Learning to integrate the affordances of interactive smartboards when teaching population ecology to grade 11 Life Sciences: A self-study

Abstract

Interactive smartboards (ISBs) offered a range of functionalities that held promise for enhancing teaching and learning. However, effectively integrating these affordances could be challenging for educators. This self-study investigated how a teacher, acting as both researcher and participant, could integrate the pedagogical affordances of interactive smartboards (ISBs) while teaching population ecology to grade 11 Life Sciences learners. While Grade 11 learners are at a critical juncture in their development, poised to become active citizens, the relevance and complexity of population ecology can present significant challenges. This study explored how ISBs might be used to bridge this gap, transforming abstract concepts into tangible and engaging learning experiences. Despite the potential benefits of ISBs, their effective integration into teaching population ecology at the grade 11 level might pose challenges. This included determining how best to utilise ISBs to enhance understanding of complex ecological concepts such as population dynamics and community interactions. The study employed a multi-method approach, including documentation of lesson planning, reflective journal entries, audio recordings of critical friend discussions, and video recordings of lessons. To ensure credibility, collaboration with critical friends and peer review with other researchers were utilized. Analysis, informed by Puentedura's (2014) SAMR model, revealed the crucial role of thorough lesson planning and teacher knowledge across four domains: understanding the learning context, learner needs, subject matter expertise, and pedagogical skills. Additionally, collaboration with colleagues emerged as vital for identifying and leveraging ISB potential. The research underscored the value of self-study for educators to independently develop skills for integrating ISBs. It highlighted the importance of a positive attitude towards educational technology and the power of self-reflection in bridging the gap between theory and practice. This study specifically demonstrated the value of self-study in exploring and integrating the pedagogical affordances of ISBs, achieving a "redefinition" level of integration using the SAMR model.