Abstract
This research focuses on Finnish students’ (n = 84) experiences of using personal iPads in their studies through 3 years of upper secondary schooling. It is based on results from one of the first schools in Finland where all the new students were provided with iPads at the start of their studies. Data consists of: (i) 127 short stories written by students about how they would advise a new teacher and a new student to use iPads in teaching and learning, and (ii) four group discussions on the same topics. Qualitative thematic analysis of the data was guided by the TPACK framework. Results suggest that: (i) teachers’ pedagogical approaches changed little in response to the new devices and remained largely teacher-centred, and (ii) students do not have the confidence to radically change learning styles to take advantage of the affordances of the devices. The value that iPads add to teaching and learning is difficult to quantify because of the complex and often conflicting factors involved. Overall, the findings imply that teachers’ TPACK is generally resistant to change and students’ proto-TPACK is insufficiently developed to initiate change. An approach that systematically develops both students’ and teachers’ TPACK is advocated.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Codes, themes, divisions and subthemes of advice to students and teachers
Theme: Technological knowledge (TK)
Division 1: TK - Applications
Advice to student | Advice to teacher | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Codes | Subthemes | Codes | Subthemes |
Notability | “Office tools” | Notability | “Office tools” |
Pages | Pages | ||
Keynote | Box | Cloud services | |
Numbers | Angry birds | Game applications | |
iBooks | Edmodo | Other applications | |
iCloud | Cloud services | Flash cards | |
Box | Game applications | Downloading applications | |
Candy crush | Other applications | Wilma | |
Flashcardlet | Appstore | Internet | |
DocAs Lite | |||
Dragon dictation | Internet | Wikipedia | |
Appstore | |||
Internet | |||
Division 2: TK - Skills
Advice to student | Advice to teacher | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Codes | Subthemes | Codes | Subthemes |
Resposibility of iPad itself | Responsibility | Teachers’ pointless use of iPads | Responsibility |
Using iPads requires skills and practice | Skills and practice | Teachers’ should explore the possibilities of iPad | Skills and practice |
Students should share experiences and ideas of using iPads | Sharing | Variety in teachers’ skills and ways of using iPad | |
Ask help for using iPads from students | |||
Teachers’ should master the use of iPad | Sharing | ||
Teachers should share common policy of using iPads and share ideas | |||
Teacher should share knowledge of using iPads to the students | |||
Theme: Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK)
Division 1: TPK – Concrete pedagogical actions
Advice to student | Advice to teacher | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Codes | Subthemes | Codes | Subthemes |
Taking notes | Taking notes | Taking notes | Taking notes |
Mindmap | Mindmap | ||
Essay | Essays | Essay | Essays |
Writing | Writing | ||
Data entry | Dealing with information | Data entry | Dealing with information |
Information retrieval | Information retrieval | ||
Sharing information | Sharing information | ||
Data management (incl. passwords, backup) | Assessment | ||
Assessment | Others | Presentation | Others |
Presentation | Group work | ||
Group work | Wordbook | ||
Wordbook | Making video | ||
Playing (avoiding it during the lessons) | Teachers’ communication to students | ||
Surfing in the internet | Exploration of phenomenon | ||
Homework | Following the attendances to the lessons | ||
Homework | |||
Division 2: TPK – Responsibility
Advice to student | Advice to teacher | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Codes | Subthemes | Codes | Subthemes |
Responsibility | Responsibility | Student’s responsibility of learning | Responsibility |
Students’ self-discipline | Students need freedom | ||
Teachers’ responsibility of choosing applications and ways of using iPad in lessons | |||
Division 3: TPK – Expectations for iPad use
Advice to student | Advice to teacher | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Codes | Subthemes | Codes | Subthemes |
Individual ways of learning and studying | Individuality | Individual ways of learning and studying | Individuality |
Paper, pencil and book vs. iPad | Paper, pencil and book vs. iPad | Paper, pencil and book vs. iPad | Paper, pencil and book vs. iPad |
Teacher vs. iPad | Teacher vs. iPad | Careful planning | Careful planning |
Division 4: TPK – Motivation
Advice to student | Advice to teacher | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Codes | Subthemes | Codes | Subthemes |
Motivation | Motivation | Motivation | Motivation |
Chilling, relaxation and way to deal with boring lessons | Creativity, versatility, inspiration | ||
Escape from the lesson | Escape | Teacher’s responsibility of motivation | |
Appendix 2: Codes, themes, divisions and subthemes of reflective discussions
Theme 1: Technological knowledge (TK)
Division 1: TK - Applications
Code | Subtheme |
|---|---|
Notability | “Office tools” |
Numbers | |
Pages | |
Box | |
Sketchbook | |
Internet | Internet |
Flash player | |
WLAN | |
Buffin | |
Angry birds | Games/entertainment |
Candy crush | |
Kingdom Bush | |
Solitaire | |
Iltalehti (Yellow newspaper) | |
Garage band | Other applications |
Edmodo | |
Social software | |
Wikipedia | |
Youtube |
Division 2: TK – Technical features
Codes | Subthemes |
|---|---|
size of chargeable apps | Applications in iPad |
chargeable apps | |
downloading pointless apps | |
applications ready downloaded for new students | |
pointles apps are filling the memory | |
functional applications | |
not enough memory on iPad | |
saving information, back-up copying | |
lack of Flash-player | Qualities of iPad |
breakdown of iPad | |
breakdown of iPad is expensive | |
the size of iPad | |
Easy to stay in contact with friends | |
Staying in contact with other students | |
iPad is fun | |
iPad is diverse | |
iPad is quick | |
iPad is handy | |
favoring other tablet pcs | Comparing to others |
favoring mini laptops | |
money for special education instead of iPads |
Division 3: TK - Skills
Codes | Subthemes |
|---|---|
You can’t control the use of iPad | Students’ responsibility |
Too much use of Internet | |
Students use iPads for fun | |
Students during nighttime in Internet with iPad | |
Ergonomics with iPad | |
Eyes are getting tired with iPad | |
Asking for advice | |
Student should find out which applications to download | |
Student needs to take care of iPad | |
Student needs to motivate himself to use iPad | |
Teacher charges which applications are used | Teachers’ responsibility |
Teacher should ask help from others how to use iPad in teaching | |
Can/dare/want student give advice of iPad use? | |
Teachers should familiarize themselves with iPad | Skills and practice |
Teachers are misplacing students work | |
Teachers know how to use iPad | |
Teachers should learn how to use iPad |
Theme 2: Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK)
Division 1: TPK – Concrete pedagogical actions
Codes | Subthemes |
|---|---|
Taking notes with iPad | Taking notes |
Taking notes with iPad is not suitable for all | |
Taking notes is suitable way | |
Taking notes by taking photo of teacher presentation is not supporting memorizing/learning | |
Taking notes | |
Mind map | |
Delivering materials in electronical form instead of paper | Sharing material and information |
Delivering material is easy | |
Materials are in the same place | |
Nonfunctional material | |
paper copies | |
Deepening knowledge | Information retrieval |
Checking knowlede, explanations of concepts | |
Internet as information source | |
Extra knowledge | |
No need to buy notebooks | Notebooks |
iPad prevents loosing notebooks | |
Change from notebooks to iPads | |
iPad is suitable for information retrieval not for tasks | Tasks with iPad |
Appropriate tasks with iPad | |
Tasks don’t make use of iPad enough | |
Tasks are not appropriate for the age group | |
In some subjects ok, some not | |
Appropriate tasks for learning | |
Homework | Others |
Homework as a photo | |
Wordbook | |
Word exams |
Division 2: TPK - Responsibility
Codes | Subthemes |
|---|---|
Self-discipline | Students’ responsibility |
Student’s own responsibility | |
Student’s own responsibility and consideration of iPad use | |
Play at home | |
Don’t play at lessons | |
Use iPad only for studying in school | |
Student should fing suitable ways to use iPad | |
Multitasking is possible | |
Considering teachers role in monitoring iPad use | Teachers’ responsibility |
Teachers should use more iPad | |
Teacher is not asking to do anything with iPad | |
Teacher is not believing that students are studying with iPad | |
Teacher is not allowed to nag about iPad use | |
Teacher should control the use of iPad | |
Teachers’ planning |
Division 3: TPK –expectations or improvement for the use of iPads
Codes | Subthemes |
|---|---|
Special education and iPad | Individuality |
different ways to learn | |
Change of culture of doing | |
distracting others with iPad | |
iPads have not helped studying | Learning |
iPads have not increased learning | |
Only the device is not assuring better learning | |
iPads are not making studying perfect | |
iPad are not use so much in teaching | Amount |
Too much iPad use | |
too little use of iPad in music | |
Upper secondary school is preparation for matriculation ecams | Efficiency |
matriculation exams | |
iPads should be used for things that are useful |
Division 4: TPK - Motivation
Codes | Subthemes |
|---|---|
Variation to instruction | Motivation |
Games/Internet as a well deserved “break” for hard work | |
iPads are way to escape | Escape |
iPads add school satisfaction | |
iPads are only one way to escape | |
“Getting lost” in Internet | |
Students are not escaping from important, meaningful lessons |
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Kontkanen, S., Dillon, P., Valtonen, T. et al. Students’ experiences of learning with iPads in upper secondary school – a base for proto-TPACK. Educ Inf Technol 22, 1299–1326 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9496-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9496-7