Implementation of Electronic Textbooks in Secondary Schools: What Teachers Need

Abstract

E-textbooks are gaining momentum in the education systems and are used for teaching and learning. Teachers are often reluctant to accept and use these technologies in the classroom, despite the numerous advantages thereof. In environments where the use of e-textbooks are mandatory, such reluctance often manifests as using the software in a superficial way and job dissatisfaction. The objective of this study is to determine the needs of teachers when implementing e-textbooks. An interpretive case study was conducted at a secondary school in South Africa. 'Interviews were conducted with 14 teachers. The findings were used to enhance an existing 'needs of using e-textbooks perception scale'. Apart from the usability and functionality features of e-textbooks, this study highlights the need of teachers for 1) adequate and timely training, 2) having no learners in their classrooms without a tablet or mobile device, 3) the ability to choose the textbooks themselves, and 4) the need to communicate their requests regarding the software and functionalities with the service provider.

Barriers to the Implementation of Electronic Textbooks in Rural and Township Schools in South Africa

“…In our study, a new dimension is brought to the fore of the problem of ebook integration that other studies, conducted at schools that have the basics such as electricity, running water, toilets, books and teaching material, do not have to consider. In addition, the majority of studies on the integration of ebooks are either quantitative (Al-Moniem 2019;Mboya 2019;Santoso, Siswandari, and Sawiji 2018), qualitative (Matthee, Hattingh, and Weilbach 2017;Mello and Matthee 2019;Ndwiki and Thinguri 2017) or small-scale mixed-method (Warning et al 2021); however, this study used a large-scale mixedmethods approach (356 questionnaires and 19 interviews) that combines the advantages of quantitative and qualitative approaches and creates a more comprehensive and complete understanding of ebook integration (Cohen, Manion, and Morrison 2018). In our study, we investigate the outcomes of the Paperless Classroom project (specifically ebook implementation) by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.…”