The social, cultural and affective factors that support good practices with new technologies

In this chapter four primary teachers have explored and reflected on their use of technology in their primary classrooms. Their stories indicate the clarity of their pedagogical views and the purposes they have for their young science learners. This study was funded by the University of Melbourne and the University of Nottingham and was conducted with primary teachers in the Midlands of England and the Australian state of Victoria. Twelve primary teachers were invited to participate. Six from each country participated in the study which sought to understand how teachers utilised the potential of the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) in their teaching of science. The study sought to understand what choices teacher see that they have when they use information and communications technology (ICT). The IWB is one of the ICT tools that can be useful for helping to create conversational spaces that could contribute to students thinking about scientific ideas, in particular ways, in their primary classrooms. The IWB potentially creates a social and dialogical learning space that can enhance science learning. This chapter reports on how four of the 12 teachers created learning opportunities that were made up of social, dialogical and visual learning opportunities, revealing what primary educators value and perceive an IWB, as a digital device, can provide their learners of science. This chapter considers how UK and Australian teacher's perceive their pedagogies when planning to use an IWB, for the development of scientific reasoning and ideas with their students.