characterised as being challenging, complex, and open-ended, cross-disciplinary,
and requiring strong commitment and broad range of skills.
12.5 Integration of Technology into Inquiry: Challenges
12.5.1 Integration of ICT into IBSE in Teaching Practice
12.5.1.1 ICT and IBSE in Teaching Practice
ICT, IBSE and ICT in IBSE are still not implemented sufficiently and properly in the
classrooms in most countries. Abrahams and Millar (2008) summarised results of
observations in 25 typical laboratory lessons in the United Kingdom as follows:
Practical work was generally effective in getting students to do what is intended with
physical objects, but much less effective in getting them to use the intended scientific
ideas to guide their actions and reflect upon the data they collect (p. 1945).
Teachers sometimes try to apply ICT tools (e.g. data logging with sensors) in the
classroom, but mostly in traditional ways in which they provide a prescriptive list of
tasks for pupils to follow ritualistically. Meanwhile, pupils know in advance from
the textbook what the results of the practical work should be (Hofstein and Lunetta
2004). Prescriptive instruction enables pupils to operate the ICT tool on their own
(manipulation of equipment), but such instruction limits inquiry opportunities for
pupils (manipulation of ideas).
International ICT projects (e.g. KLiC and ICT for IST) highlighted possibilities
and good practices of ICT tools for IBSE but were not of the scale needed to bring
about the substantial impact on classroom implementation. At the national level, in
many countries (e.g. Greece, Russia and Ireland), governmental education-reform
projects have invested in ICT apparatus and software, delivered it to schools
nationwide, and provided teachers with short training. Meanwhile, knowledgeoriented curriculum objectives and paper-and-pencil assessments were not reformed.
Eventually, sufficient and proper implementation of the ICT tools was not realised.
In this situation, projects with a huge funding failed to make the intended change in
the classroom due to lack of consistent and concerted efforts to design, align, and
implement curriculum innovation regarding ICT integration.
12.5.2 Integration of ICT in IBSE: Challenges to Pupils
Pupils’ authentic inquiry in the classroom should be similar to, but cannot be the
same as those of scientists, because interests, background knowledge and motivations of pupils are enormously different from those of scientists (Edelson 1998).
“Real” authentic inquiry is open-ended and requires a solid discipline-knowledge
12 Stem, Inquiry Practices and Technology in Physics Education
145
and requiring strong commitment and broad range of skills.
12.5 Integration of Technology into Inquiry: Challenges
12.5.1 Integration of ICT into IBSE in Teaching Practice
12.5.1.1 ICT and IBSE in Teaching Practice
ICT, IBSE and ICT in IBSE are still not implemented sufficiently and properly in the
classrooms in most countries. Abrahams and Millar (2008) summarised results of
observations in 25 typical laboratory lessons in the United Kingdom as follows:
Practical work was generally effective in getting students to do what is intended with
physical objects, but much less effective in getting them to use the intended scientific
ideas to guide their actions and reflect upon the data they collect (p. 1945).
Teachers sometimes try to apply ICT tools (e.g. data logging with sensors) in the
classroom, but mostly in traditional ways in which they provide a prescriptive list of
tasks for pupils to follow ritualistically. Meanwhile, pupils know in advance from
the textbook what the results of the practical work should be (Hofstein and Lunetta
2004). Prescriptive instruction enables pupils to operate the ICT tool on their own
(manipulation of equipment), but such instruction limits inquiry opportunities for
pupils (manipulation of ideas).
International ICT projects (e.g. KLiC and ICT for IST) highlighted possibilities
and good practices of ICT tools for IBSE but were not of the scale needed to bring
about the substantial impact on classroom implementation. At the national level, in
many countries (e.g. Greece, Russia and Ireland), governmental education-reform
projects have invested in ICT apparatus and software, delivered it to schools
nationwide, and provided teachers with short training. Meanwhile, knowledgeoriented curriculum objectives and paper-and-pencil assessments were not reformed.
Eventually, sufficient and proper implementation of the ICT tools was not realised.
In this situation, projects with a huge funding failed to make the intended change in
the classroom due to lack of consistent and concerted efforts to design, align, and
implement curriculum innovation regarding ICT integration.
12.5.2 Integration of ICT in IBSE: Challenges to Pupils
Pupils’ authentic inquiry in the classroom should be similar to, but cannot be the
same as those of scientists, because interests, background knowledge and motivations of pupils are enormously different from those of scientists (Edelson 1998).
“Real” authentic inquiry is open-ended and requires a solid discipline-knowledge
12 Stem, Inquiry Practices and Technology in Physics Education
145