PERCEPTION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS REGARDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERACTIVE SMART-BOARD TECHNOLOGY

Like other countries, also in Pakistan, the interactive smart board technology is the innovation of 21 st century and is being used in several schools as an advanced teaching tool. The focus of study was examined the attitudes of teacher and students towards the ways using Smart-boards in teaching and learning environment. All the teachers of public schools in Punjab who using the Smart-board were the population of the study. Data were collected from 100 trained teachers of District Toba Tek Singh through questionnaire and analyzed in the form frequency, percentage, mean, mode, standard deviation t-test and Chi-square test through Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The results revealed from the study perceived that Interactive Smart-boards was found most effective tool in the teaching and learning process. The utilization of Interactive Smart-board perceived more helpful to present the contents in easier way, increase motivation level of students, reduce the workload, utilization of time more efficiently and make the classroom more planned and organized. The study recommend that to make effective smart-board technology need proper training program in all public schools.


INTRODUCTION
Textbooks are replacing by technologies, and through this, we can explore just about anything that we want. Among other technologies, interactive smart-board (ISB) technology is the innovation of the 21st century and is not new to the global village. This is the latest enhancement in educational technology as a tool of Information Communication Technology (ICT) (Ahmad, 2017). Like other countries in Pakistan, interactive smart board technology is being used in several schools as an advanced teaching tool. It is observed that students, specifically primary grade students prefer this technology because they believe that it makes learning more exciting and brings fun. With the help of already installed software, students consider challenging or boring subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics more interesting with practical lessons, through a video, using interactive smart boards (Mushtaq, 2016).
The usage of computer technology and various web resources through computers inspire the conversation between teachers and students without any distance (Bicknell, 1999). The utilization of ISB technology as an instruction in the class makes a rich learning environment in terms of the audio-visual smart classroom (Levy,2002) and enhances student's accomplishment (Thompson and Flecknoe (2003). Besides this, teachers face many challenges when using the interactive smart-board, such as training of teachers and school administrations, technical support's and students' factors (Al-Faki and Khamis, 2014). They have no previous experience in teaching with high technology, such as Interactive smart-board (ISBs) in the research district. Adding new technology such as ISB in the teaching profession, teachers need practical answers to overcome the challenge.
For this purpose, the present research study was carried out to know the teacher's perception regarding the Interactive Smart-board (ISB) Technology effectiveness. Besides this, the main focus of this study was to address the challenges faced by the teachers and their needs to integrate the Interactive Smart-board Technology more effectively.

METHODOLOGY
The design of this study was descriptive in nature and conducted in Toba Tek Singh District of Punjab Province. All the teachers of ISB installed public schools were the population of the study. Out of 176 teachers (16 male and 160 female), 100 teachers (16 male out of 16 and 84 females out of 160) were selected as purposive samples. For the design of a valid questionnaire, the researcher looked in detail at the information which was to be extracted from the data in the context of research questions as per guidelines suggested by (Anderson, 2005). After designing the questionnaire, the researcher carried out a pilot survey to check the reliability and validity of the research. The data was collected through e-mail and face to face by sharing the Self-developed questionnaire and analyzed in the form of frequency, percentage, weighted mean, mode, standard deviation, Chi-square, and independent t-test by using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The analyzed data is presented through tables, and the trends of responses are also shown through graphical representation. The results of this research were analyzed based on the responses received from the participants through a questionnaire followed by the research objectives.   Table 2 indicated that many of the respondents (i.e., 30%) use ISB occasionally with a weighted mean score of 3.33 ± 1.190 with mod 3. While 27% of respondents who were using ISB frequently followed by 2% very frequent users. 17% of the respondents never used the ISB for teaching purposes. The results revealed in Table 3 demonstrated that 55% of respondents with a weighted mean of 3.42 ± 1.13 agreed that there is no time or there is a shortage of time for hands-on practice of the contents to be taught.   Table 4 showed that 61% of respondents with a weighted mean of 3.55 ± 1.20 (S.D.) agreed that the short duration of the class is the main hurdle in the effective use of ISB, while only 22% disagreed with the statement.  The results of table 5 showed that more than half, 68% of respondents face the issue of computer proficiency skills and these skills are the main hurdle for the effective ISB. The P-value (.012 < 0.10) indicated that computer skills level has a statistically significant effect on the computer competency skills for the effective use of ISB.   Table 6 examined the challenges related to the effective use of ISB Technology in the classroom. The respondents were divided into two significant computer illiterate and computer literate categories through cut point was fixed as skills level>=2. Based on the tabulated value of the t-test (i.e., P =0.86<.10), conclude that the computer skills level of the respondents had a significant effect on the effective use of ISB Technology in the classrooms.  Table 7 demonstrated that most 72% agreed that the department does not provide sufficient training programs for the effective use of ISB Technology in the classroom.  The results in Table 9 exposed that the majority there were 60% respondents were considered as agreed with that the school administration does not provide pedagogical support regarding the better use of ISB Technology in the classroom activities.  The results revealed in Table 10 presents that 76% of the respondents were found agreed that for the effective and better use of ISB Technology, the teachers should be aware of the needs of the students and the learning ways of the respondents.   Table 12 indicated that a considerable number of respondents (83 %) agreed that the department should introduce the training programs and refresher courses. The P-value (.004 < 0.10) indicated that the computer skills level has a statistically significant effect on the response.   Table 13 revealed that 80% of respondents agreed that the ISB increases the motivation level of the students. The Pvalue (.042 < 0.10) indicated that computer skills level has a statistically significant effect on the response.  Table 14 showed that 79% of respondents with a weighted mean of 4.08 ± 0.97 agreed that the ISB increases the students' attention level. The P-value (.091 < 0.10) indicated that computer skills level has a statistically significant effect on the response.  The results presented in table 3, 4, and 5 that there are many issues faced by the teachers for effective use of ISB; the issues are enlisted as the short time duration of the class, shortage of time to practice the contents, lack of computer competency skills and zero experience to troubleshoot the ISB. The thesis findings of the study are supported by the research of Ibrahim and Abdelmoneim (2004), along with the conclusion that the teachers who use the interactive whiteboard are confronted with challenges. The department and the management of the schools should have a clear idea about the ISB pedagogy.
Table and figure 7 revealed that the effective use of ISB in the classroom is related to computer literacy and perception of the teachers regarding the effectiveness of the ISB Technology 29% strongly agreed, 43% of the respondents agreed, 14% of the respondents disagreed and 14% of the respondents were neutral. These results also support the outcomes of the study of Colgan (2014). It was perceived that the students who learn through ISB obtain high grades with more interesting learning consistent with the study of (Yang et al., 2012). It was further found that the use of ISB technology in the classroom makes an interactive environment; the results of the study were also in line with the study of Jones et al. (2011). It was observed that IWB allows the classroom to be fully integrated with the technology.
These results of the study support the finding of Betcher and Lee (2009). The teacher's approach towards the use of computers and ICT tools can be labeled as particular reactions that reflect whether they like these tools or not. These findings support the research study on perceptions of teachers by Tondeur et al. (2008). The training programs and pedagogical support are not sufficient for integrating the ISB Technology in the classroom. The stated findings of the study also support the study of Ibrahim and Abdelmoneim (2004) concluded that there is a great and immediate need for training programs and refresher courses and professional programs to raise the basic computer skills of the teachers for effective use of ISB.
Technology tools make education attractive and full of fun; they develop a positive attitude towards the subject area. These findings of the study support the study of Thompson and Flecknoe (2003). The use of ISB Technology in the classroom activities Increased the engagement, participation and attention of the students in the class. These findings of the study support the research study of (Winzenried et al., 2010). However, the present study results are also similar to other research studies (Somekh et al., 2008).

CONCLUSIONS
Based on the results and findings of the present research study and available literature, it was observed that ISBs was found the most effective tool in the teaching process. The use of ISB in the teaching process perceived as more helpful to present the contents in an easier way, reduce the workload, utilization of time more efficiently and make the classroom more planned and organized. Furthermore, the use of ISB in the learning process is perceived as more helpful to increase the motivation level, attention level, confidence level of the students. The teachers still face many challenges and hurdles regarding the effective use of ISB, including training factors and school factors.