Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE TEACHING:
THE PROS AND CONS
A Requirement Presented for the
Subject Course Strategies and Techniques in Science Teaching
(MST – SCIED 212)
JEAN ROSE R. PAYNANDOS
December 2020
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
INTRODUCTION
The use of computer technology in education gives numerous opportunities for
both students and teachers since they can offer a great deal of contents, interactions,
flexibilities and reinforcements. To enhance the academic performance of students,
there is a need to turn from conventional teaching methods to modern teaching
methods (Hussain & Suleman, 2017). Whitfield (2019) believed that integrating
technology into the curricula of high school students can serve as an effective and
influential instrument for providing educational opportunities to the learners as well as
keeping them engaged. There are multiple ways that the students may access
technology such as texting, searching the web, and social networking; therefore, the
integration of technology could be utilized as an educational resource. Besides,
technology is transforming how individuals gain knowledge, communicate, and pursue
leisure activities, and complete their jobs in this precipitously changing, information-rich
society today (DuPuis, Rainwater, & Stahl, 2016). It is not possible to avoid from the
impacts of technology and technological tools on the way of teaching and learning
(Hooshang Khoshsima, 2017). Schools are expected to ensure that all students
understand how to use technologies as a tool to engage in creative, productive, lifelong
learning (Herold, 2016). The impacts of the integration of technology and technological
tools are evident on many universities and schools as their way of teaching and also the
learners’ way of learning are changing.
In the 21st century, one of the abilities and skills demanded in today’s learners is
to be technology literate as to cope up with the ever changing trend in education.
Integrating technology into the curricula of high school students can imprint a lasting
positive effect on a student's learning experience. Many see technology as a potentially
powerful resource that is reshaping society and has the potential to do the same in the
science classrooms (Campbell et al., 2015). Technology has the potential to renovate
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SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
the ways of instruction, where and how learning occurs and the roles of students and
educators in the instructional process (Hussain & Suleman., 2017). Administering of
instructions, recording data, information search, and searching for a reference material,
demonstrations, and experiments were made easy via technological tools. Using
technology can also promote problem-solving, decision-making, and communication as
students work together and share ideas (Bullock, 2019). The escalations of technology
enhanced classes have become increasingly tech-savvy, classrooms across the nation
have become wired and textbook publishers now offer a wide variety of computerized
supplements. Stack (2015) also found that students in online courses performed just as
well as traditional education students when the opportunity to cheat was removed.
Although technology has the potential to positively impact student learning, there
are barriers that may limit technology from being accessible to teachers and students.
Likewise, inappropriate use of technology can lead to greater disadvantage. The focus
of integrating technology into the classroom should be on how to transform the technical
affordances of the tools to educational affordances and design powerful learning
environments, which can help learners to analyze, express, organize, and evaluate their
thoughts in clear and precise ways while solving authentic real-life problems (Valanides,
2018).
Objectives of the Study
The study will generally seek to address the following concerns:

To determine the pros and cons of integrating technology in science teaching.

To derive conclusions about the use of computer technology in education.
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
The integration of technology has become a foundational component in many
areas of our daily lives, specifically in the field of education. Within the confines of the
classroom and learning environment, technology can be both beneficial and problematic
for students and teachers.
In 2019, Whitfield conducted a qualitative intrinsic case which explored the
perspectives of secondary science teachers and adult secondary science students on
technology integration in a science curriculum in a high school program at a community
college in North Carolina (NC). The researcher sought to answer the following research
questions: How do secondary science teachers practice technology in a science
curriculum in a high school program at a community college in North Carolina? How do
adult secondary science students in a high school program at a community college in
North Carolina experience technology in their science curriculum? Data were gathered
utilizing three sources: individual face-to-face interviews, a student focus group, and a
teacher focus group. Data were collected to determine how teachers and students have
practiced and experienced the use of technology. This study of 14 adult secondary
science students and six secondary science students revealed four themes and five
subcategories that resonated throughout the data analysis. The significance of this
study is that it provided insight into how the students and the teachers perceived
technology use in the science classroom. The results indicated that the participants’
experiences and practice with technology were overall positive and beneficial to them.
The participants indicated a few hindrances with technology that they have experienced.
Technology has made an impact on their learning and teaching methods.
Likewise, throughout the process of gathering the data for the study, each
constituent provided a greater magnitude of knowledge to the experience and practices
of implementing technology in the science curricula for students as well as for teachers.
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
The responses from the students and the teachers helped the researcher understand
how the implementation of technology in the science curricula is perceived by the
students and the teachers. Attributes such as the researcher’s passion for the content,
interest in discovering ways that technology can be used to enhance student’s learning,
and to find a way to make a connection between technology and classroom strategies
helped to build the study. The findings in this study indicated that the participants found
technology to be an advancement in education.
Another recent study was conducted by Poluakan et al. (2020) where it
investigated the influence of the Science Technology Society (STS) learning model
which is assisted by social media Facebook (FB) in science learning. This research was
conducted in a group of junior high school students in Tondano, North Sulawesi,
Indonesia. The research method is a Quasi-Experiment Posttest-Only Control Group
Design. The experimental group was treated with the STS learning model assisted by
FB, and the control group with lectures, discussions, question, and answer. The number
of samples in the experimental group consisted of 25 students and the number of
samples in the control group was 25 students. The results of the statistical analysis
concluded that there was an influence of the STS learning model with the help of
Facebook social media on improving student learning outcomes in science learning in
junior high school students. The research data showed that the average post-test score
of student learning outcomes in the experimental group was 88.5 higher than in the
control group score was only 68.9.
One of the social media platforms that have been used as the object of the
research is Facebook. Students favored the instant Facebook communications with
their instructor and engagement in discussions; almost half of the students had positive
thoughts about the usefulness of Facebook in education. Research using Facebook in
the learning process has been carried out by several researchers. The use of Facebook
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SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
has a great impact on the motivation of students to turn, effective learning and the
climate in the classroom. Facebook can be used as a media platform for assistance in
the process of learning science, and to increase the use of e-learning and blended
learning. The implication of the research results is that The use of social media
platforms like Facebook was very helpful in the process of learning science. Facebook
as smart social networking has a positive effect on students as learners. Students are
increasingly motivated to learn, increasingly eager to pursue the field of science,
especially related to everyday life. Because of that indirectly it has applied the principles
of scientific literacy.
The study of Whitfield and Poluakan revealed that the integration of technology
in science teaching was relevant and important as a tool for learning as they have found
that technologies are helpful not only to the students but also to the teachers. Since in
the field of science, experiments are needed, thus experiments can get done with
technology as well as more helpful learning tips can be researched as there are more
ways to get informed in order for the students to learn more. It was also mentioned in
the study of Whitfield that students liked the idea of integrating technology in delivering
instruction specifically in the field of science. It is for the reason that engaging in
research on whether technology can help to improve achievement levels in science for
high school students, studies were found that supported the idea of technology being
utilized as a resource that can aid in increasing achievement levels of students.
Demand is increasing for students to be competent in their ability to access, interpret,
compare and contrast, synthesize, and communicate ideas electronically using laptops
and additional technologies (Robinson, 2016). Furthermore, Coyne et al. (2017)
believed that teachers should increase their use of technology in the classroom to
prepare our K–12 students referred to as ―digital natives,‖ for the 21st century.
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Pros and Cons of Technology Integration in Education
This table sought to present the pros and cons of technology integration in
education as well as provide solution to the potential challenges.
Pros of Technology Integration

Pro:
Using
Technology
Cons of Technology Integration
Can

Con: Use of Technology Can
Distract Students
Excite Students
As such, students tend to associate
laptops, tablets and other similar devices
with fun and excitement. Consequently,
technology in the classroom not only helps
to harness attention and excitement while
in the classroom, but refreshes traditional
Computers can provide students with
access
to
inappropriate
content
or
information if the proper security measures
are not put in place. Website blockers,
internet filters and close supervision can
help to prevent students from being
exposed to such, and lessons in a proper
learning experiences.
use of the internet can instill good web

Pro: Prepares Students for the
Future
judgement
and
habits.
Thus,
strict
monitoring and guidance of parents and
Our world is only becoming more reliant on teachers is a must.
technology,
and
having
a
good
understanding of common technological

Con: Removes Students from
Opportunities for Socialization
devices and their uses is critical to prepare
children for success in primary and
secondary
education.
In
this
sense,
exposure to technology in early education
is a great way to begin building a
foundation for success.
Studies
have
suggested
individuals
throughout
becoming
disconnected
that
more
society
and
are
isolated
because of the links that technology
provides
through
social
networks.
Students who spend more time engaging
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
with devices may not spend as much time
interacting with their peers—which can
affect those student’s social and emotional
growth.
In
mitigating
this
risk,
it
is
important to temper ―technology time‖ as
to allow students to interact socially with
family and friends.


Pro:
Technology
Con:
Technology
Can
Encourages
Discourage Creativity
Spontaneous Learning
Many technology-based activities are ―preHaving access to technology can help
made,‖ allowing students to complete
students learn to investigate topics they
activities without having to problem solve
find interesting. For older generations,
in
creative
and
imaginative
ways.
information was not as readily available
However, there are equally as many
and required that students have access to
activities
traditional
resources.
When
that
promote
creative
used
development and problem-solving skills,
appropriately and monitored, technology
while serving as a fun solo or group
can supplement learning in or outside the
activity. Choosing the latter, and providing
classroom by providing the outlet for
a wide array of other learning tools, like
student to research the topics—a lesson
manipulatives,
simulations
or
virtual
about experiments, for example, could be
experiments and demonstrations, which
supplemented by a YouTube video, or a
will
ensure
that
your
students
are
virtual demonstration of the specified
benefitting from their technology time in a
experiment.
safe and constructive way.
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
CONCLUSIONS
This section presents the conclusions from the related studies on this paper. This
research study generally seek to address the following objectives: determine the pros
and cons of integrating technology in science teaching; and to derive conclusions about
the use of computer technology in education.
Successful technology integration is the key to prepare students to be technology
savvy, retain information, and to make learning interesting for them in content areas
such as science.
1. Technology is used as the catalyst to help students achieve higher levels since
we are in the phase of technological advancement. Although integrating
technology in the science classroom may help support many teaching goals,
some teachers have different perspectives when it pertains to integrating
technology into the classroom. One of the factors of the successful integration of
technology in education specifically in the field of science is that the teacher must
be confident in using technology. In addition, technology integration is effective
when the technology supports curricular goals. Moreover, the use of technology
in science teaching provides better support to diverse needs and capacities of
students, providing the potential for deeper processing and understanding of
information. There might some limitations and disadvantages in integrating
technology in education such as network connectivity, distractions, and etc., thus
teacher should have an alternative way and must be prepared for the potential
challenges to be encountered.
2. Technology should be integrated into curricula to create technology enriched
learning environments that will enable students to take control of their own
learning. The integration of technology in education does not only benefit the
students but also the teachers way of instruction and instructional processes will
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
be improved. Without this integration, the student of the future will be left without
a bridge to the facilitator of learning. Technology can have the potential to
accelerate progress while promoting learning skills that will not only benefit them
today but in the future.
Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
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SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
Main Campus, Tandag City
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