Implementation of electronic learning in the class teaching in primary school

Abstract

© 2020, National Defence University - Carol I Printing House. All rights reserved. This paper will present the results of an empirical study on the implementation of electronic learning in the class teaching in primary school (ELCTPS). Electronic learning is an interdisciplinary concept. From the aspect of the problem of this pedagogical research, electronic learning involves the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in teaching, and the modernization of its didactics and methodology in order to achieve the expected efficiency of teaching, success in learning and student participation in the classroom. The crucial goal of electronic learning is to enable students to learn more effectively, to be in charge of their learning process and to start learning through research, to develop lesson plans on their own and to be encouraged to exchange information within the learning group; moreover, electronic learning should provide more effective feedback on learning success. The research started from the general assumption that electronic learning significantly influences the effectiveness of class teaching in primary school, and it encourages the students to learn and participate in the class teaching. Specific assumptions have been made that this research would determine that university students taking the Class Teaching Course (CTC) do not have sufficient knowledge to use ELCTPS and that there is a correlation between the opinion of students taking the CTC about the contribution of electronic learning to the effectiveness of the class teaching in primary school, as well as to the learning and participation of primary school students in the class teaching, and the academic success in their studies so far. In order to confirm this, a survey was conducted in the second half of 2019, on a sample of 105 students taking the CTC at the Teachers' training faculty in Prizren (Republic of Serbia), which is presented in this paper. The data collected by using the ELCTPS Scale were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and linear correlation. Descriptive statistics has shown that the CTC students generally believe that they have medium knowledge of ELCTPS, or they felt that they had insufficient knowledge of it. Linear correlation has identified a strong and positive correlation between the CTC students' opinion about the contribution of electronic learning to the effectiveness of lower primary school classes, as well as to the learning and participation of primary school students in the classroom, and the academic success in their studies so far. Based on the critical comparative analyzes presented in this paper, and the results of the empirical research, along with considering the didactic and methodological practice in the Republic of Serbia where electronic learning is still not used sufficiently, it was suggested that the ELCTPS should be more efficient (Table 3; Histogram 1).