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ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to explore the implementation of internet integration amongst
History teachers in three schools in the province of Putrajaya which has comprehensive
facilities of ICT. It was a qualitative study which had Grounded Theory as its approach in the
process of collecting and analyzing data. The research had been completed within seven
months. Data were gathered through interviews, non-participant observations, and documents
analysis from six History subject teachers. The collected data were analyzed using the Nvivo
version 2.0. The researcher had carried out a continuous comparative method during the data
analysis. The study shows that the implementation of internet integration approach in the
classroom and computer lab contexts amongst the teachers were low. History teachers also
had little exposure in pedagogical knowledge and skills towards integrating internet in their
teaching process. Moreover, students abilities, time constraint in completing lesson syllabus,
teachers workload and technical problem of ICT facilities had been identified as elements
that influenced the rate of integrating internet in teaching History. Internet was used only as a
research tool in the teaching and learning process of History subject. The strategy used by
these teachers was to integrate internet in lessons based on online inquiry method and refer
to printed website materials given to groups and individual. The History teachers were able to
integrate internet in their teaching process at the satisfactory level. They can improve their
competencies in integrating internet by continuously using it in their teaching.
Keywords: internet integration, teaching method, teaching history subject, ICT pedagogical
knowledge
INTRODUCTION
A strenuous effort of a Malaysian Ministry of Education equipped all schools with ICT
infrastructure is to encourage the technology integration in teaching and learning. The internet
integration across the curriculum of history subject will promote the teaching and learning
more interesting, enjoyable and effective (KPM 2006). Apart of that, Thompson and Cole
(2003) suggested secondary school teachers to integrate ICT in teaching and learning to
boost the quality of historical thought. This approach will be able to stimulate and construct
students thinking skills based on diversity information source beyond the classroom bounds.
It also exposed the students to undergo the process of finding further historical facts and
improving their inquiry and analytical skills. The students will also have a chance to think
critically, investigating, doing a research and evaluating historical information directly online
without border demarcation, distance and time (Doppen 2003).
Currently, history is a core subject in secondary school curriculum in Malaysia. However,
history subject teachers are often sighed that this subject is unable to capture students
interest and seriousness in studying history. The difficulties to attract students interest
towards history subject are closely related to the quality of teaching and learning method
implemented in the classroom (Annamalai 2003; Khoo 2003). Teaching and learning of
history is claimed as boring and ineffective because the teachers centred, less varieties of
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activities, examination oriented and less of using teaching aids used. Normally, students are
asked to memorize the facts, dates, and the past events that have been thought (KPM 2003).
In fact, inquiry activity is seldom being carried out in teaching and learning history because
the teachers are worried to finish the syllabus in time. They also have to make sure that the
students are well versed with the format of the examination as stated by the Ministry of
Education (Mohd Rozi 2006).
Furthermore, most of the history teachers are not efficient to use ICT in teaching and learning
process. Teachers also claimed that they cannot integrate the internet in their teaching
because of the incomplete ICT infrastructure in schools (Yusri 2004). To ensure that all
students are able to acquire the digital skills in smart school project, most of the school built in
Putrajaya are equipped with level A and B+ ICT facilities such as computers and internet
(KPM 2006). There is no study conducted related to integrating internet in teaching and
learning history in the smart schools operated in Putrajaya. According to the statement made
by the Minister of Education, the implementation of integrating ICT in smart schools is low.
The teachers dont want to make changes in the way of teaching and found that using ICT in
their teaching is a burden (Hishamuddin 2007). Therefore, this study had been carried out to
know the status of internet integration by the history subject teachers in smart school. This
research is focusing on how the internet integration has been implemented among the history
teachers?
LITERATURE
The integration of ICT in the teaching and learning has been widely practiced among western
history teachers since early 1990 (Martin 1992; Hillis 1998; Smart 1998; Shiroma 2000).
Martin (1992) discovered 72% of history subject teachers from 56 schools in Dorset district
had used ICT in their teaching and learning process. For example, Smart (1998) has
integrated a combination of map digital software in teaching and learning history for schools in
London. As a result, the students were able to increase historical knowledge and skills
through the software. Thompson and Cole (2003) has carried out continuous observations
towards form six students in Saffron Walden and County High School, Essex and found the
massage debate column on the historical issue had enhanced the quality of arguing and
written communication skills during the online and classroom discussions to produce written
historical essay or assignment. In addition, message column also provide the students
opportunity and promote them to have a discussion with their colleagues or history expertise
to increase the quality of historical thought.
While Sandwell (2005) discovered the website based on archive documents, The Great
Unsolved Mysteries (www.canadianmysteries.ca) which was developed in 1995, has great
response from the history teachers to get teaching aids and up-to-date teaching methods.
This website consists of four levels of lesson which gives opportunity to teachers according to
the students abilities. The websites questionnaire study found that it has been used
intensively by more than100 high school classrooms in Canada and United State of America.
In fact, this website won the North American best education website (NAWEB) in 2002 and
MERLOTs award which containing best online history resources (www.merlot.org).
Fortunately, it has proven that Canadian and United States of American history subject
teachers were actively integrating internet in conducting history lessons based upon
constructivism classroom.
The revolution of new method in teaching history with applying primary resources in inquiry
activities in western countries have triggered preparation of primary documents on the
website such as Web quest, Think quest, Digital History, School History, etc. (Shiroma 2000;
Levesque 2006). Recently, historical scholars in Canada have innovated digital history
programme on the website. The Virtual Historian website consists of primary documents and
problem solving activities to promote students doing history. Levesque (2006) stated the
cooperation of historical academician, history teachers, history expertise, those who involve in
archive and museum work had developed The Virtual History project. The digital history
programme has increased internet integration among history subject educators. However,
there is no an experimental study carried out to assess the impact of the digital history
programme in Canada yet. Instead, there is no cooperation and collaboration in developing a
website consisting of Malaysian history resources.
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DISCUSSION
The critically low rate internet integration implementation among history teachers in first class
ICT facilities showed that the ICT acculturation was not yet exist in Malaysian Smart Schools.
It proved the study had been done before (Vasantha 2000; Rosnah 2003; Yusri 2004) that
90% history teachers did not use ICT in their teaching. However it was contrasting Yusris
(2004) finding that uncompleted ICT facilities was the reason for the teachers did not integrate
the internet in their teaching. Instead, it proved the Educations Minister, Hishamuddin (2007)
words that the teachers did not want to shift the paradigm and a burden to them.
Internet integration teaching implementation among the history teachers were influenced by
ICT competencies and pedagogical knowledge, students abilities, time constraint, teachers
workload minimizes the teachers to plan quality internet integration teaching. The ICT
technical constraint in schools is also effected the implementation. The effects of these five
elements meet the internet integration to inquiry method is low. It shows that internet
integration culture among the Malaysian history teachers is left behind compare to the
teachers in Canada and United State of America in Sandwell (2005) research.
The pattern of using ICT based on the matrixs tables built by North Central Regional
Education Laboratory researcher (NCREL 1994) in teaching history in the three schools of
Putrajaya falls in D quadrant. This shows that the used of technology is at the low level
though the ICT facilities provided are considered as first class or A grade facilities. It also
means that the history teachers do not used the technology facilities provided in schools
optimally. The schools management and the history teachers must take serious action to
solve the problems. The mission and vision in implementing ICT in schools should be
updated.
The teacher used only one of the internet integration methods based on Means (1994) model
though Leu and Leu (1999), Baron and Ivers (2000) and Roblyer (2004) have presented three
methods in internet integration such as research tool, communication tool and publishing tool.
The history teachers do not apply the function of the internet as communication tool and
publishing tool in their learning.
Internet integration method in groups is implemented through A and B model. Inquiry method
in groups are effective and accommodate the constructive learning approach which the
students built their own knowledge and inculcate socialization skills among students as stated
by Daccord (2003) or Naik and Teelock (2006). Furthermore, sharing computer while surfing
internet in groups is able to boost the cooperative spirits as stated in McConnel (2006)
research. The history teachers are found to be comfortable in using B models in their teaching
because of the enough time provided for all the activities and subject scope for one topic is
widely covered. Both models for internet integration teaching method applied by the history
teachers are based on teaching samples given by Curriculum Development Centre (PPK
2002) which is also based on Means model (1994). The C model for internet integration
method is effective but the history teachers are not given the opportunities to fully use the
computer laboratory.
CONCLUSION
A first class ICT infrastructure in the three schools in Putrajaya was not yet being fully
benefited by the history subject teachers. The internet integration implementation was
critically low although in a very conducive classroom with ICT facilities. Two history teachers
with medium ICT pedagogical knowledge were able to implement the internet integration
teaching quite effective. While, another four history teachers with less ICT pedagogical
knowledge did not able to operate internet integration method in their teaching effectively.
Therefore, the history teachers really need continuous training and guidance towards ICT
pedagogical aspect so that they will be able to implement it intensively in their teaching. They
can improve their competencies in integrating internet by continuously using it in their
teaching.
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Appendix
Table 1: Type of Rooms and Number of ICT Facilities in Schools
Room
Type
A School
ICT Facilities
Num.
B School
ICT Facilities
Num.
C School
ICT Facilities
Num
Computer
Laboratory
(4)
36 computer sets
1 printer
1 TV 29
144
4
4
36 computer sets
1 printer
1 TV 29
144
4
4
36 computer sets
1 printer
1 TV 29
144
4
4
Multimedia
Laboratory
(1)
20 computer sets
1 printer
1 TV 29
20
1
1
20 computer sets
1 printer
1 TV 29
20
1
1
20 computer sets
1 printer
1 TV 29
20
1
1
Self
Access
Room (6)
2 computer sets
1 printer
12
6
1 computer sets
1 printer
6
6
2 computer sets
1 printer
12
6
Classroom
(36)
7 computer sets
1 TV 29
252
36
7 computer sets
1 TV 29
252
36
7 computer sets
1 TV 29
252
36
Science
Laboratory
(7)
7 computer sets
1 TV 29
49
7
7 computer sets
1 TV 29
49
7
7 computer sets
1 TV 29
49
7
Staff
Room
30 computer sets
3 printer
1 scanner
30
3
1
33 computer sets
2 printer
33
2
30 computer sets
2 printer
30
2
Office
7 computer sets
2 printer
7
2
9 computer sets
2 printer
9
2
8 computer sets
2 printer
8
2
Resource
Centre
4 computer sets
2 computer sets
2 computer sets
Other
rooms
17computer set
17
12 computer sets
12
14 computer sets
14
535
527
531