Teachers’ Understandings and Practices of Using Smartboards as Digital Tools to Teach Grade 12 Life Sciences Genetics

Teaching genetics makes learners understand the inheritance of characteristics and genetic disorders in organisms, as well as the impact of genetic engineering in human daily lives. Traditional methods of teaching genetics are ineffective in improving learners’ understanding. The paper reports a study that investigated teachers’ utilisation of smartboards as digital tools to teach genetics concepts to learners. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framed the study to measure the teachers’ knowledge and skills in integrating technology into the teaching of genetics concepts. Through a qualitative research approach four grade 12 life sciences teachers were purposefully selected from high schools in the West Rand District in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Each teacher was observed teaching genetics concepts to examine how they use smartboards as digital tools to teach grade 12 learners. Each teacher was also interviewed using open-ended interview schedule to explore teachers’ understandings of the affordances of smart boards as digital tools to teach grade 12 genetics concepts to learners. Data was analysed thematically, and three themes emerged relating to Life Sciences teachers’ use of smartboards to make genetics concepts accessible to grade 12 learners; Teachers’ understanding of the affordances of smartboards as digital tools to teach genetics; and Teachers’ challenges in the use of smartboards. The study highlights the potential for smartboards to enhance learner understanding of abstract concepts and ultimately improving performance in assessments.