Pupils’ Perceptions of the Teacher’s Changing Role in E-Learning Physics Classroom Instruction

Abstract

This article explores the pupils’ view of the teacher’s changing role as a result of the implementation of an innovation that involved electronic learning measurement lessons in a developing country, namely Kenya. 118 randomly pupils enrolled in schools that could be visited conveniently in Nakuru district, Kenya were exposed to an electronic learning program (ELP) in physics. The ELP physics module was developed from a physics course dealing with the concept of measurement. The content was based on the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) approved syllabus for science education, science textbooks and other relevant materials. Part of the investigation was to determine the effect of the ELP physics module on pupils’ perspectives of the teacher’s role during the physics course. The participants were interviewed at random using the Pupils’ Interview Guide (PIG). A selected group of pupils’ own expressions were also analyzed. The results showed that the conceptions of the pupils who were exposed to the e-learning program and those not so exposed differed remarkably. For, the pupils in the experimental condition depended more on their peers and the program while their counterparts in the traditional class were more dependent on the teacher. The study concludes that the use of ELP module to support conventional physics instruction can have substantial advantages over other approaches.