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Views of secondary education teachers on the use of interactive whiteboards: (Master thesis)

Κεραμυδά, Δήμητρα/ Keramyda, Dimitra/ Στελέχη Εκπαίδευσης στις Επιστήμες της Αγωγής/ Educational Leadership, Management and Administration

This master's thesis investigates the views of Secondary Education teachers on the pedagogical use of Interactive Whiteboards in teaching practice. Although the installation of new interactive whiteboards was extensive in Greek schools during the period 2023–2024, their effective use remains a complex issue, as it is influenced by technical, pedagogical, and institutional factors. The aim of this study was to examine teachers’ views on the contribution of interactive whiteboards to the enhancement of teaching, to record the degree of their pedagogical use, as well as the obstacles arising during their use and the emerging training needs. Methodologically, the research followed a qualitative approach. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers working in Middle and High Schools in the regional units of Evros and Rodopi,m which were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The axes of analysis focused on pedagogical value, ways of use, practical obstacles, and training needs. The results of the interview analysis showed that teachers recognize the importance of multimodality and the visualization of abstract concepts, as they consider these elements to enhance students’ interest and participation. However, it was observed that the interactive whiteboard is often used as a digital substitute for the traditional board. The most significant obstacles to the use of the new equipment were identified as technical malfunctions, time constraints related to the completion of the curriculum, the need for specialized digital material for each subject area, and the lack of organized state-provided training. Overall, the findings of the study highlighted that technological innovation alone does not guarantee the transformation of teaching practices. For this transformation to occur, a new pedagogical approach and an organized framework for supporting teachers by official institutions are required, so that the interactive whiteboard can evolve from a simple projection tool into a dynamic instrument for the collaborative construction of knowledge.