The Effect of Using Computer Simulations on Grade 11 Learners’ Performance in Plants Biodiversity in South Africa

Kibirige, Israel; Bodirwa, Kgashane Bethuel

doi:10.33225/jbse/21.20.612

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…It is worth noting that the infrastructure challenge is coupled with large numbers of learners; this increases the learner-to-computer ratio in classes. The large learner-to-computer ratios are especially evident in Zambia, where the ratio was 143:1 [43], whereas in South Africa it was 17:1 [44], and a ratio of as low as 3:1 is reported [45]. While these studies show an oblique picture of Africa, the urban school in this study used a rotational approach where three learners shared one computer, suggesting that the learner-to-computer ratio is 3:1.…”

Section: Infrastructure and Connectivitymentioning

confidence: 60%

Primary Teachers’ Challenges in Implementing ICT in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Post-Pandemic Era in Uganda

Kibirige

2023

Education Sciences

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Information and communication, technology (ICT) has become a necessary tool in education post-COVID-19 pandemic. However, integrating ICT into teaching and learning has been a daunting challenge in many developing countries, such as Uganda. This qualitative case study investigated the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Uganda. The study found various challenges divided into three categories: infrastructure and internet connectivity; individual factors and administrative support; and curriculum and learner support materials. A significant obstacle was the lack of computer access, internet connectivity, and ICT textbooks. Additionally, teachers lacked the ICT skills necessary to integrate technology into their teaching methods, and administrative support was insufficient. The identified challenges in this study will require a multi-pronged approach that includes increasing investment in infrastructure, providing training and support to teachers, and developing relevant and appropriate ICT curriculum materials. In conclusion, this study highlights the challenges that primary school teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching STEM subjects in Uganda. By addressing the identified challenges, policymakers and stakeholders can take steps towards improving ICT integration in primary school education and bridging the digital divide in developing countries.

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Section: Infrastructure and Connectivitymentioning

confidence: 60%

Primary Teachers’ Challenges in Implementing ICT in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Post-Pandemic Era in Uganda

Kibirige

2023

Education Sciences

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“…These poor resources disadvantaged learners because they did not develop practical skills. Despite the lack of resources, Kibirige and Bodirwa [94] show that scientific investigations can be done using technology to increase learners' interests and learning outcomes. With the increase in technology, it may be possible for girls to cope with science without proper physical resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Research in STEM Education

2022

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and holistic approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics. Mathematics and its other STEM-related disciplines are generally challenging to many students and therefore it pays to enlighten the subject in ways that are appreciated by the learners. The use of humour by a teacher in classroom settings is one technique that points in this direction. Hence, although the use of humour in the class (often referred to in the literature as classroom humour or instructional humour) is just one technique out of many, it may be the key to the elusive concept of "best teaching practices" or "instructional best practices" in classroom settings.Chapter 4, "Impact of Integrated Science and Mathematics Instruction on Middle School Science and Mathematics Achievement", documents the impact of the Middle School Math and Science (MS)2 Integration project, employing the results of the internal evaluation of this intensive teacher training model for integrated science and mathematics in middle school. The authors mention that although students in (MS)2 classrooms are more likely to have higher achievement scores, the frequency of integrated instruction opportunities also significantly predicts student achievement, particularly in mathematics classrooms.Chapter 5, "Grade 10 Girls' Experiences in Choosing STEM Subjects in Rakwadu Circuit, South Africa", acknowledges that few women pursue STEM careers, although all learners in South Africa from Grades 5 to 9 study mathematics and general science, which combines physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. However, fewer girls choose to study science subjects in Grade 10. Schools have a good balance of boys and girls studying general science subjects because they are compulsory until Grade 9. In Grade 10, learners choose to study arts, business, or STEM subjects. It is at this level that the number of girls in STEM subjects drops dramatically, leaving the boys to continue unabated, sustaining the hegemony of the masculine gender in STEM subjects. Hence, the study seeks to understand girls' experiences in choosing STEM, to assist education stakeholders in motivating and advocating for more girls to choose science subjects and STEM careers. The case study in this chapter focuses on ten girls who decided to study science out of 145 girls who attended general science in Grade 9. The study reveals that personal factors, anticipated value, the class environment, home influence, and social influence contributed significantly to the girls' choices. If such a drop from Grades 9 to 10 continues, the hope of decreasing the gender gap in STEM will be lost. The increase of girls in STEM subjects at the secondary school level can, in the long run, narrow the gender gap in STEM careers.Chapter 6, "The Power in Groups: Using Cluster Analysis to Critically Quantify Women's STEM Enrollment", argues that despite efforts to close the gender gap in STEM, disparities still exist, especially in math-intensive STEM (MISTEM) majors. Females and males receive similar academic support and, overall, perfor...

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“…Traditional teaching cannot change students' misconceptions, so researchers have turned their attention to finding effective teaching methods to overcome these misconceptions. Physical and virtual laboratory experiments are among these methods (Agyei et al, 2019;Hung & Tsai, 2020;Kibirige & Bodirwa, 2021;Pyatt & Sims, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the Effects of Physical, Virtual, and Hybrid Labs on Primary School Students’ Conceptual Learning of Heat and Temperature

Tseng

Lin

Tarng

et al. 2023

JBSE

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Physical and virtual labs have unique capabilities that can influence how students learn from them. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical and virtual manipulatives on students’ learning of heat and temperature and to examine the influence of various combinations of physical and virtual manipulatives. A total of 205 participants were divided into four groups: only physical manipulatives, only virtual manipulatives, physical-virtual manipulatives, and virtual-physical manipulatives. Students’ knowledge acquisition was tested using Pre-test–Post-test design. The results showed that physical and virtual manipulatives are as effective in facilitating students’ learning of state changes, but virtual manipulatives are more beneficial to students’ learning of thermal expansion and contraction than physical manipulatives are. Physical-virtual manipulatives are more effective than virtual-physical manipulatives or physical manipulatives alone are to promote students’ learning of heat and temperature, but this effect is similar to that of virtual manipulatives alone. The results suggest that virtual laboratories can effectively model abstract concepts. The better effect of the physical-virtual operation sequence on learning does not depend on whether the two types of experiments are combined or on the sequence of operations but on the type of experiment when its advantages actually contribute to learning. Keywords: experimental design, heat and temperature, physical manipulative, virtual manipulative

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The Effect of Using Computer Simulations on Grade 11 Learners’ Performance in Plants Biodiversity in South Africa

Cited by 4 publications

References 38 publications

Primary Teachers’ Challenges in Implementing ICT in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Post-Pandemic Era in Uganda

Primary Teachers’ Challenges in Implementing ICT in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Post-Pandemic Era in Uganda

Advances in Research in STEM Education

Comparing the Effects of Physical, Virtual, and Hybrid Labs on Primary School Students’ Conceptual Learning of Heat and Temperature

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