The interactive whiteboard in an Irish primary school, a catalyst for pedagogic change? A case study

Education like most other areas has been influenced by the rapidly changing environment in which we live in today. The revised primary school curriculum has encouraged teachers to examine different approaches such as ICT in order to enhance teaching in the classroom. The introduction of the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) has attempted to develop these newer pedagogical approaches within the classroom. From reviewing the current literature, there has been an indication that the role of the IWB in the classroom has the potential to transform both teaching and learning. However, there is the belief that there are a number of challenges which may influence its benefits within the classroom context. The research was primarily of a qualitative and quantitative nature. The study used to a great extent interviews, observation and documentary evidence. The research findings indicated that the interactive whiteboard was being integrated within the existing pedagogies of the teachers in the case study. It was also found that the teachers exhibited a teaching style that was initially didactic but progressed towards the development of an interactive approach within the lessons observed. An important note in the findings was that although the IWBs had not altogether transformed the pedagogies of the teachers, it was observed that a number of challenges may have prevented the pedagogies from being developed extensively. The findings of the case study suggested that there is a need for a more holistic approach to pedagogic training. As technology is constantly re-shaping itself at a fast rate, there is a need for educators to examine the role of policies in developing professional development opportunities. This development must in turn allow teachers time and opportunity to experiment with the IWBs, in order for a more transformative pedagogic change to occur within the classroom.