Using the interactive whiteboard for teaching from the viewpoint of physics teachers in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Interactive whiteboards are provided in most schools in Oman, including those in the Al-Batinah North Governorate of the Sultanate, but many are not activated. Some teachers abandon them despite their presence and prefer to use the traditional blackboard or whiteboard for teaching. This study reveals the views of physics teachers in the Al Batinah North Governorate about the use of the interactive whiteboard for teaching physics. This study adopts a descriptive approach to collecting data from 377 male and female physics teachers, undertaken in the second semester of the 2017-2018 academic year. Statistical analysis shows that the teachers’ responses to the tool were positive and profound, and there were no significant differences in their views about the effectiveness of using interactive whiteboards for teaching due to the variables of gender, educational qualification, or years of experience. This result is satisfactory because of the similarity of the job environment for all members of the sample, which leads to the absence of a difference in the viewpoints of male and female teachers. In light of the results, the study recommends holding workshops and training courses for teachers to develop their skills in using the interactive whiteboard in teaching and conducting similar studies in other provinces with larger samples to generalize the results.

Keywords: interactive whiteboard; teaching; physics teachers; Oman