Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding the Benefits of using the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB): The Case of a Saudi Intermediate School

摘要

The aim of this study is to examine the views of teachers of intermediate school on the use of the Interactive White Board (IWB) as an instructional tool in the classrooms. A questionnaire was distributed to fifty teachers, and three teachers were interviewed at Prince Sultan Intermediate School in order to determine their views on the use of the IWB. Findings revealed that most teachers believe that IWB constitutes an effective and convenient way to deliver the learning content and that it increases the level of classroom interaction which in turn increases the learning experience. However, the result of study also revealed that the majority of teachers use the IWB as an overhead projector and for internet research but do not make use of the many other advantageous features of the IWB. Based on the fact that the teachers’ reluctance to utilize all of the available IWB features stems from their limited knowledge of all that IWB technology has to offer, it is recommended that teachers using the IWB in class undergo more training so that they can become fully aware of how to optimize its use. It is also suggested that the number of students in the classroom is reduced to allow for more interactive learning.