Group Topic: Current Challenges in Secondary History Teaching

Individual Topic: The Impact of Information and Communication Technology in

Contemporary High School Classrooms
Part A: Literature Review
Introduction

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is deeply embedded in the current Australian
curriculum frameworks for the study of history, and the praxis of secondary school history teachers.
For examples, the construct of ICT competence is outlined the current NSW History 7-10 Syllabus as
“most evident in historical skills associated with locating, processing and communicating historical
information”, and may be practiced or demonstrated through using digital technologies for the
presentation student learning and the development of critical historical analytical skills (BOSTES,
2012). Using ICT is identified as an integral historical skill for identifying and locating relevant
historical source in the Year Seven Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and
Reporting Authority, 2015), and is identified as a content element (i.e. ACHAH024) of the Stage Six
Ancient History Curriculum (ACARA, 2017). The use of ICT is identified as a standard of professional
teaching practice (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2017) and is seen by
teachers as both providing a “plethora of…resources to support and extend the learning of history in
the classroom and beyond” (Hart, 2015) and the potential to give students “…a new passion for
history” (Baker, 2018).

From reviewing the available literature, two overarching themes common to the articles
analysed will be explored. These are how ICT may benefit history teachers’ pedagogy and their
students’ engagement with history, and how ICT may be problematic for the experiences of both
teachers and students in the history classroom.

Definition:

For this literature review ICT is defined as any hardware, software and/or data utilized by
teachers and/or students as a resource for the study of secondary History, as informed by the
current Australian Curriculum Information and Communication Technology Capability learning
continuum (ACARA, 2010).

ICT in History Teaching: Pedagogical and Engagement Benefits

The value of ICT in ‘recreating the past’ for students is articulated as one major benefit for
teachers, as cited by Donnelly (2018) in her review of Australian history teachers using film in their
classes. In reflecting on the potential for using film and computer games in teaching history,
Donnelly quotes one respondent as follows: “Most students watch movies regularly and therefore
would find watching a film more accessible and relevant than reading a book or a set of primary
written sources.”

This construct of ICT by history teachers as a resource to help to recreate the past is also seen in
the study of Voet and De Wever (2017). They interviewed 22 Belgian history teachers and 17 of
those said that technology helped bring the past into the class. It is seen by these teachers as a tool
that assists in creating vivid meaning for their students. A significant portion of those teachers in
Voet and De Wever’s study also validated the use of ICT in their lessons because it both increased
their teaching effectiveness and efficiency.
 Herrera, Garganté, Soto Caro and Sigerson (2017) have focused on the relationship between
history teachers and their use of ICT through their conceptualisation of how historical understanding
is imparted to students. In their study of ten Chilean history teachers, using case studies and semi-
structured interviews, the researchers identified teachers who taught history critically as part of
constructing and socializing knowledge. These teachers used ICT to motivate and transform the
students’ learning. It is in this context that using computer games would be a most useful ICT
resource for teaching history. As McCall (2016) states when considering the use of the historical
simulation games, the student players are able “…to consider that context; the systems,
environmental affordances, and constraints of a historical problem space” plus develop and
understand the historical importance of choice.

Maloy, Greene, Malinowski, Emery and Curtin (2016) have observed, after reviewing the use of
wikiquests, microblogging and personal responses systems, that the use of these ICT resources
transformed the learning experience for both teachers and students. The collaborative and social
learning nature of these web-based systems developed new interactions between both parties in
the study of history, including the mutual development of source evaluation skills and the changing
of the dynamic of a physical classroom environment to an online one where students’ responses
were given more agency.

Another pedagogical benefit of ICT as observed in the preceding article by Maloy et al is the
ability of teachers when using online resources to immediately assess their students’ learning. Baker
(2018) cites Kahoot as an important application that allows the teacher to create a quiz that will help
diagnose the success of the lesson, and which students may need assistance.

Spring (2014) posits that computer gaming is an educational resource where the historian “can
engage research questions, incorporate primary and secondary source evidence, explore historical
themes, present a thesis and make historical arguments”. This does have some synergy with the
current K-10 History Skills Continuum (BOSTES, 2012). Worthington also sees games as a means
through which “…students can better understand facts and events and appreciate the emotional or
personal side of the people and settings they are studying”. However, Metzger and Paxton (2016)
identify that a problem with using games in history education is that playability of the game is key
for the designers, and that historical generalisations within the game’s construct may also be
problematic.

Manfra and Lee (2012) have stated in their study of students using blogging in an American
history class that based on preceding research, digital technologies, when supported by appropriate
scaffolding and pedagogical frameworks, is well suited to engaging with “doing history”. The need
for scaffolding for students using ICT in the completion of a history project is also identified by
Alexander (2014), with additional comments on the requirement for those students who were not
engaged with the technology requiring alternative means to present their work. Stoddard and
Marcus (2010) suggest that film can be used to engage students with historical inquisition, however
it is necessary to not just develop a combination of factual knowledge but also critical media literacy
to apply any learning from the media.

ICT in History Teaching: Classroom Problems

As for problems experienced with using ICT in the history classroom, Donnelly identifies a
rationale underpinning a reluctance of history teachers in using ICT due to the potential of the ICT
representations being perceived negatively by other educators and parents. In the latter case
Donnelly reports that film may be seen by the students’ parents as an “indication of time-wasting”,
and this coupled with teachers’ resistance to being seen as “entertainers” framed a significant
construct to discourage the use of ICT such as computer games in the classroom.

The issue of problems with in situ technology that impacts upon the use of ICT in teaching
history is also reported by Lee, Doolittle and Hicks (2006). In their survey of social studies teachers in
the south eastern United States of America (89% being history teachers) almost 33% of the
respondents explained their potential inability to use ICT in this context. They also identified time
constraints, and to a lesser extent, training issues as a reason why they did not use web-based
historical primary sources more frequently.

Voet and De Wever (2017) identify similar barriers to the use of ICT in the teaching of history
due to issues relating to school infrastructure (i.e. malfunction hardware and limited access to
computer labs). They also found through their research that some teachers did not use ICT due to
either a perceived deficit in their ability use the relevant technology, or the digital resource(s) did
not significantly add to existing ‘traditional’ resources.

Conclusion

The literature for the use of ICT in the history classroom has significant gaps in research that is
based on current Australian secondary history practice. Whilst there are several common themes
and issues, as reviewed above, there is a significant need for both a large-scale investigation of
current ICT usage in Australian high schools by university researchers. It is also to be expected that
Australian history teachers in the secondary school system can enrich their practice and their
students’ engagement and learning outcomes through a localized action research project focused on
ICT in their classroom.
Part B: Data Collection Protocol
1. Introduction

 Thank the teacher for participating in the study.

 Explain that the goal of the research is to investigate teachers’ beliefs about history.
 Emphasize our interest in the teacher’s own opinion, and that there are no right or wrong
answers.
 Ask the interviewee if he or she has any questions about the interview purpose and process
and confirm that they have read and accepted the consent form. If not ensure that the
interviewee does so, and he or she does not is given the opportunity to withdraw from the
interview.
 Ask permission to tape the interview and explain that all data will be treated confidentially.

2. Background

 How long have you been teaching history in secondary schools?

 Why did you ultimately become a history teacher?
 What is your role in the school?
 What are your specialisations in teaching history? (Ancient History, Modern History)

3. Teaching approach

 Which pedagogical approach is most fit for teaching history, and why?
 What is the main strength of this approach?
 What are weaknesses of this approach?
 Can you describe your own teaching approach during a typical period of teaching history?
 Which phases can be distinguished in each lesson?
 What are you doing during each phase?
 What are the pupils doing during each phase?
 According to you, is an inquiry (eg, with multiple information sources) a good approach for
teaching knowledge and skills?
 Why (not)?
 Do you use this approach during your own lessons?
 [If yes] Please describe how you implement inquiry in the classroom

4. Beliefs about and use of technology in the classroom

 Do you think it is important that history teachers use technology, such as computers, iPads?
 How do you feel about technology?
 Does technology offer added value?
 Do you use technology to prepare your instruction?
 [If yes] Can you explain how and for what purposes you use technology?
 [If no] Can you explain why not?
 Do you use technology in your classroom?
 [If yes] What types of ICT do you use in your classroom (ask for specific examples)?
 [If yes] Can you clarify how and for what purposes technology is commonly used?
 [If yes] How do you scaffold, differentiate or otherwise support the use of ICT in your
classroom?
  [If no] Can you explain why not? Are they due to issues related to your own teaching
philosophy or practice, the context of the school or the students, and if so, how?
 Do your students sometimes use technology in class?
 [If yes] Can you describe how students use technology and for what purposes?
 [If yes] Does students’ use of technology differ from your own use as a teacher, or
do they overlap?
 [If no] Can you explain why not?
 Have you observed or received feedback from your students as to how engaging technological
resources is in their history lessons?
 [If yes] Can you describe the context, the level of engagement and/or how the
student has responded?
 [If no] Can you explain why not?
 Have you experienced any problems using technology in your history teaching practice?
 [If yes] What was the context why you experienced one or more problems using ICT
 If yes] Has the problem been resolved and if so how. If not, what will be your next
action?
5. End
Say that this concludes the interview and ask whether the teacher has additional comments related
to the topics of the interview, or more general remarks or questions. Again, thank the teacher for
participating in the study.

(Adapted from Voet & de Wever, 2017)

Dear Potential Participant:

I am working on a project titled The Impact of Information and Communication Technology in

Contemporary High School Classrooms for the class, ‘Researching Teaching and Learning 2,’ at Western
Sydney University. As part of the project, I am collecting information to help inform the design of a
teacher research proposal.

I have a series of questions that have been formulated so that I can develop an understanding of your
relevant teaching background, approaches to teaching history and your beliefs relating to the use of ICT
in your classroom and your experiences with ICT. This will assist me in understanding what the impact of
ICT is as a resource for you and your students in your history classroom.

By signing this form I acknowledge that:

 I have read the project information and have been given the opportunity to discuss the
information and my involvement in the project with the researcher/s.
 The procedures required for the project and the time involved have been explained to me, and
any questions I have about the project have been answered to my satisfaction.
 I consent to answering those questions in the interview that I can.
 I understand that my involvement is confidential and that the information gained during this
data collection experience will only be reported within the confines of the ‘Researching Teaching
and Learning 2’ unit, and that all personal details will be de-identified from the data.
 I understand that I can withdraw from the project at any time, without affecting my relationship
with the researcher/s, now or in the future.

By signing below, I acknowledge that I am 18 years of age or older, or I am a full-time university student
who is 17 years old.

Signed: __________________________________

Name: __________________________________

Date: __________________________________

By signing below, I acknowledge that I am the legal guardian of a person who is 16 or 17 years old, and
provide my consent for the person’s participation.

Signed: __________________________________

Name: __________________________________

Date: __________________________________
Part C: Data Collection Protocol Explanation
The preceding data collection protocol is designed to be delivered to three secondary high
school teachers. A maximum of two teachers may be selected by the interviewer from the same
school. Where possible a range of ages, gender and experience will be randomly selected.

The data collection previously cited has been adapted from that used by Voet and De Wever
(2017). This is due to the following factors. Firstly, the questions were designed for a small group of
history teachers to ascertain their conceptualisation of the nature of history teaching, with a focus
on historical inquiry to formulate learning. Secondly questions have been amended and/or added to
gain insight into their pedagogical beliefs about the use of ICT in their history classrooms, and to
establish some understanding of their experiences with ICT. As per their cited methodology the
interview has been chosen as the preferred data collection method as it provides the interviewed
teachers the “opportunity to describe and explain their use of technology in their own words”. The
questions have been amended to ensure that the questions give more information that is
contextualised to local secondary high schools, and to give the interviewee an opportunity to discuss
problems that they have experienced with using ICT. This is informed by the literature review that
has indicated that the use of ICT in teaching secondary history is problematic when there are
possible issues relating to the technical capabilities of the school, the perception of the ICT’s use by
colleagues or by the students’ parent or caregivers, or the teachers’ own proficiency.

The questions outlined above have also been informed by the current research literature, in
that insights into the possible benefits of using ICT by the teacher and/or by his or her students may
be manifested are being sort, and in what pedagogical context. Provision has been made for
questions that examine how the interviewed teacher’s students present their level of engagement
with ICT in their history classroom, and how the teachers understand and explain this.

It is to be noted that the interview questions, whether those originally framed by Voet and De
Wever or amended or added by the author of this assignment reflect a deep approach to both the
individual and group topics specified above. As discussed by Entwistle (2018), the research is framed
by the relevant participants attempting to impose meaning on the project, understand the
relationships between the constituent components, issues etc, and look to the interviewees for their
personal experiences plus integrate the experience of undertaking the study to formulate learning
for future application.

Through the integration of the responses to the preceding interview questions formulated for
this individual topic with those research projects being undertaken by other members of the group it
is hoped that some insight will be gained on those challenges that confront secondary history
teachers within a local Australian context, and thus start to fill the evident gaps in the research
literature.

References

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(3). 154-172. Retrieved from https://doi-
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Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010). Information and

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communication-ict-capability-learning-continuum.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015). History: Sequence of content 7-
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Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). Ancient History Unit 1:
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