Playful Learning And Ict For Training Science Teachers: Coordinating A Teaching-Innovation Project

Abstract

The problem statement of this study is the contribution to science-teacher training based on playful learning and the use of ICT tools. The research question is: How can teacher training programs best contribute to science-teacher training and foster playful-learning approaches while motivating the use of ICT tools? The aim of this study is to stimulate teachers in training to design and conduct educational approaches based on playful learning for science education, promoting the use of ICT as educational tools. With this objective, a teaching-innovation project was financed and developed for the higher education of kindergarten, primary, and secondary pre-service teachers, at the University of Granada, Spain, from 2015 to 2017. For kindergarten pre-service teachers, three teaching proposals were developed, the first in a course concerning formal and non-formal contexts, the second related to their practical professional training, and the third at their end-of-degree project. The proposal for primary preservice teachers was also related to their internship training during the last semester of their degree. For secondary teachers in training, a proposal was made regarding the end-of-Master's project. By the end of the proposals, teachers in training were able to design and develop educational approaches based on playful learning for scientific literacy, together with cross-curricular skill development. They also showed an improved ability to use ICT tools as educational resources. It can be concluded that the teachinginnovation project presented is composed of successful proposals devoted to spreading playful learning for science education among pre-service teachers of different educational stages.

Keywords: Science educationteacher trainingplayful learning

Introduction

In the modern world, which is changing at an ever quickening pace, new difficulties arise in the

workplace that may cause unprecedented situations among professionals. The University ought to face

this reality, given its social responsibility as an institution to train qualified professionals, who must be

able to permanently build their own careers. The challenge we face involves changes at all levels,

especially including teaching practice.

The Spanish journalist Miguel Ángel Gozalo (2014) compiled the notes on his conversation with

the Secretary of Education of Spain. Attention is drawn to the criticism of these notes in the context of a

university training system that prioritizes the memorization of content vs. the resolution of complex

problems. In their passage through the university, students should learn to be innovative and develop their

creativity and critical ability. According to the Secretary of Education interviewed, the training received

by teachers could be related to the stagnation that is observed in the students of obligatory levels of

education in the areas of science and mathematics in Spain.

On the other hand, professionals in many fields of science, engineering, and mathematics point out

the need for innovative and creative thinkers in their professions (Bergen, 2009). Specifically, scholars

advocate play-based learning methods to assist students in developing the intellectual skills required for

excellence in these fields. Nevertheless, “the educational and social-political climate in many countries

does not usually support playful learning, even though professionals in computer science, physics,

mathematics, engineering, and other scientific fields stress its value.” (Bergen, 2009, pp.422-423).

Moreover, game-based teaching-learning methods disappear from classrooms as the educational level

increases and “even in the younger grades, current trends are moving against playful learning. In new

guidelines for pre-school teaching in the United States, the word “play” never appears” (Resnick, 2006,

p.3).

An example of a response to this situation was the decision of the Education Committee of the

Spanish Congress to unanimously support a proposal to introduce chess in the primary school classroom

(Garcia, 2015). This decision was preceded by the analysis of various scientific studies by the European

Parliament in 2012, before recommending the introduction of chess into the education system of all

countries. In Spain, there are already centers of the obligatory educational stages attached to this initiative

that confirm the effectiveness of playing in the teaching-learning process (Vidal, 2015).

It is well known that the experimental sciences are matters that, although children initially like

them, with the passage of time become the ones that raise the most difficulties. Possible causes include

lack of teacher self-confidence and the belief that they are difficult subjects. We believe that the

experimental sciences can be approached in the stages of compulsory education in a playful and

interdisciplinary way.

For young children, there is no difference between playing, learning, and working: play is their

primary learning path. Even for older children and adolescents, games promote high levels of attention

and concentration that can be applied to the learning of science because, with a suitable design, games

increase a key element in learning: motivation (Kirriemuir & McFarlane, 2004; Denis & Jouvelot, 2005),

while stimulating certain capacities, especially those related to the sciences. Such is the case of creativity,

which improves the ability to solve problems (Bergen, 2009, Hirsh-Pasek & Golinkoff, 2008).

Incorporating teaching-learning methodologies based on the play that deal with the treatment of

experimental sciences is an excellent way to avoid failure in future educational stages, while at the same

time providing security to teachers. This approach also helps dispel the image of science as abstract and

remote from people's lives. We wonder: what is more human and closer to people than playing? Joan

Huizinga (1950) supported the idea in his key work: Homo Ludens .

Other well-known authors defended the educational value of playing. For Maria Montessori (1964)

to educate is to develop the senses, to relate them to language and this to the intellect. Her method is

based on the use of manipulative resources structured for scientific learning, under the motto: "learning

by doing". Ovide Decroly (1965) proposed a methodology based on the spontaneous observation of the

natural environment and the development of curiosity in its "centers of interest". Materials commonly

used in everyday life are their resources for children to learn by playing to simulate the lives of adults.

The work of Friedrich Froebel (1912) was based on the scientific principle of opposites to achieve

learning and proposed "gifts" ( Froebel Gifts or Fröbelgaben ), i.e. objects-toys with geometric shapes as

gifts to children to structure their minds.

Due to the validity and timeliness of this theoretical basis, the present work relies on it in an effort

to unite science and play in an innovative project to train future education professionals. Relating culture,

science, and game, we strive to promote the idea of access to the sciences in a playful way that foster an

attractive and intriguing image of science. As trainers of professionals related to science and technology

education, we aspire to a new commitment with an innovative methodology that considers play as an

educational foundation at the university level.

In addition, it is important to draw students' attention to reflection and metacognition and to

encourage them to have goals that foster self-management of intellectual and professional growth. This

requires a great motivation on the part of those who are in training so as to enable them to develop a true

regulation of their own learning. In this sense, the incorporation of the educational potential of the

Empowerment and Participation Technologies (EPT) plays a fundamental role.

For a long time, in addressing digital competence, the focus was exclusively on providing students

and teachers with the training to master the technology, without emphasizing the methodology. The trend

of recent years has led to the emergence of LKT (learning and knowledge technologies) concept. LKT

seek to orient information and communication technologies (ICT) towards more formative uses, both for

the student and for the teacher, in order to learn more and more effectively. The idea is to focus on the

methodology, the uses of technology, and not only on ensuring the mastery of a series of computer tools.

The idea is to know and explore the possible didactic utilities that ICT offer for learning and teaching. In

other words, LKT go beyond merely learning to use ICT but rather opt to explore these technological

tools in the service of learning and knowledge acquisition.

Recently, the term EPT (Empowerment and Participation Technologies) has been taken a step

further. The EPTs retain the same idea of LKTs but taking advantage of the social and participative

dimension of the so-called web 2.0 tools. Now, the challenge is to use the potential of these tools to

encourage students to become the true regulators of their own learning (de Haro, 2009; de Wintera,

Winterbottoma & Wilson, 2010; Grosseck, 2009; Mansilla, Muscia & Ugliarolo, 2013).

Problem Statement

Thus, the problem statement of this study is to contribute to science-teacher training based on

playful learning and the use of ICT tools.

Research Questions

How can the current teacher training programs best contribute to science-teacher training and

foster playful learning approaches while motivating the use of ICT tools?

Purpose of the Study

The aim is to stimulate teachers in training to design and conduct educational approaches based on

playful learning for scientific education, promoting the use of ICT as educational tools. With this

objective, a teaching-innovation project was financed and developed for the higher education of

kindergarten, primary, and secondary pre-service teachers, at the University of Granada, Spain, between

2015 and 2017.

Thus, it is the goal of this study to propose an innovative teaching methodology based on the play.

It is understood that playful activity in general as a process of actions thatincludes: abstract

characterization of a real or fictitious context, assumption of norms, divergent thinking, logical strategies,

socialization processes, decision making and establishing of consequences or responsibilities of the

decisions taken, and ethical awareness. These characteristics of playing are considered to be powerful

values that can be put at the service of education and its evaluation.

The objectives of the teaching innovation project designed and developed are listed below. For

each of the teaching proposals involved in the project, those objectives that are specifically addressed are

indicated:

�O1 Promote personal initiative, entrepreneurship and the ability to plan, make decisions and

take responsibility.

�O2 Carry out activities that enable the responsible use of free time and leisure �O3 Stimulate divergent thinking, the emergence of new ideas associated with the acquisition of knowledge and its contextualization.

�O4 Promote the theoretical-practical analysis applied to resolving professional problems. �O5 Develop the scientifically grounded critical spirit.

�O6 Foster the capacity to evaluate with criteria through participatory evaluation.

�O7 Propose guidelines for the preparation of reports or presentations, to enrich the forms of expression and scientific representation.

�O8 Develop teamwork skills with other professionals.

�O9 Encourage self-management of intellectual and professional growth, and regulation of one's own learning �O10 Build capacity for the appropriate use of Empowerment and Participation Technologies (EPT).

Research Methods

From a relativistic epistemological foundation, knowledge can be scientific, professional or

quotidian. There is an attempt to include the knowledge sources of each of these types, i.e. scientific

sources, professional supports, and the cultural as well as social substrata, all of these essential for the

construction of knowledge. From this perspective, the socio-cultural context cannot be disregarded but

rather serves both as the basis and as the goal for training education professionals. The idea is to combine

the importance of personal and social values (fostered through play), appreciation and recognition of

professional and scientific procedures, together with the optimization of technological tools, with the

goals set by equity and social development.

The methodology developed relies on several techniques which were adapted to the curriculum of

each course or topic involved in the project, all having a common basis of social constructivist as

cognitive foundation, in which knowledge is considered to be a construction that is achieved through

interaction and social consensus, between students and teachers and between equals. This interaction was

established in small groups (2-6 students), medium groups (group of practices that varies between 25 and

30 students) and class groups (55-60 students). The techniques that emerged from group dynamics were

used, pursuing collaborative learning (working in small groups, peer-to-peer discussions, and pooling of

findings). The use of the tools of the 2.0 web was proposed, which may be the most useful in the

professional future of the students.

The portfolio was proposed as a product conducive to creative attitudes in various specialties of

higher education (Shores & Grace, 2004). Specifically, students were encouraged to develop e-portfolios

made up of blogs, with a strong professional focus (Torres & Rodríguez, 2009), through the use of free

software (blogs hosted on Blogger). They were also urged to blog short essays related to current topics of

professional interest chosen by the students and echoed in the media. The blog posts were shared among

the students in the classes.

Overall, the researcher sought to create a community for research and in learning in which students

listen to each other, showing respect and building their ideas on those of others and in which interaction

between students acts as reinforcement. In all the actions, there was a promotion of creative activities

based on the use of the new technologies as well as the feedforward and exchange between the students.

At the same time, the participation of students in the evaluation process was encouraged. The

suitability of this endeavor is convincing to more and more university teachers, since it serves to promote

and measure the capacity for evaluation as a skill to be acquired by the students themselves. Therefore, in

the case of university degrees aimed at training education professionals, this challenge becomes a

necessity. In this sense, it was expected that the use of transparent evaluation standards will favor student

involvement in the evaluation. The design of appropriate assessment tools that explain the evaluation

criteria can facilitate the implementation of actions in which the students assess whether their own

activities or performances or those of their peers conform to the pre-established standards (Airasian &

Russell, 2008; Álvarez, 2000; Delgado, 2005; Dochya, Segersb, & Sluijsmans, 1999).

For kindergarten pre-service teachers, three teaching proposals were developed. The first pertained

to a course concerning formal and non-formal contexts, the second was related to their practical

professional training, and the third involved the end-of-degree project, the two latest in the last semester

of their degree. The proposal for primary pre-service teachers was also related to their internship training

the last semester of their degree. For secondary teachers in training, a proposal was made regarding the

end-of-Master's project (see Table 01 ).

Findings

Teachers in training were able to design and develop educational approaches based on playful

learning for scientific literacy, together with cross-curricular skill development. They also showed an

improvement in their ability to use ICT tools as educational resources.

Primary pre-service teachers findings

The primary teachers in training succeeded in developing and evaluating the e-portfolios prepared

as professional blogs. In their portfolios, primary pre-service teachers described the most noteworthy

aspects regarding their experience at the internship schools and the educational resources that they found

the most useful. In their reflections, primary teachers in training revealed their preference for a game-

based approach and for playful performances, discussing their experience in the classrooms during the

internship period. For example, in his blog, one pre-service teacher involved in the project recounted the

visit to the school of a pupil’s mother, who participated in the classroom activities:

“This week I'm going to talk about the space reserved in the schedule for the participation of

families. It is normally on Fridays but this week it has been matched with the change of season from

winter to spring and therefore is earlier. Dario's mother came to tell us about spring by playing the role

of the Spring Fairy. Everyone in the class knew her but the fact that she came in a costume made the

activity more fun.” (Martín, 2017).

“This is all we have done during the visit of Dario's mother, but then we have begun to ask us

questions about the theme: Why are there seasons? And why does spring start today and not 6 days later,

for example? What is the movement of the Earth? How does it move? What if it did not move; what would

happen? What would be the effects of always having the same season?” (Martín, 2017).

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During their participation in the project proposal, primary pre-service teachers also demonstrated

their good progress in the control of ICT tools as resources at the service of science education, as can be

seen from their comments in their blogs: “To these questions, which have been debated in a large group,

we added the movement of the Earth turning, and above all revolving around the sun, and all the

questions that arose were answered. For this, different resources were used: in addition to the teacher's

explanations, some explanatory videos on the movement of the Earth were shown. One of these videos, for

me the most interesting, belongs to the blog La Eduteca and can be seen below. We also used the

computer application "Google Earth" on the digital display of the classroom. After going around the

planet looking for where the school is, where all the continents are, and exploring the world for a while,

the program has been used to see what causes Earth movements and to understand the effect of changing

its position with respect to the sun (what we used to do with a globe).” (Martín, 2017).

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Secondary pre-service teachers findings

Regarding the end-of-Master’s teaching-proposal project, secondary teachers in training were able

to design their own educational approaches based on playful learning for scientific education. They also

prepared the materials needed to implement the proposal. An example can be seen in Figures 03 and 04 .

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In the words of a secondary pre-service teachers who participated in the teaching-innovation

proposal: “The work done has been very useful for me, since it has allowed me to realize the difficulty

and complexity involved in developing activities that may significantly favor the learning of scientific

subjects. Its preparation has been very constructive for my personal training as a teacher, feeling

constantly the leader in the creation of the activities, with the challenge of improving the teaching-

learning practice of biology.” (Staffieri, 2016, p.55).

Conclusion

The teaching-innovation project presented is composed of several successful proposals devoted to

spreading the idea of playful learning for science education between pre-service teachers of different

educational stages.

Acknowledgments

The author expresses her appreciation to the Secretariado de Innovación Docente (University of Granada) for financing Teaching Innovation Project l5-44, in which she acts as a coordinator..

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