The Effects of Using an Electronic Textbook on Students’ Learning of Chemistry in Secondary School

• Other Authors: Chiu, Yuen Ki Ricky (author.)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; Chinese
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/en/item/cuhk-1292156

印刷教科書是現時中學廣泛應用的教材。近年來，創新的電子教科書逐漸被關注。然而，通過電子教科書對學生習得成果的影響以及電子教科書的教育預設用途性（educational affordance）的認知仍然有限。是次研究旨在調查在香港中學推行電子教科書對學生學習化學的影響。研究中採用名為「離子、離子鍵合與結構」的試用電子教科書章節。這項研究提出三個研究問題：（1）評鑑高品質的化學電子教科書應考慮什麼評估準則？（2）以電子教科書作為教具進行化學課堂時教師和學生有什麼顧慮？（3）電子教科書是否有效地幫助學生學習離子鍵和離子化合物的性質？如何及為什麼能達到這個成果？ === 透過研究建構了一份包含了課程和技術特點的電子教科書質素評鑑清單，當中包括了如動畫，圖像，內容排版和對回答問題時相應的建設性反饋（constructive feedback）等元素。本研究採用了前測-後測準實驗設計。是次研究對象為兩所香港中學的兩組中四學生（N = 27），實驗組使用了試用的電子教科書，而對照組則維持使用由香港出版的傳統化學教科書來進行課堂。試驗實施後，學生們進行了後測以評估他們在化學科的習得成果，並回答了有關對電子教科書的態度（attitude）、感知易用性（perceived usability）、流動電腦自我效能感（mobile computing self-efficacy）及流動電腦焦慮感（mobile computeranxiety）的評估問卷。隨後進行了針對評估學生技能表現（psychomotor skills）的離子模型建構實作測試。透過半結構式訪談，收集了關於在化學課堂中使用電子教科書學習化學時師生們的顧慮和相應的教育預設用途性。 === 研究發現，實驗組的學生相比對照組的學生表現得較為出色。教師和大部分學生對電子教科書予以正面的評價。他們對電子教科書的認受性可能是因為 流動電子產品在香港日益流行。但師生們同時表達了他們對以電子教科書進行常規化學課的擔憂， 如課堂管理（classroom management ）和注意力分散（distractions）等。教師的講授和示範在香港化學課堂中推廣使用電子教科書學習仍然是不可缺少的。而電子教科書的量身定制（customisation）將是教師今後的重要職責之一。本試用電子教科書提供了若干的教育預設用途性。為了進一步提高電子教科書的學習效能，師生們強烈建議增設度身訂造的電子筆來書寫筆記和引入更多的化學練習來鞏固習得成果。學生們亦反映了其中一個電子教科書的教育預設用途性是鼓勵他們進行課前預習，研究顯示使用電子教科書的學生比使用傳統印刷教科書的學生更積極學習。研究所得亦對香港化學教育的意義和啟示進行了討論。 === Printed textbooks are popular instructional materials in secondary schools. In recent years, electronic textbooks (e-textbooks) have been promoted as an innovation. However, little is known about the effects of using e-textbooks on students’ learning outcomes and the educational affordance of e-textbooks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using an e-textbook on Hong Kong students’ learning of chemistry in secondary school. An e-textbook chapter entitled Ions, Ionic bonding and Structure was developed. The study was guided by the following three research questions: (1) What evaluative criteria should be considered in the design of a high-quality chemistry e-textbook? (2) What are teachers’ and students’ concerns when using e-textbooks in the chemistry classroom as a teaching-learning aid? (3) Is the e-textbook effective in helping students learn the properties of ionicbonding and ionic compounds? How and why? === A checklist was constructed to evaluative the quality of the curricular and technical features of the electronic chapter, such as animations, graphics, content layout, and constructive feedback generated by questions. A pretest – posttest quasi-experimental design was used in this study. Two groups of secondary-4 students (N = 27) from two Hong Kong schools participated; the experimental group used the e-textbook chapter while the comparison group used a traditional chemistry textbook published in Hong Kongto have lessons. After the intervention, the students took a posttest to assess their chemistry achievement and responded to a questionnaire to assess their attitudes towards the e-textbook, perceived usability, mobile computing self-efficacy and mobile computer anxiety. A performance test was administered to assess students’ psychomotor skills at constructing ionic models. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to collect teacher and student views regarding the concerns about using e-textbook in a chemistry classroom and educational affordance of the e-textbook for learning chemistry. === Results showed that the students in the experimental group performed better than their counterparts in the comparison group. Both the teacher and most of the participating students evaluated the e-textbook positively. One possible reason for the increase in the likelihood of using e-textbooks in Hong Kong may be the increasing popularity of mobile devices. However, the teacher and students expressed some concerns about using the e-textbook in their regular chemistry lessons, such as classroom management and distractions. Teacher’s instruction and demonstration during the chemistry lesson in Hong Kong classroom is still essential to assist the use of an e-textbook for learning. Customisation of e-textbooks will be one of the most important parts of the teachers’ duties in the future. The trial e-textbook chapter was perceived as useful with various educational affordances. Teachers and students strongly suggested that a customised electronic pen for writing notes and more exercises for reinforcement of chemistry learning be included to further enhance the e-textbook’s effectiveness. The e-textbook offered the educational affordance to motivate them to study before lessons. The students who used e-textbooks in the study were more likely to study actively than the students who used traditional printed textbooks. The significance and implications of these findings for chemistry education in Hong Kong are discussed. === Chiu, Yuen Ki Ricky. === Thesis Ed.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2016. === Includes bibliographical references (leaves ). === Abstracts also in Chinese. === Title from PDF title page (viewed on …). === Detailed summary in vernacular field only. === Detailed summary in vernacular field only. === Detailed summary in vernacular field only.