Pedagogical Skeptics and Challenges towards the Application of Drones in Teaching and Learning Sciences
Authors:   Department of Computer Science, College of Information and Technology Education, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos Nigeria, Muraina Ismail Olaniyi , Lameed Soladoye Nurudeen ,   Department of Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University, Ojo Lagos Nigeria, Adesanya Olayemi Muyideen ,   Department of Computer Science, College of Information and Technology Education, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos Nigeria
Published: July 2023

Drone application and implementation in various domains of work and life have transformed technology in numerous ways. Drone technology has greatly benefited various industries while also making the lives of various professionals easier in completing complex tasks in a short period. Studies proved that by introducing drones into classrooms, teachers would have a new means to make learning more fun, innovative, interactive, and collaborative for students. Drones can be applied in challenging subjects like sciences: Computer science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, and others to clear off difficulties in some abstract concepts by giving real-world applications to the problems. However, some teachers are skeptical of the use of drones in science teaching and learning. The purpose of this paper is to investigate teachers’ actions and reactions to the application and implementation of drone technology in the classroom. It goes on to explain how teachers’ knowledge and professional development, students’ attention being diverted to technology design and models rather than learning outcomes, a lack of adequate technical support, and fear of technological maintenance cost and sustainability all serve as barriers to proper drone implementation in the classroom. Using Google Forms, teachers (both pre-service and in-service) were asked how the aforementioned factors affect drone application. Given the time constraints for this study, a purposive sampling approach was used to recruit 60 respondents. The instrument’s contents were validated with the use of the ‘face validity’ method. The 0.77 reliability index demonstrated that the instrument’s reliability strengths were accurately positive. The collected and compiled results were analyzed using graphical representations for better presentation and visualization. According to the findings, teachers’ knowledge of emerging technologies and professional development needs to be improved to keep up with the trend and applications of various tools that can aid effective science teaching and learning. Similarly, proper guidance is required to prevent students from becoming distracted by the fashion and gleaming designs of drones. Similarly, the government should provide maximum support to schools through subsidies to ensure technology accessibility. The functionality, safety, and care of the drones should also be maintained by the school administration. It is then suggested that frequent training and re-training for both teaching and non-teaching staff be organized to ensure proper and continuous use of drones in classrooms.