Experiments in Education Supported by Computer Use: Teachers’
Attitudes towards Computers
Jiří Dostál
1
, Xiaojun Wang
1
and Prasart Nuangchalerm
2
1
Faculty of Education, Palacký University Olomouc, Zizkovo nám. 5, Olomouc, Czech Republic
2
Faculty of Education, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand
Keywords: Education, Computer, Experiment, Pupil, Teacher, Science-based Subject, Social Science Subject,
Research.
Abstract: The article focuses on solving problems based on innovation and technology, which are currently
manifested in education. There is a range of experimental educational systems based on information
technologies, mainly in the sciences. This is why the research team aimed to address the following
questions: Why do teachers employ PCs to support experiments in teaching? To what extent do they use
PCs? What are teachers’ motives for non-use of PCs? What are the differences between teachers of science,
information science, mathematics and social science? What about primary school teachers? Do they employ
PCs for experimentation to a lesser or greater extent? The answers to these questions were discovered
through research conducted in 2016. The questionnaire was chosen by an explorative method involving 260
staff from 35 Czech schools as the sample. Based on the research findings, it was proven that in order to
experiment in teaching, teachers employ PCs to a lesser extent. However, it is not possible to state this
tendency as an unambiguous weakness. In the case of science, it is surprising that some teachers do not
employ PCs despite the technological potential of computers today. The main reason for using computers
for experimenting in teaching at both basic and secondary schools is higher pupil motivation.
1 INTRODUCTION
The educational experiment is one way a pupil may
acquire new knowledge. It is possible to understand
it as an intentionally induced process in which
conditions are purposefully influenced. Assessment
of the course of the experiment or its result is
performed subsequently.
Using experiments in teaching enables pupils to
become acquainted with basic practical work
procedures and methods in relevant areas of human
affairs while serving as a means to acquire or check
a pupil’s theoretical knowledge or to reconstruct
already acquired knowledge. Thanks to the fact that
the pupil acquires the experience directly, permanent
and thorough acquisition of discovered knowledge is
enabled. Experiments are suitable tools to fulfil the
educational principle of connecting theory with
practice. Experiments in teaching are, to some
extent, a reflection of the scientific method. During
the cognition of certain facts, the pupils acquire
information not only about the fact itself but also
about the selected study method and experimental
devices.
The higher the value of a school experiment is,
the closer is the selected method of study to the
scientific methods and the closer the demonstrative
device corresponds to the scientific device.
However, the selected method and device meet all
didactic requirements (Mirgorodskij, 1973).
Appropriate and thought-out involvement of
experiments in teaching leads to a deeper
understanding of the content on basic terms and
relationships. It is a precondition of a conscious
penetration to the essence of cognition from merely
phenomenon-based cognition; it facilitates the
formation of certain term-based structures (Černá,
1995). While experimenting, pupils adopt necessary
skills, which may be considered active knowledge
and a certain readiness to perform certain practical
activities (Podroužek, 2003). The educational
aspects of the experiment are no less important,
particularly the following:
 the experiment develops the readiness for
248
Dostál, J., Wang, X. and Nuangchalerm, P.
Experiments in Education Supported by Computer Use: Teachers’ Attitudes towards Computers.
DOI: 10.5220/0006321302480254
In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2017) - Volume 2, pages 248-254
ISBN: 978-989-758-240-0
Copyright © 2017 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

independent and creative activity as well as
logical thinking,
 the pupil obtains clear scientific and technical
ideas about the object or phenomenon,
 the experiment develops pupils’ positive and
realistic attitudes about the practice,
 the experiment enables the discovery of rules,
verification of theory, and cognition at a higher
level,
 the pupil becomes convinced of the usefulness of
results of the work,
 the experiment develops the pupil’s ability to
express themselves while they learn how to aptly
depict the essence of the phenomenon,
 the experiment develops the positive attitude of
pupils to a particular field while facilitating
interest in the profession of a certain
specialization.
The basic feature of an experiment is a relatively
precise knowledge of relevant conditions in which it
occurs and its repeatability with the same results.
Experiments that do not require complex conditions,
that are not time-consuming, and that have a clear
course and predictable results are suitable for the
educational purposes.
An experiment should not be confused with a
demonstration: during an experiment, the conditions
are actively influenced. If there is a phenomenon
presented in the teaching, it need not to be an
experiment but may be merely a demonstration
observed by the pupils. This statement is supported
by O. Šimik (Šimik, 2011), who states that the
experiment differs from the demonstration mainly in
its cognitive drive, but pupils themselves discover
new relations and connections. Any activities linked
to the manipulation with (learning) aids are then
inaccurately called an experiment. However, if
pupils manipulate substances, instruments or
devices, they do not necessarily perform an
experiment. Similarly, experimenting should not be
confused with laboratory work. It is possible to
realize the experiment in laboratory or natural
environments. At the same time, not every
laboratory activity has to be linked with
experiments.
In various aspects, the educational experiments
were considered by, e.g., (Song et al., 2016) or
(Dziabenko et al., 2013).
2 THE SOLUTION AND
RESEARCH GOALS
The science-driven solution lies in innovation and
technology, which currently manifest themselves
beyond the Czech Republic. It is possible to employ
a whole range of experimental systems based on IT,
mainly in the sciences.
However, experimenting is not linked solely to
this category of subjects. Therefore, it is appropriate
to examine the field of social science subjects as
well, or to examine the attitudes of teachers teaching
those subjects. A wide range of solutions emerge
from the stated facts, e.g., why do teachers employ
computers to support experiments in teaching? What
are their motives for possible non-use? What are the
differences between the teachers of science,
information science, mathematics and social
science? Do primary school teachers employ PCs for
experimenting to a lesser or greater extent? We
strive to answer the stated questions in the following
text.
Therefore, the research aimed to determine
whether basic school teachers use computers (or
ICT) in order to complete experiments. The aim was
not only to provide the answer yes or no but also to
explain the reasons that led to their actions – to
discover why they do or do not use computers.
The research focuses on both basic and
secondary schools. Both stated levels of education
are different in their essence – they have different
senses, and they employ different methods.
Therefore, we are aware of the fact that it is not
possible to perform a mere comparison. However,
the observation might provide results that may
become an impulse for innovative changes and
additional research.
3 FORMULATION OF
RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS
AND METHODS USED
It was not possible to achieve the stated research
goals without transforming them into research
assumptions, which were verified by quantitative
methods. The research assumptions stated in the
following chapters were gradually formulated and
verified.
The research assumptions were verified via
research data obtained in 2016 while using methods
aimed to discover frequencies of responses on
individual items of the questionnaire. The
Experiments in Education Supported by Computer Use: Teachers’ Attitudes towards Computers
249

questionnaire was chosen using an explorative
method, and it enabled a relatively effective
measurement of data. Its construction was realized
in accordance with methodological standards, see
e.g., (Cohen et al., 2007) or (Newby, 2014). The
questionnaire was distributed among 850 staff
members– 260 staff from 35 Czech schools
responded in total.
4 EXTENT OF TEACHERS’ USE
OF COMPUTERS FOR
EXPERIMENTS
The questionnaire item Do you employ computers
(information and communication technology) tools
in your teaching for experiments? aimed to discover
the extent of teachers’ use of computers for
experiments. In the first phase, we just focus on the
results, including mere frequencies; however, we
will further analyse the results in the following
chapters.
The research assumption was stated as follows:
more than 50 per cent of basic and secondary school
teachers use computers for experiments.
The obtained data were classified and processed.
Their summary is presented in Figure 1 below.
Ratheryes
Ratherno
No
DoyouemployICTforexperimentsiny
o
Figure 1: The extent of teachers’ use of computers for
experiments (basic and secondary school teachers).
If we look closer at the obtained data, we notice
that 47 per cent of teachers do not use computers for
experimenting at all, and 27 per cent of teachers use
them insufficiently (rather not). Although we could
call this result ambiguous, it gives us valuable
information: a large group of teachers do not use
computers. This conclusion introduces the
possibility for further inquiry. We will try to reveal
which teachers are involved in the following
sections of this article. Nevertheless, the results lead
us to a decision that we reject the research
assumption that “more than 50 per cent of basic
and secondary school teachers employ computers
for experiments”.
Before we proceed to study the results in greater
detail (for basic schools and for secondary schools
separately), let us tackle the reasons why some
teachers use computers for experiments. We present
these possible responses: It is less demanding for me
to teach while employing computers. Why should
they not be employed when the school once
purchased them? Teaching satisfies me more, and I
am experiencing the feeling of satisfaction and joy.
The pupils’ knowledge is at a higher level. Pupils
are more motivated to learn.
The results obtained based on the study are
presented in Figure 2 below.
0 20406080
Pupilsaremore…
Knowledgeofpupilsare…
Teachingsatisfiesme…
Whyshouldtheynotbe…
Itislessdemandingfor…
Whatisthereasonofyour
employmentofcomputers?(%)
Figure 2: Motivation of basic and secondary school
teachers to employ computers for experiments.
In this case, the results are basically
unambiguous – 64 per cent of teachers state that
pupils are more motivated to learn, and therefore, it
is possible to assume that teachers include
computers and experiments in their teaching because
of this fact. Their application is, of course, linked to
the development of knowledge, etc.; nevertheless,
the teachers could select just one from the possible
responses. They may consider the increased
motivation of pupils as the main contributor.
We will focus on the analysis of reasons linked
to the non-use of computers for experiments.
Teachers selected one of the following possible
responses: This possible use does not relate to my
subject. Why should I do that when the main point is
to teach somehow and not to get tired by that? I do
not have enough time to teach; I just need to easily
and quickly present the subject matter to pupils. I do
not have enough time to prepare this type of
teaching while using ICT. I have no idea how I
would employ ICT for experiments. Necessary
devices or applications are not available to me. The
results are presented in Figure 3 below.
CSEDU 2017 - 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
250

Figure 3: Reasons for non-use of computers for
experiments by basic and secondary school teachers.
When looking at the results, the dominance of
the response “This possible use does not relate to my
subject” is striking: 43 per cent of teachers selected
this option. The lack of equipment of schools
manifests as well, since some teachers state that the
necessary devices or applications are not available to
them.
5 EXTENT OF COMPUTER USE
FOR EXPERIMENTS IN
TEACHING BY BASIC SCHOOL
TEACHERS
We will now focus on basic schools. All teachers
included in our sample taught at schools where the
so-called Framework Educational Programme (in
Czech: Rámcový vzdělávací program) is in force,
which is the basic curricular document at the
national level. Teaching can be compared generally
across all schools.
A similar research assumption was stated again:
more than 50 per cent of basic school teachers use
computers for experiments. The obtained data were
classified and processed. Their summary is
presented in Figure 4 below.
Figure 4: The extent of computer use for experiments
(basic school teachers).
At first sight, it is obvious that the results are
statistically significantly similar to the total results
including secondary school teachers. We can
conclude from the results that we again reject the
research assumption that “more than 50 per cent
of basic school teachers employ computers for
experiments”.
An important question connected to the teachers’
qualifications came to light, i.e., the subject taught.
We thought that the use (or non-use) of computers
might be influenced by teachers’ qualifications.
Therefore, we performed a classification that might
enable us to capture possible differences.
However, since there were too many different
types of teachers’ qualifications, transcoding into
three groups was performed: 1) science-based and
technical subjects, mathematics and information
sciences (physics, chemistry, geography, natural
history, mathematics, information science , technical
education, technical works); this group is therefore
called science-based subjects); 2) humanities, art-
based, and sports-based subjects (Czech language,
foreign language, civics, music education, art
education, physical education); this group is thus
called social science subjects); and 3) first stage of
basic school (primary school).
During the classification, a problem emerged
when a teacher mentioned his or her qualifications
overlapped in categories. In this case, it was not
clear from which qualification’s perspective they
were commenting. Therefore, those cases were
rejected. The results are presented in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Frequency of responses classified according to
teachers’ qualifications (percentages).
Science-
based
subjects
Social
science
subjects
First stage
of basic
school
Yes
10 4 3
Rather
yes
20 10 22
Rather
no
10 33 31
No
60 53 44
Upon analysing the obtained data, we see
differences mainly in frequencies that might be
called positive or rather positive. In the case of the
response Rather yes, we see a double value. The
surprising fact at first sight is, however, not
evaluated as significant, which might be seen in
Figure 5 below. It is apparent that this difference is
negligible – individual results correlate.
Experiments in Education Supported by Computer Use: Teachers’ Attitudes towards Computers
251

The results can be called remarkable. It is
generally thought that teachers of science-based and
technical subjects and mathematics (concerning
experiments) have a closer relation to IT than the
teachers of social science subjects. The results
discovered through research basically challenge this
idea considerably. It is possible to state that there are
no differences between individual teachers’
qualifications from the point of view of frequency of
use of computers for experiments in their teaching.
Figure 5: Extent of use of computers for experiments
(basic school teacher according to their qualifications).
If we select responses concerning basic schools
only and in relation to the question concerning the
reasons for the use of computers, we obtain the
results presented in Figure 6 below.
0 20406080
Pupilsaremore…
Knowledgeofpupilsare…
Teachingsatisfiesme…
Whyshouldtheynotbe…
Itislessdemandingfor…
Whatisthereasonofyour
employmentofcomputers?(%)
Figure 6: Motivation of basic school teachers to use
computers for experiments.
Again, we have to state that the results do not
show statistically significant differences from the
responses that include secondary school teachers as
well.
The possible similarities or differences interest
us as well in the case of reasons for non-use of
computers. Figure 7 (see below) was formed from
that reason.
0 1020304050
Necessarydevicesor…
Ihavenoideahow…
Idonothaveenough…
Idonothaveenough…
WhyshouldIdothat?…
Thispossible…
Whatisthereasonofyournon‐
employmentofcomputers?(%)
Figure 7: Reasons of non-use of computers for
experimenting by basic school teachers.
Upon comparing the frequencies including both
basic and secondary school teachers with the
frequencies including only basic school teachers, we
reach the conclusion that there are no statistically
significant differences between those two groups.
6 EXTENT OF USE OF
COMPUTERS FOR
EXPERIMENTS IN TEACHING
BY SECONDARY SCHOOL
TEACHERS
Similar to basic school teachers, secondary school
teachers answered the question, “Do you employ
computers (information and communication
technology) in your teaching for experiments?” It is
necessary to mention that the experiments realized
by pupils often have a more complex nature, and
they also might have a more considerable
application nature according to the focus of the
branch of study. The employment of specific ICT is
based on this fact.
To perform research, the following assumption
was stated: more than 50 per cent of secondary
school teachers use computers for experiments. The
obtained data were classified and processed. Their
summary is presented in Figure 8 below.
CSEDU 2017 - 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
252

Figure 8: Extent of use of computers for experiments
(secondary school teachers).
Upon comparing the values stated in Figure 8
with the values stated in Figure 4, we will mention
differences. The frequencies for No responses are
not lower than those for basic school teachers. This
is the reason why we present the results in the form
of a graph, since the correlation of both groups’
results is obvious.
Figure 9: Extent of use of computers for experiments
(secondary school teachers according to their
qualification).
It turns out again that the teachers of science-
based and technical subjects and mathematics
(concerning experiments) do not have a closer
relation to IT than the teachers of social science
subjects. The extent of computer use is not
statistically significantly different.
We can conclude from the results that we reject the
research assumption that “more than 50 per cent
of secondary school teachers employ computers for
experiments”.
Now, we ask whether there are differences in the
motives for the use for experiments in teaching
when comparing to basic school teachers. The
frequencies of responses of secondary school
teachers are presented in Figure 10 below.
0 20406080
Pupilsaremore…
Knowledgeofpupilsare…
Teachingsatisfiesme…
Whyshouldtheynotbe…
Itislessdemandingfor…
Whatisthereasonofyour
employmentofcomputers?(%)
Figure 10: Motivation of secondary school teachers to use
computers for experiments.
Compared to basic school, a larger number of
teachers state that this is a less demanding type of
teaching for them. Moreover, teaching with
computers for experiments is more satisfying for
teachers when they experience feelings of
satisfaction and joy. Nevertheless, these differences
are not statistically significant in any of these cases.
We compare the results with those concerning
the reasons why the secondary school teachers do
not employ computers for experimenting in their
teaching; see Figure 11 below.
0 1020304050
Necessarydevicesor…
Ihavenoideahow…
Idonothaveenough…
Idonothaveenough…
WhyshouldIdothat?…
Thispossible…
Whatisthereasonofyournon‐
employmentofcomputers?(%)
Figure 11: Reasons of non-use of computers for
experiments by secondary school teachers.
We can conclude from the comparison that the
results are statistically almost identical to the results
for basic school teachers, which were presented in
Figure 7. We find that teachers are limited by time to
prepare for teaching and even the time devoted to
teaching itself. Likewise, we often encounter the
response that the experimenting does not relate to
teaching the particular subject taught by the teacher.
Experiments in Education Supported by Computer Use: Teachers’ Attitudes towards Computers
253

7 CONCLUSIONS
Based on the realized research, it is possible to
confirm the statement that teachers employ
computers (or ICT) for experimenting their teaching
on a merely limited scale. It is not possible to state
that it is definitely a weakness; however, it is a
surprising fact that in the case of science-based
subjects, some teachers do not employ computers for
experimenting, despite the current technological
possibilities of computers.
The research of reasons to use computers for
experiments in teaching at both basic and secondary
schools unambiguously proves that the most
common motive for computer use is higher
motivations of pupils.
The majority of basic and secondary school
teachers who do not employ the computers for
experiments think that this possibility does not relate
to their subjects. In this case, we are sceptical. Yes,
there are subjects for which the extent of computer
use in connection to pupils’ experiments is lower,
but the responses in this category might be found
even among teachers of science-based branches,
which is definitely inaccurate.
The remarkable finding was that no statistically
significant differences between the teachers of
science-based subjects, information science and
mathematics, on the one hand, and social science
subjects’ teachers, on the other hand, were
discovered. A similar conclusion was reached when
comparing teachers of the first stage of basic school
(primary school teachers): there was also no
difference when comparing them to other groups of
teachers.
However, we should note the fact that there is no
rule that computers should be employed all the time.
Pupils should encounter this possibility during their
study as computers and modern technology (which
is based on computers) become more and more
integral to everyday life.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This article was created with financial support from
the project of Grant fund of the Dean of the Faculty
of Education, Palacký University Olomouc, 2017, in
the framework of the project "Postoje žáků a učitelů
k obsahu vzdělávání v předmětu informatika na ZŠ
a SŠ".
REFERENCES
Černá, B., 1995. Školní pokusnictví. Brno. 1
st
edition.
Cohen, L., Manion L., Morrison, K., 2007. Research
Methods in Education. London. 7
nd
edition.
Dziabenko, O., Orduna, P. Garcia-Zubia, J., 2013. Remote
Experiments in Secondary School Education. In 2013
43rd Annual Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE).
IEEE.
Mirgorodskij, B. J., 1973. Některé vývojové tendence
školního fyzikálního experimentu. Pokroky
matematiky, fyziky a astronomie. Vol. 18, No. 5, s. 291
- 295. Přeložil O. Lepil.
Newby, P. 2014. Research Methods for Education.
London, 2
nd
edition.
Podroužek, L., 2003. Přírodovědné experimenty a
pozorování jako prostředek rozvoje myšlení žáků
primární školy. Pedagogické rozhľady, vol. 12, issue
4, pp. 26 - 29.
Šimik, O., 2011. Žák v páté třídě jako řešitel
přírodovědného pokusu – analýza pracovních listů
žáků. In Smíšený design v pedagogickém výzkumu:
Sborník příspěvků z 19. výroční konference České
asociace pedagogického výzkumu. MU.
Song, D., Karimi, A., Kim, P., 2016. A Remotely
Operated Science Experiment framework for under-
resourced schools. Interactive Learning Environments.
Taylor & Francis.
CSEDU 2017 - 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
254