How are primary teachers’ pedagogy and practice affected by using an IWB?

1. How are primary teachers’ pedagogy and
practice affected by using an IWB?
RITWIT Conference
University of Cambridge June 2009
Julie Cogill
juliecogill@hotmail.com

2. Outline of the presentation
• Background to research
• Pedagogical models and the IWB
• Change in pedagogy and practice, post
IWB use
• Interactivity and the IWB
• Implications for teaching and further
research

3. Research Questions
1. Do teachers change the way they teach
during one year of IWB use?
2. What are the factors that may influence
IWB pedagogy?

4. Methodology
• All teachers new to IWB use at the start of the research
• 11 teachers in 2 UK primary schools, all experienced
and confident. (Primary: children age 4-11, teachers
teach all subjects)
• Interviews each term across one year with all teachers
and heads of both school at the start and end of the year
• Observations of all teachers each term
• In total 37 interviews and 33 observations across 1 year

5. What affects teachers’ pedagogy?
• Pedagogical knowledge (PK)
• Content Knowledge (CK),
• Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)
• Teachers’ beliefs in how children learn and
teachers’ previous experience
• The context in which they are teaching
• A teacher’s learning disposition
(Refs: Schulman, Banks et al, Alexander …)

6. Model for pedagogical change based
on previous models and frameworks (Cogill, see fig 2 )

7. Base of model for pedagogical change
(Cogill, see fig 1)
Pedagogical knowledge
Intersection of
teachers’ beliefs Knowledge of
and educational observable practice
context
PCK
Curriculum Knowledge Content Knowledge

8. Teachers’ pedagogical change
Struts representing the flow
of learning between
elements on base of
pyramid and change in
whiteboard pedagogy
T
E
A
C
H Pedagogical Knowledge E
E D
R U
S’ C
Pedagogical
A
Knowledge of
B learning Content Knowledge T
E processes in I
the curriculum Fused
L knowledge
O
I contributing to N
E observable A
practice
F L
S Curriculum Knowledge Content Knowledge
Content C
knowledge
& for the O
curriculum N
E T
X E
P X
S T
Area of intersection of teachers’ beliefs, experiences and educational context

9. Influences of the IWB on teachers’
knowledge subsequent to analysis
PK: Planning preparation and classroom
management
CK: Selection of resources for whiteboard use and the
way teachers’ reflect on the use of theseresources
PCK: Change in delivery of content, effects on
motivation and interactive teaching
NOTE: PK, CK and PCK were used as a framework for
analysing teachers’ knowledge as there is considerable
overlap and differentiating between knowledge features
is not straightforward

10. Pedagogical Knowledge and the IWB
Positives Negatives
• Better lesson planning • Lack of flexibility
• Sharing plans and • Sharing lesson plans may
pedagogy only be a time saver
• Recap on understanding • Loss of practical work
• More time to teach • Whole class teaching
• Children reflecting and may result in passive
thinking about own work learners
• Whole class collaboration • Children spending a third
of their time listening
• Frees teacher time for • Loss of group work
class discussion
• Behaviour management
easier

11. Content and Curriculum Knowledge (CCK)
(In UK primary schools all subjects taught)
Positives Negatives
• Facility to access huge • The IWB cannot replace
range of new resources books
• Teachers learning • Funding for ICT
themselves through resources may replace
range of software other materials
• Visual and dynamic • The IWB is not the only
resources may provide learning tool what matters
greater understanding is relevance to children’s
• Internet provides learning
opportunity to respond
spontaneously to
questions

12. Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)
Positive Negative
• Adapting own resources • Teacher exposition too
• Innovative use of IWB long
tools • Neglect differentiation
• More ways of teaching • Presentation may be dull
the same thing
• Creating discussion • Class may be inactive
while others are at the
• Engaging visual learners board
• Capturing attention with • Children only motivated
motivating resources by ‘whizz’ factor
• Involving children: sense • Board resources used for
of theatre the teacher, not children’s
• Interactive teaching learning

13. Base of revised model of pedagogical change as a
consequence of IWB use (Cogill, see fig 3)
Pedagogical knowledge:
Planning, preparation, management
Intersection of Fused knowledge
teachers’ beliefs contributing to
and educational IWB practice
context
Content and Curriculum
Pedagogical content
Knowledge: Use of
Knowledge:
and reflection on
Teaching and interactivity
resources

14. Change in pedagogical practice as a consequence of whiteboard use
Struts representing the flow
of learning (teachers’
learning disposition)
between elements on base
of pyramid and change in
whiteboard pedagogy
T
E
A
C
H Pedagogical Knowledge: E
E planning, preparation and D
R classroom management
U
S’ C
Knowledge of
A
B Knowledge of
interactive
effective ICT
T
E teaching and
learning
resources I
L Fused O
processes
knowledge
I contributing to N
E whiteboard A
practice
F L
S Pedagogical content Content and
Knowledge of
knowledge: Influences
resources for
Curriculum C
& on teaching and Knowledge: Influences
interactivity interactive on use of resources
O
teaching N
E T
X E
P X
S T
Area of intersection of teachers’ beliefs, experience and educational context

15. Links with Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge
(TPCK) http://tpack.org/ (Mishra & Koehler )

16. Change in pedagogy and practice post IWB
Integrating ICT: Hokanson and Hooper (2000)
• Re-presentation: reproduction of information
• Generative: foster creative thinking
ICT changing pedagogical practice: McCormick and
Scrimshaw (2001)
• Practice becomes more efficient or effective
• Practice is extended in some way
• Practice is transforming (whole teacher)
Using these ideas teachers’ practice was categorised into:
efficient, extending or transforming

17. PK: Planning, preparation, classroom management
Efficient Extending Transforming
Sharing lesson Adapting others’ Sharing
plans resources pedagogy with
teachers
Preparing lessons Spontaneously Sharing teaching
in advance answering children’s and learning with
questions children
Saving writing Using saved time Encouraging
time in lessons for effective child-child
discussion discussion
Accessing Accessing children’s Integrating board
previous teaching learning effectively with
own teaching

18. CCK: Use of and reflection on resources
Efficient Extending Transforming
Using images and Searching for Demonstrating more
video appropriate ways of teaching the
resources same thing
Using shapes and Using IWB tools Using IWB tools to
models from effectively improve learning
IWB’s software
Use of some Using software Teachers learning
software resources for a themselves through
resources specific purpose new resources
Collaborative
problem solving with
software

19. PCK: Children’s learning and interactivity
Efficient Extending Transforming
Children use IWB to Children illustrating Extending from one to
answer questions their learning whole class
Use of facility to Children learning from
recap on work their work
Facilitating Problem solving with
relevant discussion whole class
Collaborative work to
produce an end result
Children: thinking and
reflecting; presenting
own research; being ‘a
bit of a teacher’

20. Interactivity and the IWB: technological facilities
It’s about a teacher and their set of students
• Facilitates whole class collaboration by creating eg a
poem or diagram
• Show and amend children’s own work
• Brainstorm a topic, categorise ideas and to show
thinking processes
• Predicting outcomes and testing these predictions
• Collaborative problem solving
• Group preparation of resources to show the whole class
• Access to images to create a story or investigate the
image
• Use of diagrams that can be manipulated in response to
ideas

21. Implications for teaching with an IWB and further research
• Transparency of practice is essential
• ICT skills: basic skills are required and teachers may
need specific training
• ICT skills: need to differentiate between good and
mediocre software
• Pedagogical skills are of greater importance than
technological skills
• Need for a pedagogical framework on which to base
future IWB research
• Provide greater clarity for teachers on what is meant by
interactive teaching and learning
• Snapshot research not enough

22. Conclusions
If positive influences prevail the IWB changes teachers’
• PK through facilities for lesson planning, preparation and
classroom management
• CCK though use of and learning from software resources
• PCK through the facility to teach for interactive learning
In an age where teachers are increasingly competent in
their use of ICT, professional development in IWB use
should focus on pedagogy rather than technology if the
IWB is to create dynamic classrooms through interactive
teaching and learning.
juliecogill@hotmail.com