In this paper, we offer three examples from our research projects on both technological and pedagogical innovations to illustrate the impact of rapid technology changes on research. Members of our research team both developed and used technology applications in their research projects, utilizing design-based research (DBR). During the experiments, we encountered new challenges by the end of the research cycle due to updates in technologies. Although we had an idea of how to redesign the project for the next cycle based on the analyses of data, we noticed that we needed to not only redesign our approaches based on the research results but the changes in technologies were so rapid that materials and pedagogies needed to be altered as well. In our article, we propose an additional aspect to be considered in DBR while researching technology integration or innovative technologies. Moreover, the rapid change in technology raises further challenges to teachers’ professional development and the integration of those innovative technologies in classrooms. We anticipate our work to contribute to the development of technology resources and related pedagogies as well as the refinement of research methodologies in technology environments. Our contributions for the development of technology resources and refinement of research methods in technology-supported learning environments should, among other things, contribute to a less complex and at the same time more sustainable integration of pedagogical innovations into scientific and school practices.
The widely explored but still unresolved question about the contribution of the application of different ways of performing experiments in the integrated natural sciences is addressed in this research. The aim was to determine the contribution of demonstration hands-on experiments (DHE) and student hands-on experiments (SHE) in relation to conventional teaching method (CTM) on the quality and durability of 3rd grade students (between 9 and 10 years of age) from primary school. The research involved 180 students, further divided into three groups: E1 (experimental group 1, where content was learned through DHE), E2 (experimental group 2, where content was learned through SHE) and C (control group, where content was learned through CTM). The results of the research point to the fact that priority should be given to the DHE and SHE over the CTM in the realization of air-related content in the 3rd grade. SHE should be used more than DHE when it comes to teaching this specific content.
Keywords: demonstration hands-on experiments, student hands-on experiments, integrated sciences, primary school, quality of knowledge
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