Scientia Paedagogica Experimentalis, XLIII, 2, 2006, 313-318

THE USE OF MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM

Anita Cindrić & Nevenka Tatković

1 Introduction
We are surrounded by media in our everyday life. Media are devices
acting as mediators between student, teacher, and information. Hence, wedefine in this article media as the carriers and / or mediators of information.
The object of our research is the use of media in class teaching and their role inthe students’ progress. Media in class teaching -from the first to the fourth gradeof the primary school- have the following roles: students learn
1.
2.
3.

about media
to use media andfrom media

Media are one among many elements in educational strategy. The idea ofeducational strategy involves preparation, organisation, realisation, andevaluation of the educational process. Media in education pass through thesephases. In a modern form of teaching it is difficult to articulate them with therather rigid programs issued by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of
Croatia since they are to be used in a in progressive way addressing themselves
directly to the students. This thesis emanates from our recent research in preschool education and classroom teaching and learning. An analysis of theCatalogue of professional meetings for class teachers (from 2000 onwards)
showed a partial approach in the use of media for improving the teacher’s
activities in class. The focus was on isolated media, which, in our opinion, did
not bear witness of feeling for actuality. It is our aim to contribute to aqualitative dimension in the didactic and methodical training of (student)
teachers, helping them to work on the progress of their pupils, and overcome
traditional ways of teaching. Thus, we hope to be able to create an update forthe educational reality.
2 The use of media in education
We have already pointed out that media in education could be defined as
carriers or / and mediators of information. Media are present in all spheres of314

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society and gain a specific didactic role in the realisation of learning andteaching as teaching devices and tools. A non exhaustive classification of mediausing the senses (i.e. auditory, visual, kinethic, tactile, olofactory, taste) as
critirium was used.
Some authors put the kinetic and tactile sense together, but did not: with thesame or media different aims may pe pursued. It means that there is a differencewith regard to educational activities as well. For example, in a gym classstudents activate a greater number of muscles than in an art class.
3 A theoretical basis
A theoretical basis for this research is found in Gardner’s theory ofmultiple intelligences. A class may be viewed as a heterogeneous group of
students differing in kind of intelligence, learning style, needs. But media
taxonomy as well renders a sound basis: Dale’s experience cone, Gagne’s
teaching functions of different media, Brigss’s media matrix, and Edling’smedia classification (see Blažič, 1992).
Dale differentiates direct, iconic and symbolic experience involving media
in different techniques of teaching. Gagne mentions eight functions of learning
using different media (presenting stimulus, aiming attention and other actions,presenting models, examples, achieving outside help, lead course of thinking,transmitting knowledge, evaluation of results and revealing of answers) in
relation to seven media.Briggs analyses in his matrix suitability or unsuitabilityof thirteen categories of media with characteristics of learning, demands ofeducation, materials and transfer. Edling divides learning experiences according
to their tactile modalities and the strength of the stimulus (though limited to theacustic and visual).
The models for the use of media developed by these authors aim to focus
the teacher’s choice. However they are limited with regard to the senses covered(auditory, visual and audio-visual) as well as the partial displays. The question
is: Is there a most effective model the use of media in education?
4 Methodology
The study was carried out during the academic years 2003 and 2004 on asample of elementary school teachers (Rijeka and Pula area).

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4.1 The aim of the research
How do teachers and students perceive (the use of) media in theclassroom? What media are being used? What media can make for a better
quality of teaching?
4.2 Participants
Eighty-two classroom teachers from the Primorsko-Goranska and Istrian
region in the Republic of Croatia took part. We have chosen a sample ofteachers who take up refresher course at the teacher training college in Rijeka
and Pula in view of obtaining an academic degree. Teachers from 1st forms
were not included. 13% of the participating teachers was less than 30 years old,
64 % was between 30 and 40 years old, and 23% was between 40 and 50 years
old. The group of participants consisted of seventy-four female teachers andeight male teachers. Most of the participants had tenured jobs.
4.3 Instruments
Two questionnaires were used: one for teachers and one for students.
The teacher questionnaire consisted of thirty-nine questions, aiming to provide
data about the teacher, the school, the selection and use of media in education,
the students.
Six questions were open, five were half- open and twenty-eight were of theclosed type. The student questionnaire on the use of media in the classroom
consisted of ten questions, nine of them being open.
4.4 Methods of research
The questionnaires were administered individually and anonymously.
Data were triangulated.
5 Results
Thirty- seven teachers are not satisfied with the media equipment of theirschool. This has to do with financial constraints, and disinterest from themanagement.
Textbooks are the leading medium for several subjects. Pictures too are often
used. The tape-recorder is used at an average of once a week, mainly in art andmusic lessons. For some subjects teachers sometimes use the overheadprojector.

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TV and video are media used by sixty percent of the teachers once a month (forexample in mother tongue lessons). Only sixteen percent of the teachers used acomputer as a teaching device, and of those using it only a small minority used
it regularly. The use of the LCD projector is almost nihil. Hence, it may beconcluded that the so-called new media hardly find their way into daily practiceand that, when they do, their used is restricted to some subjects.
It was interesting to observe that many teachers report to use media
simultaneously or one after the other, hereby bearing on different senses. Whenusing different media the teachers frequently use methods like: demonstration,
discussion, text work, reading, writing, drawing, verbal explanation, singing andpractical work. What do the teachers tell us about their pupils’ abilities andways of learning? Do teachers adapt the use of media to different learning
styles, for example? As to learning by senses, it was found that, only little use
was made of multisensorial approaches in learning.
As could be expected, students’ first priority regarding ICT is access to PCand laptop. They see that computer equipment and adequate program support islacking at school. But students also are in favour of outdoor education, of andlearning in situ; they would like to study in an environment which enhances
their chances on physical well-being. They also emphasize the need of playful
learning, and some would like to see the textbooks reworked.
Our investigation leads to the following tentative suggestions:-overall, more attention should be paid to the choice of media ;media choice implies reflection on its articulation with educationalinteraction;
multisensorial learning should be enhanced, also by the choice of media;
in line with the saying “no tool - no craft” new ICT should be fully
integrated in the curriculum;
textbooks are not the only media to be used;teachers should be helped in defining the role of media for school practice,and more specifically, with regard to the use of media to develop theirpupils’ abilities and ‘intelligences’;
youngsters are capable of expressing their needs with respect to (new)media and learning at school: their opinions should be valued.

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Bibliograpy
ARMBRUSTER, B. & O. HERTKORN, 1999. Allgemeine Mediendidaktik.
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BLAŽIČ, M., 1992. Metodologija izbire in uporabe medijev v izobraževanju.
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BLAŽIČ, M., 2000. Osnove komunikacije. Novo Mesto: Visokoškolsko
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Abstract
In this research note the authors present the preliminary results of aninvestigation into the role of media in elementary school education in Croatia.
To that effect they developed a questionnaire for teachers and pupils alike.
Results show that teachers have an open mind to the implementation of new
media, but that a.o. financial constraints refrain their ambition. Pupils would
like to see a more varied multisensorial approach of media in education.
Résumé
L'étude présente les résultats préliminaires d'une recherche portant sur lerôle des media dans l'enseignement primaire en Croatie. Les auteurs ont pour ce
faire développé un questionnaire identique pour les enseignants et les élèves.
Les résultats démontrent l'état d'esprit ouvert des enseignants par rapport à

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l'impact et l'utilisation des nouveaux media mais soulignent d'autre part lescontraintes financières qui freinent leurs ambitions. Les élèves quant à eux
souhaiteraient aborder les media dans l'enseignement par le biais d'une approche
multi sensorielle davantage variée.
Samenvatting
In deze onderzoeksnota geven de auteurs de voorlopige resultaten weer
van een onderzoek naar de rol van media in het lager onderwijs in Croatië.
Daarvoor ontwikkelden ze een vragenlijst voor leerkrachten en leerlingen. Deresultaten tonen aan dat leerkrachten doorgaans open staan voor de toepassing
van nieuwe media, maar dat o.m. budgettaire beperkingen in hen niet toelatenom hun ambities op dit vlak te realiseren. Leerlingen zouden liever profijt halen
uit een meer multisensoriële en aanpak van het mediagebruik in deonderwijsleerprocessen.
A.Cindrić, MA, is affiliated with the Teachers’ School for Professional
Higher Education, Rijeka (Croatia). N.Tatković, PhD, lectures at the Teachers’
School for Professional Higher Education, Pula (Croatia).
Address (NT): I.M.Ronjgova Street 1, 52 100 Pula, Croatia
E-mail: vus_tajnica@net.hr