E-Learning in Primary Science Education: Teachers’ Pedagogical Beliefs and Use of Digital Technologies

This study aimed to understand elementary school teachers’ beliefs about science teaching and e-learning and to identify changes in their beliefs and practices while using an e-textbook designed for science learning. Two experienced science teachers from the same elementary school participated in this study and taught two science topics: Simple Machines and Living Things & Habitats, using the e-textbook. Lesson observations and pre- and post-lesson interviews with the teachers were used to collect multiple data of the teachers’ beliefs and practices. Results revealed that the teachers with opposing pedagogical beliefs differed in their pedagogical use of the e-learning resources. The teacher who perceived science teaching from a more constructivist perspective tended to use varied teaching methods, giving more opportunities for students to experience independent e-learning activities, while the teacher who considered the process of science teaching with more traditional beliefs made dominant use of lectures and was resistant to technology use. Moreover, the results indicated that the teachers with different pedagogical beliefs might have had different teaching experiences with e-learning resources, and subsequently developed different beliefs and attitudes toward e-learning, which in turn affected their teaching practices. The implications of this study for teacher professional development and e-learning implementation in primary schools are discussed.