High possibility Classrooms as

a Pedagogical framework for

technology integration in
classrooms: an inquiry in two
Australian secondary schools

Submitted by

Arzoo Verma

Student id- 19916301

 REPORT
Introduction-

Teaching is a well-planned activity to make students learn, and this learning depends upon
pedagogical approach used in the classroom. Nowadays, Education is no longer defined in terms
of what a teacher will teach but rather in terms of what a student will be able to demonstrate, and
instructional strategies demands for a modifications, and even the role of a teacher to be a “guide
on the side shifted to “sage on the stage.” , that is moving from instruction paradigm, in which an
instructor transfers knowledge to students, to a learning paradigm, in which a teacher’s role is
that of coach, and according to Hunter’s (2017) article to make classroom practice better this
pragmatic change is necessary from old-rotten teaching pedagogies to technology-oriented
classrooms. Critical analysis of this article and its recommendations for more technology
integrated classrooms(Hunter, 2017p. 568) are applied to a lesson activity of stage 4 science to
reflect the power of research recommendatios in improving pedagogical framework of
classrooms and therefore making them more student-centred.

Description of educational issue and its relevance to KLA

In this global world, “Technology is a catalyst for significant changes in learning practice.”
(Coughlin, 1999, p. 11). The incorporation of technology in classrooms is bringing a paradigm
shift in delivering education in the globalized world to make the classrooms more interactive,
engaging competitive and less teacher-centred, and for this governments has started taking
initiatives. For instance, Australian government has pledged to provide computers for secondary
schools with a supply of 100 Mbps fibre connection as part of their Digital education Revolution
project(Rudd, 2007) yet there has been incongruity between its perception and actual adaption in
schools(McPherson, 2004). It can be seen from literature that teachers’ feel more readiness to
integrate technology that provide student collaboration, school support, and technical support to
handle Hardware, software and troubleshooting (Sandholtz, 2004), so as to use it quickly and
creating productive classrooms( Davis, 2009).

According to the Ertmer, 1999, there are two factors which affect this integration one is the first
order, that is school level(external or macro) and another one is of second order, that is at teacher
level(internal or micro). So, in Hunter’s article student said that, “I don’t use my laptop because
it’s hard to connect to the internet.” which implies that though teacher want to amalgamate
technology in education but the external factors should are distracting, that is teacher in the
classroom requires first order factors like technical equipment and support to provide second
order capabilities and attitudes (BECTA, 2004). Further, Mishra and Kohler(2006), postulated a
framework by overlapping technological content knowledge(TCK), technological pedagogical
knowledge(TPK) and resulting in technological pedagogical content knowledge(TPACK), so
technology is a key component of theoretical underpinning of TPACK framework which
portrays that technology, pedagogy and content are collaborative and interactive structure within
classroom teaching and learning.

Constructivists pedagogies in science are lifelong and active construction of knowledge that
student conceives to experience the experimental world of science (Seimars, 2012). Technology
in science curriculum can help in creating constructivists pedagogies with science-based
technologies so as to encourage hand-on interactions, and for constructing meaningful and
relevant understanding of science phenomenon. Students as ‘screenagers’(Buffin, 2007) in 21st
century are found to be more interested in science projects and learning when they can use
unique capabilities of instructional technology to learn in the way that is not possible without the
use of technology. When educational technology tools are used appropriately and effectively in
science classrooms, students actively engage in their knowledge construction and improve their
thinking and problem solving skills (Trowbridge, Bybee, & Powell, 2008). Reflective practice
and appropriate action research on this can enhance the knowledge of pedagogy and knowledge
about students so as to bring effectiveness of technology on students and for modifying their
practices in science classrooms.

Critical summary

The issue of high possibility technology integration in classrooms is thoroughly explained in the
article “High Possibility Classrooms as pedagogical framework for technology integration in
classrooms: an inquiry in two Australian Secondary schools”, by Hunter(2017). Hunter has made
expansion of the emerged research of exemplary teachers knowledge of technology integration
in the classrooms of Australian school students to report that whether it could also be enacted to
support and change pedagogy to more student-centred approaches in the classroom (p. 560). The
researcher has made extensive reference to background literature which has given idea to apply
this conceptual framework that emerged from research to make things better.

The research methodology used in this article is participatory action research(PAR) as

teachers from different curriculum areas, varying experiences, and from diverse backgrounds
were chosen, whereas diversity was also there in choosing students to work in focus groups,
hence they all were having different powers, status, and influence, and are collaborated in
relation to thematic concern(Mc Taggart, 1991). According to Carr and Kemmis (1986)
educational action research is an approach to bring improvement in education, teaching
pedagogies, curriculum, improving educational programs, so author has chosen appropriate
method to integrate technology in classrooms. Purposive sampling is done by choosing two
public schools in the northern suburbs of a major city in Australia, out of which one is Boys
school, where technology is not conveniently available but teachers were having a desire to
integrate it in the classrooms, and also the participants’ identities were not revealed by using
‘pseudonyms’(Hunter, 2008, p. 563).
 The qualitative research was conducted by using teacher interviews, classroom
observations and even through student focus group and document analysis. Software was used to
collect, manage and store data. The workshop organized to provide prior knowledge of previous
research, and integration, and then interaction with the head teacher in designing lesson plans
was appropriate for enhancing basic knowledge about the topic to get better results. Open-ended
interviews were conducted twice for each teacher, and classroom observations were recorded by
digital grid settings, and further well-structured questions for student focus groups about use of
technology in the curriculum they were studying(Hunter, J., 2017).

The summaries of seven case studies from analysis were presented after coding them in the
qualitative software as seven vignettes, and at the end these were summarized into one case study
which is the final outcome of the results and HPC conception themes, that is the five
underpinning themes were the base of it. So, thematic analysis was used to make work easier to
tackle and apply complex concepts and situations.

Recommendations

It is recommended from literature that if teachers are tech-savvy and are motivated and guided to
integrate this technology in their pedagogies and feel more connected to the goal and themes of
creating multimodal experiences in their teaching and learning(Thompson, 2008), then
classrooms can be more student-centred, and students would be able to relate learning to the
world outside the class, and making learning more engaging, enhance creativity in artefacts,
learning in groups and in collaborative manners(Hunter, 2008, p. 568).

Description of lesson activity-

The development and description of lesson plans will allow educators to use it as an learning
tool. The lesson plan shown above is from the science curriculum of stage 4/5 which was about
balanced and unbalanced forces and the main objective was to teach the difference between these
two forces. Students will be able to make connection between forces and their relation to many
day-today activities. In this lesson, the goal is to coin the terms equal and unequal by observing
and describing examples of these forces. In this students are asked to make direction of forces by
making arrows towards which the object will move due to the application of unequal forces.
When the forces are equal and acting opposite in that case the object will be at rest. Teacher
constructed knowledge of the concept from background knowledge and taking daily life
examples of boat floating on water, and box hanging from a rope. So, teacher directed all the
knowledge to the students, and for students’ engagement, students were asked to observe the
change in motion occurring when force is applied to an object. Students were asked to
investigate that how technological developments have reduced the harmful impact of forces like
car accidents and lift balance. For the active participation of students, teacher organized a game
of tug-of-war, so that student can learn the effect of force and the team with maximum force will
win. The lesson was planned efficiently, but initially it was teacher directed as definitions were
introduced and examples were given by teacher only, and teacher planned a game itself for
student participation, so according to QTM model, student regulation was not there, and students
were not asked to explore things by themselves about different forces around them. Narrative
part was also missing in this lesson. Tools were provided to measure the value of forces and
record them to learn the difference.

Revision in lesson activity-

According to the recommendation of the article the above chosen lesson plan needs certain
revisions to make it technology integrated science classroom. For this in the beginning teacher
can show some objects in the classroom and ask students to move them, and then sharing their
views about how they are moving, in this way student will be engaged from the starting. An
interesting video can be shown to them to make their vision about the topic more clear by
showing a video of powtoon, whose link is mentioned in the reference list. From this video
students will be able to make a clear vision of the concepts and will able to relate it to
themselves. After showing video, teacher can ask students to collaborate in groups and design
their own five minute activities with the possible sources available to them in the class, this will
provide opportunities to students to work in teams to learn the skills of collaboration and
problem solving(Hunter, 2017). Students then will demonstrate their tasks with planning and
working together which will bring a sense of working out of their comfort zones to produce
artefacts in creative ways on the knowledge they have gained from the subject matter. In the end
after performing tug of war, they will be asked to prepare a video as home assignment using tool
like Powtoon or simple video-maker to make video of balanced and unbalanced forces by
relating it to day-to day activities. In this way they will able to work out of their comfort zone,
and learn working with technological items , and will try to experiment with new things.

Conclusion-

The revision on the lesson plan activity based on the recommendations of the article by
Hunter(2017), provides evidence that results and suggestions obtained from a critical research
can bring a paradigm shift in the pedagogical practises, focusing on student regulation and
student directed, and abolishing those continuous lectures. It clearly reflects that a piece of
research can bring revisions and changes in the older theories and practises of teaching, which
means there are a number of possibilities to shape the curriculum, pedagogies and practises, by
researches, and the most important thing is , it is applicable to all key learning areas. In this way
a range of technological models can be created by researching just like high possibility
classrooms was the idea obtained from research(Hunter, 2017, p. 565). Therefore, educational
research is intimately connected with pedagogical practises, and can be developed by innovative
researches.

References

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London: Falmer. Retrieved from
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Coughlin, E. C. & Lemke, C. (1999). Professional competency continuum: Professional skills for
thedigital classroom. Dimension 3. Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education
Technology. http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME159.pdf

Ertmer, P. (1999). Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change: Strategies for
technology integration. Educational Technology Research & Development, 47(4), 47-61

Guzey, S. S., & Roehrig, G. H. (2009). Teaching science with technology: Case studies of
science teachers’ development of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. Contemporary
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Hechter, R.P., Vermette, L.A.(2013),Technology integration in K-12 science classrooms: An

analysis of barriers and implications. Themes in Science and Technology Education, 6(2).
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https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/force-diagrams-and-balanced-and-unbalanced-forces-
video-11738598

Link for powtoon video-

MacDonald, C. (2012),Understanding Participatory Action Research: A Qualitative Research
Methodology Option, 13(2) https://doi.org/10.33524/cjar.v13i2.37

McPherson, M. & Nunes, M. G. (2004). Developing innovation in online learning. London:

Routledge Falmer.

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Neyland, E. (2011).Integrating online learning in NSW secondary schools: Three schools’

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Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(2), 144-153. doi:
http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/10.1598/JAAL.52.2.5

Link for lesson plan

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/science/science-7-10-
2018