Technical Issues of Teachers in Deploying Arduino-Internet of Things (IoT) in Science Classrooms: Observations from Post-Implementation Interviews
Asnidar Siahaan (a), Seok-Hyun Ga (b,c), Chun-Yen Chang (a, c, d, e, f)*

(a) Graduate Institute of Science Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

(b) The Center for Educational Research, Seoul National University, Korea

(c) Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

(d) Department of Earth Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

(e) Graduate School of Education, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan

(f) Department of Biology, Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia

* Corresponding author

Abstract

The subject of interest for this study is the technical difficulties of high school teachers in integrating Arduino-based Internet of Things (IoT) activities into science lessons. Three Indonesian high school teachers (two biology and one IT) took part in semi-structured interviews after a collaborative project of using Arduino Uno together with carbon dioxide and temperature sensors in environmental science theme lessons. Thematic analysis of the interview data demonstrated six overarching categories of challenge: (1) hardware problems, e.g., malfunctioning sensors, exhausted SIM card allowances, and shoddy internet connections- (2) software problems, e.g., syntax coding errors and coding constraints among teachers- (3) limitations of time and resources, e.g., short lesson time and small numbers of devices- (4) factors related to students, e.g., inconsistent technological competences and mixed attitudes to coding (5) issues in pedagogical incorporation, e.g., insufficient sensor diversity and requirement for curriculum-suited teaching modules- and (6) coping mechanisms, e.g., reliance on IT colleagues, reference to paper manuals, and utilization of standby devices. Results point to the synergy among technical readiness, pedagogical consistency, and cooperative instruction in enabling effective IoT integration. Implications for instructor training are focused on specialized training on troubleshooting, increasing the range of science subjects benefiting from sensor utilization, and creation of hands-on integration manuals to enable sustainability and scalability of IoT-driven science learning.

Keywords: Arduino, Internet of Things (IoT), technical challenges, science education

Topic: Science Education