ICT in biology education: teachers’ readiness and implementation challenges in the context of Bangladesh

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is commonly employed in biology classes to facilitate students' comprehensive comprehension of biological processes and enable them to see living phenomena. The purpose of the study was to explore the use of ICT in enhancing the teaching and learning process of biology in the secondary schools of Bangladesh. In our study, sequential explanatory mixed method design has been followed. Data was collected from purposively selected ten secondary schools of Dhaka city. The study reveals that teachers have a positive attitude towards incorporating ICT in biology lessons and possess operational understanding of data processing tools and online browsing. Nevertheless, it also emphasizes the fact that teachers are devoid of personal computers in their houses and have restricted availability to school computers. Furthermore, the existing curriculum and teachers' guides lack adequate instructions for integrating ICT into biology lectures. The study also suggests that the process of developing ICT-based curriculum is complicated, which deters teachers from incorporating ICT into their classes. Furthermore, there is a limited availability of educational materials related to ICT in the Bangla language. This study recommends continuous in-servicing training on ICT to teachers, interest free loan to teachers for purchasing laptops, developing interactive biology educational ICT contents in Bangla and include specific instructions in the curriculum and teachers’ guide on how to use ICT in biology classes. These findings have important implications for policy makers, educators, and researchers who are dedicated to expanding the use of ICT in education.