Barriers to Implementing e-Argumentation Software in Science Education: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Experiences in Türkiye

Abstract This study aims to qualitatively explore the barriers encountered by science teachers in Türkiye during the process of integrating a specifically developed e-Argumentation software into their lessons. The challenges were analyzed using Ertmer’s (1999) model of primary (external) and secondary (internal) barriers, alongside Tsai and Chai’s (2012) framework of third-order barriers, within a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 science teachers and analyzed via thematic content analysis. Findings revealed significant primary barriers, including insufficient technological infrastructure, software usability issues, and curriculum constraints, alongside secondary barriers such as adherence to traditional pedagogies and technology-related anxieties. Crucially, the study also identified third-order barriers, specifically a deficiency in teachers’ pedagogical design capacity to orchestrate complex, technology-supported inquiry. Beyond cataloging these obstacles, this study’s primary contribution is to illuminate the synergistic relationship between them. It argues that secondary barriers and third-order design deficiencies often emerge as rational responses to an ecosystem defined by systemic primary barriers. The findings therefore suggest that successful technology integration is less about providing tools and more about cultivating a supportive educational ecosystem that addresses systemic inequities and empowers teachers as key agents of educational change.