Difficulties in science classes using digital media

The purpose of this study is to identify the difficulties experienced by pre-science teachers when conducting classes using digital media while acting as instructors who apply classes using digital media and as learners. Eighteen pre-science teachers from a college of education in the central region participated in this study. The results are as follows: First, pre-science teachers chose digital media for conducting scientific inquiry activities because they thought that the properties of digital media could arouse students’ interest and curiosity. In addition, digital media was selected based on the fact that the achievement standards and explanations of the 2022 revised curriculum emphasize digital literacy. Second, the difficulties in preparing classes using digital media are that there are few programs that are suitable for the achievement standards of the curriculum and can be utilized. In addition, paid operation of useful digital media was presented as a problem. This is thought to raise issues about educational costs when conducting classes using digital media in the field. Next, low proficiency in digital media was also found to be a difficulties in preparing classes. Third, difficulties in conducting classes were presented as students’ indiscriminate use of digital media unrelated to class, controlling students’ behavior, difficulties in achieving class goals within a limited time, and dealing with unexpected situations that occur during the process of using digital media. Fourth, when looking at pre-science teachers’ thoughts on traditional classes and classes utilizing digital media, they thought that traditional analog classes have advantages in terms of content delivery, and classes utilizing digital media have many elements that can stimulate interest. Therefore, rather than having to choose one of these, they suggested that it is necessary to select or selectively use a teaching method that can take advantage of both.