Teaching nanoscale elements through digital technologies: Experimental research in early childhood education


Πρακτικά Εκτεταμένων Συνόψεων Εργασιών
Published: Sep 26, 2023
Keywords:
mobile learning nanotechnology early childhood
Pandora Dorouka
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2267-7592
Michael Kalogiannakis
Abstract

This paper focuses on comparing the impact and effectiveness of alternative experiential teaching on early-primary school children in the interdisciplinary field of NST against its more contemporary alternatives that employ computers and smart mobile devices. Using software applications in the form of digital games, the context of this research is to expose groups of young children to elements of NST concepts and examine the learning outcomes. The three-step research aimed to measure the effectiveness of two different digital technologies (computers and tablets) at an introductory level on children's understanding of Nanotechnology concepts. One hundred fifty second-grade children were divided into two experimental and a control group. The Nanotechnology Elementary Knowledge Assessment Test (TENANO) assessed children's knowledge about size. The findings revealed that the two experimental groups significantly outperformed the post-test control group, with the dominant tablet group.

Article Details
  • Section
  • 8. APPLICATIONS OF ICT IN THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
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Author Biographies
Pandora Dorouka, University of Crete

Pandora Dorouka is a PhD candidate in the Department of Preschool Education at the University of Crete, Greece. She is also a teacher of Primary Education at the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Ioannina, Department of Primary Education, with a grade of "Excellent". She received her Master's degree in "Theory and Praxis in Preschool Education" from the Department of Preschool Education of the University of Crete. For her postgraduate studies, she was awarded a Scholarship of Excellence by the Research and Management Committee of the Special Account for Research Funds of the University of Crete. Moreover, the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) evaluated her PhD thesis proposal as the thesis with the second highest national score in the scientific area of "Social Sciences" in the framework of the 3rd Call for HFRI Scholarships for PhD Candidates. She has published many journal articles and presented lots of papers at conferences. Her research interests include science teaching and learning in early childhood education, STEAM education, ICT in preschool and primary education, mobile learning and nanotechnology in early childhood.

Michael Kalogiannakis, University of Thessaly

Michail Kalogiannakis is Associate Professor at the Department of Preschool Education at the University of Crete in Greece. He is also associate tutor at School of Humanities at the Hellenic Open University. He has graduated the Physics Department at the University of Crete and continued his post-graduate studies at the University Paris 7-Denis Diderot (D.E.A. in Didactic of Science), University Paris 5-René Descartes (D.E.A. in Science Education) and received his PhD at the University Paris 5-René Descartes (PhD in Science Education). His field of specialization is science education at early childhood and his other current research interests concern science teaching and learning, ICT in science education, distant and adult education. He has participated in a number of research projects and has published numerous research articles and studies in journals, books and conference proceedings in English, French and Greek about his field of specialization. He has also served as an expert of the Greek Pedagogical Institute for the preparation of curricula for natural sciences, in the framework of the action “New School (School of 21st century)” and developed teaching material. He has been member of the scientific board and reviewer in a numerous of journals and conferences.

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