Effectiveness of computer-assisted learning in biology teaching in primary schools in Serbia

Abstract

The paper analyzes the comparative effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL) and the traditional teaching method in biology on primary school pupils. A stratified random sample consisted of 214 pupils from two primary schools in Novi Sad. The pupils in the experimental group learned the biology content (Chordate) using CAL, whereas the pupils in the control group learned the same content using traditional teaching. The research design was the pretest-posttest equivalent groups design. All instruments (the pretest, the posttest and the retest) contained the questions belonging to three different cognitive domains: knowing, applying, and reasoning. Arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and standard error were analyzed using the software package SPSS 14.0, and t-test was used in order to establish the difference between the same statistical indicators. The analysis of results of the post?test and the retest showed that the pupils from the CAL group achieved significantly higher quantity and quality of knowledge in all three cognitive domains than the pupils from the traditional group. The results accomplished by the pupils from the CAL group suggest that individual CAL should be more present in biology teaching in primary schools, with the aim of raising the quality of biology education in pupils. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179010: Quality of Educational System in Serbia in the European Perspective]

Educational Computer Software in the Function of Integrating and Individualization in Teaching of Mathematics and Knowledge of Nature

“…Such results of work are in accordance with the results of research done by authors who deal with similar issues (Çepni, Tas & Köse, 2006;Cekić-Jovanović, Golubović-Ilić & Jakovljević, 2014;Chaudhari, 2013;Hulya Efe & Rifat Efe, 2011;Serin, 2011;Soleša, 2000;Stanković, 2009;Yusuf & Afolabi 2010;Županec, Miljanović & Pribićević, 2013).…”

Promoting academic literacy skills among seven graders in Arabic as L1 in Israel (El fomento del lenguaje académico de los estudiantes de lengua árabe en el primer curso de secundaria en Israel)

“…Despite the reported contribution of computerized learning settings to learning in general and literacy in specific, we found no modulating effect for the learning setting on performance, as reflected by the lack of difference between the computerized and pen-and-pencil groups in academic vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension (e.g., Bayraktar, 2001;De Witte & Rogge, 2014;Mo et al, 2014;Shannon, Styers, Wilkerson, & Peery, 2015;Županec, Miljanović, & Pribićević, 2013). The absence of any additive beneficial effect for computer-assisted over pen-and-pencil learning settings might be attributed to agerelated modulations, with the majority of studies reviewed previously, addressing younger pupils.…”

“…A pesar de la contribución que se le atribuye al aprendizaje asistido por ordenador en general y a la alfabetización en particular, no se observó ningún efecto significativo del contexto de aprendizaje en el rendimiento de los participantes, como refleja la ausencia de diferencias entre ambos grupos de intervención en las tareas de conocimiento del vocabulario académico y de comprensión lectora (e.g., Bayraktar, 2001; De Witte & Rogge, 2014; Mo et al, 2014; Shannon, Styers, Wilkerson, & Peery, 2015; Županec, Miljanović, & Pribićević, 2013). La ausencia de cualquier efecto positivo del contexto de aprendizaje asistido por ordenador frente al uso de materiales impresos podría atribuirse a otros efectos relacionados con la edad, puesto que la mayoría de los estudios revisados están dirigidos a estudiantes de menor edad.…”

Determination of Educational Efficiency and Students’ Involvement in the Flipped Biology Classroom in Primary School

“…The integration of ICT into the teaching and learning process is a challenge for both teachers and students at all levels of education. Under the influence of ICT, new learning models are being developed in order to improve the quality of teaching approach and learning outcomes (Županec, Miljanović, & Pribićević, 2013). The increasing popularity of ICT, the time which students spend in front of the computer, and the ease of accepting technological innovations in students, impose a need for technology integration in a meaningful way in different subject areas already across the primary school curriculum (Costa et al, 2013).…”