Addressing Science Teacher's Initial Perceptions of the Classroom Uses of Internet and World Wide Web-Based Resource Materials

Abstract

Teachers are often subject to considerable pressure to utilize the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) in their classrooms. Research suggests, however, that many teachers may not be prepared to make meaningful educational use of the resources available on the Web. This study examines the initial perceptions of educational value of science resource materials available on the WWW, as gathered from a group of science teachers participating in the West Virginia K-12 RuralNet project summer workshop training. The results suggest that while most teachers feel that the WWW does provide a large number of “good” science resources for educators, few teachers are prepared to make use of these materials in their own classrooms. Possible solutions to this problem include long term training in both technical and curriculum integration, classroom practice during training, and the support of an on-line community of peers.