Teacher educators and the challenge to enhance the teaching in chemical sciences in with the merger of mobile devices

Abstract

Researches suggest that most teachers have not had the opportunity to qualify for the incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in classroom practice. Many researches state that in order to incorporate ICT within a pedagogical framework that will result in real change in the teaching-learning process is essential to rethink the undergraduate syllabus, identifying and transforming practices in the preparation of future teachers. This paper presents partial results of a qualitative research that was developed as part of a doctorate and aims to promote the ongoing professional development of teacher training providers in the field of chemical science and informatics, thus providing a pedagogical practice beyond physical and formal context of traditional classroom-based. This study was an exploratory research developed through cooperation and collaboration and was especially designed by two trainers who prepared a directed study to be used with mobile devices with the goal to enhance the teaching knowledge of chemistry with mobile devices for students in their initial training course in Chemistry at Federal University of Rondonia (UNIR). The research was carried out on voluntary basis and despite of expectations to employ this technology in the educational field, it was found that just few students had access to mobile devices with compatible platform used in this research. The research showed that learning with mobile devices increases interest, motivation and most importantly, the curiosity of the students to learn in a different way. However technological and economic reasons remains a major issue.