ERIC Number: EJ1347659
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jun
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1043-4046
EISSN: EISSN-1522-1229
Available Date: N/A
Teachers Perception of the Use on a Low-Cost Pulse Rate Sensor for Biology Education
Dolenšek, Jurij; Kos, Tina; Stožer, Andraž; Špernjak, Andreja
Advances in Physiology Education, v46 n2 p238-245 Jun 2022
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a commonly used concept in schools, implemented in laboratory work in the form of various digital devices. We evaluated the ICT implementation in cardiovascular physiology in Slovenian primary school education. Surprisingly, we showed a relatively low acceptance rate in biology classes: only 42.8% of involved Slovenian biology teachers used a pulse rate (PR) measuring device. As a part of a Slovenian Project, students designed, developed, and manufactured a device capable of low-cost, automatic, noninvasive, and straightforward PR sampling in real time. The device was named Fingerbeeper, and teachers' perceptions of its efficacy and efficiency were evaluated in the elementary school biology lessons, comparing its ease of use with other commercially available devices: the systems from Vernier, Biopac, and the Gear Sport Samsung smartwatch. The most preferred system was the system from Vernier (36.4%), followed by the Fingerbeeper (29.1%), the system from Biopac (18.2%), and the smartwatch (16.3%). Teachers provided their opinion on the efficiency of the Fingerbeeper in terms of cost compared with the other three measurement devices. Its perception of efficiency was comparable to the other commercially available devices while having the estimated cost of only a few percent of the Biopac or Vernier systems. Considering the general low funding in the public primary schools in Slovenia, the bias toward Fingerbeeper seemed rational, outweighing the superior performance of the commercial systems. Further research and improvement of such low-cost and high-efficiency devices, also in general terms, would lead to broader acceptance and implementation of the ICT in curricula.
Descriptors: Teacher Attitudes, Biology, Science Education, Instructional Materials, Foreign Countries, Technology Uses in Education, Elementary School Teachers, Handheld Devices, Metabolism
American Physiological Society. 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3991. Tel: 301-634-7164; Fax: 301-634-7241; e-mail: webmaster@the-aps.org; Web site: https://www.physiology.org/journal/advances
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Slovakia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A