USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN SCIENCE CLASSROOMS: TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate how science teachers use instructional technologies in science classrooms. Participants were 63 teachers who have just completed an alternative teaching certificate program in one of the largest universities in Turkey. They were asked to make a lesson plan based on any topic by assuming that they had an ideal school environment. Based on analysis of all lesson plans, participants were asked to explain their reasons for using those technologies. Findings revealed that PowerPoint was the most widely used instructional technology in their lesson plans. Textbooks and blackboards were other instructional technologies used by participants. Animations were the least used instructional technology by all participants. None of the participants used internet, interactive smart boards, spreadsheets, computer simulations, and educational software in their lesson plans even though they were told to assume that they had an ideal environment in terms of time, resources, and students.