I am interested in the teaching modality for high school physics with minimal or no ICT capability. How physics concepts are brought to the learner and what challenges were commonl;y met.
Here, teaching Physics is challenging because our high school students find it hard to relate to concepts in Physics. ICT helps to connect the concepts to the minds of students with appropriate examples. But without ICT, it requires all the abilities of the teacher to describe and explain so that students can grasp the concepts. (We even have students who say that Physics is boring, just because they aren't able to understand it. Actually Physics is interesting.)
First there is shortage of Physics teachers who are ICT conversant.
https://www.qao.qld.gov.au/files/file/Reports%20and%20publications/Reports%20to%20Parliament%202013-14/RtP2Supplyofspecialistsubjectteachersinsecondaryschools.pdf
the first challenge is the shortage of time, the second the lack of ICT competency in teachers, the second is the lack of adequate ICT facilities, the fourth is the discipline problem while setting the ICT devices, the fifth is the content laden curriculum which does not allow for activities to be performed and to focus on covering the syllabus.
Physics is not a boring subject, but a very interesting subject as it is directly related to matter and its common properties. It is based on observations and calculations. Newton propounded law of gravity after an observation of falling apple and calculating the distance of earth and moon deriving natural force of gravitation are applicable for the both with same formula of balance of centripetal and centrifugal forces.
If students are made efficient to read the observations and to make sound calculations, physics turns into a magic subject and it becomes very interesting.
Students should be made efficient in calculus, trigonometry and algebra for better understanding of the subject. as mathematics is the language of science, but it best fits to physics.
I agree Prabhat, and i may also add that it will become more meaningful and engaging to them if ICT is present where simulations and modeling can be shown. In affluent countries, ICT is simply a common fixture in classrooms, but for less affluent countries, ICT is very much a luxury. Right now, overwhelming results point to ICT as a very effective modality in elucidating science concept especially in the micro level.
Hence, I am trying to pool together the experienced challenges of physics educators who are left no choice but to teach physics by chalk and talk and has no resources to even show PHET simulation.
ICT is good for physics learning; however, physics teacher should not depend too much on it. Without ICT, physics teacher needs to make his or teaching very interactive through good pedagogies. I suggest Peer Instruction (PI) and Dialogical Argumentative instruction in physics class. Most schools in Africa have no ICT, yet students of outstanding performance in physics are produced in these schools.
Physics is the center of everything we see and do. ICT complements the manner which the subject is taught, but the passion for calculation and measurement, should drive the students to do physics in school.
ICT is just another teaching tool for any subject. As has been said Physics is inherant in the world around us so teaching physics is as simple as accessing relevant examples in the world. I get my physics students to be more physical by building appropriate models eg water pressure rockets to test concepts of motion, pressure, fluid dynamics etc. I built a simple wind tunnel to test their ideas. There are only some physics concepts at a high school level that are limited by access to ICT. There are however a number of skills that are more limited such as research in a net enabled information age.
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