The advantage of VLs lies in their capacity for simulating real-world lab experiences within a fully immersive digital environment, yet the uptake in rural schools in developing countries remains low. To understand this paradox, this study explores the perceptions of seven secondary school science teachers in a rural district in South Africa.…

This study sought to narrate the experiences of a digital novice South African rural teacher, using technological pedagogical reasoning (TPR). The ubiquity and pervasiveness of digital technology is creating a need for teachers to develop TPR to remain relevant in this ever-changing global teaching community. TPR is developed in the real context…

Due to the challenges of the new era teachers enrich their teaching approaches with the implementation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools. Worldwide literature provides solid evidence underlying the potential of technology for supporting everyday teaching practice, providing an interactive teaching and learning environment.…

It is commonly accepted that learners gain better understanding of science concepts when they perform 'hands-on' experiments in the lab. However, the lack of lab infrastructure, particularly in most rural schools, negatively affects the teaching of science. With the increasing potential of ICT to education, virtual laboratories (VL) have emerged…

Teachers use different pedagogies to improve learners' performance. The study explored the effect of Computer Simulations (CS) on Grade 11 learners' performance when taught Plants Biodiversity. A Solomon FourGroup design was used to cater for internal and external validity. Sixty-six learners were assigned to two Control Groups (CG) taught using…

This study examined the effectiveness of a literacy-infused science (LIS) intervention on science learning of ELs from rural schools in the U.S.-Mexico border area. The intervention consists of teacher-level virtual professional development (VPD) and virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC), as well as a student-level LIS curriculum. Results from…

In this empirical study we examined the effect of a literacy-infused science intervention on fifth grade economically challenged students' science achievement in the curriculum-based and standardized assessments. A total of 27 treatment students and 20 comparison students from two intermediate schools in a rural district in South Texas in the…

Aim/Purpose: This paper presented the framework for the integration of digital technologies in education, implemented in InTecEdu Program, developed by Remote Experimentation Laboratory (RExLab), Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil. Background: The main objective of the model presented is to arouse interest in science and…

Are well-designed computer simulations an effective tool to support student understanding of complex concepts in chemistry when integrated into high school science classrooms? We investigated scaling up the use of a sequence of simulations of kinetic molecular theory and associated topics of diffusion, gas laws, and phase change, which we designed…

The impact of computer simulations on the performance of 65 grade 11 learners in electromagnetism in a South African high school in the Mpumalanga province is investigated. Learners did not use the simulations individually, but teachers used them as an interactive demonstration tool. Basic concepts in electromagnetism are difficult to understand…

This article reports a subset of findings from a larger study centered on designing a series of six digital learning objects to help Grade 5 (age 10-12) students begin to consider the nature of models (understood as the physical or mental representation of objects, phenomena, or processes), the particle nature of matter, and the behavior of…

The National frameworks for science emphasize inquiry skills (NRC, 1996), however, in typical classroom practice, science learning often focuses on rote learning in part because science process skills are difficult to assess (Fadel, Honey, & Pasnick, 2007) and rote knowledge is prioritized on high-stakes tests. Short answer assessments of…