Using the Internet in Education - Strengths and Weaknesses: A Qualitative Study of Teachers' Opinions on the Use of the Internet in Planning and Instruction
2011 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
The Internet plays a significant role in the lives of young people today. Previous research points to advantages as well as disadvantages of the use of the Internet in a formal educational context. The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of the use of the Internet on planning and instruction. Five upper secondary school teachers were interviewed face-to-face. Five recurrent themes were identified in the interview data: general opinions on and experience of the Internet, attitudes to teaching and learning, opinions on the use of the Internet as a planning and teaching resource, effects of the use of the Internet on students and teachers, and drawbacks of the use of the Internet in the school. It was found that the teachers think that the Internet is a valuable source of information and an important additional teaching tool. The Internet can e.g. motivate the students, make teaching more fun, and allows variation in teaching. Four major drawbacks of the use of the Internet were reported by the teachers, viz. students' cheating, unreliable information, technical problems, and students' extracurricular activities during lessons.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2011. , p. 57
Keywords [en]
the Internet, the qualitative interview, young people, upper secondary school, English teachers, recurrent themes, additional teaching resource
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-10029Archive number: HEU:C11:24OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hig-10029DiVA, id: diva2:438827
Subject / course
English language education
Educational program
Education – upper secondary school
Presentation
(English)
Uppsok
Humanities, Theology
Supervisors
Examiners
2011-09-212011-09-052011-09-21Bibliographically approved