Teacher uses and perceptions of interactive whiteboard incorporation in Spanish classrooms

Abstract

With the incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education, especially the interactive whiteboard (IWB), the need for a proper teacher training process emerges in order to adjust the integration and didactic use of this tool in the classroom. This paper explores how they use the IWB in their teaching and learning methodology and their perceptions about the integration of this technology. Our sample consisted of 80 teachers from 14 schools in Catalonia, Spain, who work with IWB in kindergarten and primary education. This paper reports a case-study with a mixed-method design. The data was collected by systematic observations and questionnaires to teachers. Data analysis offers evidence that teachers request more training and pedagogical time to create didactic material, although they showed security on the instrumental control of the IWB. There is a clear relationship between the use of IWB in classrooms and pupils’ enhanced motivation and their attention into the content of the lessons. Furthermore, we conclude that IWB use in classrooms can provide an appropriate environment to encourage the creation of a shared space and the generation of a fluent oral communication involving both teacher and pupils in the learning process.