptum fyrir og á meðan samgöngutakmarkanir vegna faraldursins
áttu sér stað.
Meginmarkmiðið var að komast að því að hve miklu leyti háskólakennarar og
kennaranemar gætu beitt upplýsingatækni við að tileinka sér vendinám- og kennslu við
kennslu á lífrænni efnafræði. Skipulögð var kennsla í fjórar vikur þar sem hefðbundin
kennsla byggð á fyrirlestrum í kennslustundum og skriflegri heimavinnu var skipt út fyrir
kennsluhætti vendináms. Engar breytingar voru gerðar á innihaldi kennslunnar sem var
samkvæmt námskrá fyrir háskólana. Þrjú viðfangsefni úr lífrænni efnafræði voru kennd
með vendinámi, virku námi og með ríkri notkun á upplýsingatækni.
Kennurunum í teyminu fannst erfitt að breyta kennsluháttum sínum og taka upp kennslu á
netinu. Hæfni þeirra í upplýsingatækni var ábótavant rétt eins og tækniinnviðir í
skólunum. Þeir töldu það að nýta vendinám gæfi nemunum tækifæri til að efla færni sína
og breyta kennsluháttum. Kennararnir höfðu nokkra þekkingu á sviði upplýsingatækni en
það voru ýmsir veikleikar við notkun hennar í kennslu. Kennararnir gáfu einnig til kynna
að þeir sem þó höfðu fengið þjálfun í notkun upplýsingatækni, fannst hún ekki nógu
skipulögð eða nægjanleg til að geta fléttað notkun hennar í kennslu. Kennaranemarnir
töldu að sveigjanleikinn sem felst í vendináminu hefði gert þeim kleift að vera virkari og
að taka meiri ábyrgð á eigin námi. Þeim fannst að þeir gætu átt samskipti við kennara
sína og unnið með samnemendum í vendináminu. Þeir álitu einnig að vendinámið yki
hugtakaskilning þeirra, námsárangur og gagnrýna hugsun.
Stuðningurinn sem kennararnir sem leiddu verkefnið veittu hver öðrum dregur fram gildi
þess að kennarar styðji hvern annan, þegar þeir eiga við sömu vandamál að stríða eins og gerðist í íhlutuninni. Þegar vendikennslu er beitt er mikilvægt að hafa í huga að
þekking, leikni og hæfni kennara í upplýsingatækni geta aukið gæði náms og kennslu.
Stöðug starfsþróun gerir háskólakennurum og nemendum kleift að nýta upplýsingatækni
í skólastarfinu, til dæmis í lífrænni efnafræði.
Við lok rannsóknarinnar var gerð SVOT stefnumótandi greining á lykilþáttum
íhlutunarinnar. Greindir voru innri styrkleikar og veikleikar í þeim þáttum sem áhrif höfðu
á það hlutverk skólanna að mennta kennara samkvæmt námskrám. Einnig voru tækifæri
og áskoranir úr ytra umhverfi varðandi virkt nám dregin fram. Lykilþættir fyrir það að
upplýsingatækni sé fléttuð í skólastarfið með árangursríkum hætti eru nægjanleg þekking
og færni, nothæfir tækniinnviðir og regluleg notkun upplýsingatækninnar.
