A case study: the effectiveness of social media and online resources in the teaching of junior science

The purpose of this research, in the form of a case study, is to attempt to utilize both social media and online materials in order to motivate student learning and reduce dependency on the teacher-led model of teaching and learning which is still prevalent in schools. The setting will be that of a second level rural school in North West Ireland and the context will be that of a junior cycle student cohort being taught sections of the current junior certificate science curriculum through social media and online methods in addition to the traditional teaching methods of ‘chalk and blackboard’. By comparing these two modes of course delivery, an insight will be gained into the effectiveness of incorporating social media and online methods into the classroom. Questionnaires were used first of all gain a brief insight into the online activities of teenage students, their parents and the school staff. The subsequent practical element of the study then involved splitting the junior cycle student into two groups, with one group being taught using traditional methods and the other group being guided to learn using social media and external sites containing the relevant course material. Using test results and student feedback, the findings were analyzed and discussed, leading to the conclusion that there is indeed a positive effect on student test performance with the modern online delivery of course content, incorporating social media, as opposed to the traditional mode of delivery. This has implications for the future development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in schools and the re-examination of traditional modes of teaching.