Internet of Things in Education: Teachers’ Perspectives, Practices and Challenges

The current study aims to detect the level of challenges facing teachers in applying the Internet of Things (IoT) in the educational process. It also investigates the teachers' perceptions regarding the importance of using IoT in the educational process. This study adopts a quantitative approach to analyze the use of IoT amongst Saudi secondary school teachers. The study recruited (142) teachers in schools in the Riyadh region. A questionnaire with (26) Likert Scale items was distributed electronically to the participants. Results indicated that Saudi teachers still face high challenges in applying IoT in teaching and learning, they also report a high importance of using IoT. Results also showed that specialization, year of service, and the training technical programs played a significant role in the perceptions of Saudi teachers. Specifically, computer science teachers have less challenge in applying IoT when compared to teachers from other specializations. Furthermore, the study showed that teachers with less experience had higher means, indicating their enthusiasm for utilizing modern technological tools in education. Finally, the study showed that teachers who had completed more technical training programs had less difficulty in applying IoT. The study recommends integrating IoT technologies into the educational system. It also proposes conducting research to standardize IoT applications for different teaching materials and all levels of schooling.