Identifying the Position of Information Technology and Innovation of the Undergraduate Biology Curriculum at Kabul Education University-Afghanistan

Subject Areas : Higher Education

wahidullah abdurahimzai ¹ , Mahbobah Arefi ² , Koroush Fathi vajargah ³ , Esmaeil Jafari ⁴

1 - Department of Higher Education, faculty Education & Psychology at Shahid beheshty University
2 - PhD Associate Professor, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - PhD Professor, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
4 - PhD Assistant professor, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2022-12-12 Accepted : 2023-05-20 Published : 2023-09-23

Keywords: Grounded Theory, policymakers, Biology curriculum, Kabul Education University, information technology and innovation,

Abstract :

The purpose of the research is to identify the position of information technology and innovation in the Undergraduate Biology Curriculum at Kabul Education University. This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and exploratory Grounded theory method in the spring of 1401. To collect data, a semi-structured interview tool was used with two groups of biology professors and students who participated in 19. To analyze the data, the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin was used. Findings show that three important components include (the position of technology and innovation in the beauty of nature and environmental protection, the position of information technology and innovation in human and animal genetics and plant, the position of information technology and innovation in virtual education and augmented reality) were identified. The findings indicate that information technology and innovation in the field of biology are facing a deficiency of modern tools for conducting advanced experiments and using teaching-learning activities. To reduce the challenges, the officials and policymakers of information technology and innovation should pay attention to equipping modern laboratory materials and tools, building the capacity of human resources, and being aware of innovations.

References:

Abolhasani, Z. & Dehghani, M. (2019). Pathology of the work and technology curriculum in the first secondary level, a qualitative study, Scientific Journal of Education Technology, 14(2), 261-272. [In Persian].

Anazifa, R. D. (2021). The Role of Technology in Biology Teaching during and Post Pandemic Era: Challenges and Opportunities. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Current Issues in Education. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 640, 46-51.

Armstrong, M.E., Ramsey,W. K., Yankey, B & Self, B. S. (2020) COVID-19 and Distance Learning: Effects on Georgia State University School of Public Health Students. Front. Public Health 8:576227. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.576227

Arslan, R., Kofoğlu, M. & Dargut, C. (2020). Development of Augmented Reality Application forBiology Education. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 17 (1), 62-72. doi: 10.36681/tused.2020.13.

Creswell, John., (Translation: Kyamanesh and Danaei Tous, 2018). Research design of quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches. Iran Tehran. Academic Jihad - Allameh Tabatabai Unit. [In Persian].

Emani, F., Awesta, M. & Rajaei, S.M. (2020). A review of modern biology teaching methods, SID, 1, (4), 43-56. [In Persian].

Farastkhah, M. (2018). University and Higher Education, Global Perspectives and Iranian Issues, Iran: Second Edition, Tehran, Publishing House. [In Persian].

Fathi, V. K., Jafari, I., Arefi, M. & Rezaizadeh, M. (2017). The future of the curriculum of higher education according to the developments in the MOK field, Tehran: Iran, Alam Ostadan Publications. [In Persian].

Fathi V. K. &Khoshnoudi Far, M. (2013). Distance education and curriculum internationalization in higher education. Iran Tehran. Aizh Publications. [In Persian].

Fathi, V. K., Khalifa Sultani, S.S., Jafari, I., Ruzgar, A., Hamrah, N.A., Salehi,M.M., Hussini, S.M., Mussawi, S. (2021). Curriculum identities, a description of the theories of curriculum professors in the contemporary era (Edition 2). Iran Tehran. Aizh Publications. [In Persian].

Fuad, M.S., Musa, K., Yusof, H. & Idris, S. (2020). Innovation in Education. Journal of Educational Research and Indigenous Studies, 2 (1), 1-12. www.jerisjournal.come-ISSN 2682-759X.

Gholamian, F. A. (2015). Change and innovation in the curriculum, the fourth national conference on sustainable development in educational sciences and psychology, social and cultural studies, Tehran. https://civilica.com/doc/546988. [In Persian].

Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M.A., Suman, R. (2022). Understanding the role of digital technologies in education: A review. Sustainable Operations and Computers, 3, 275-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.05.004.

Hamunyela, H. N., Makaye, J. & Cruz, K. C.D. (2022). Implementation of the Revised Biology Curriculum in Selected Junior Secondary Schools in Namibia. Creative Education, 13, 2958-2972. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2022.139187

Hartley, K. & Alberto A. (2022). Smartphones and Learning: An Extension of M-Learning or a Distinct Area of Inquiry" Education Sciences 12, (1), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12010050.

Iranbakhsh, A & Seyyedrezaei S. H. (2011). The impact of information technology in biological sciences. Procedia Computer Science 3(3), 913-916. DOI: 10.1016/j.procs.2010.12.149.

Jafari, I. (2022). Identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of augmented reality technology for higher education curriculum. Bi-quarterly journal of higher education curriculum studies. 2(25), 295-318. [In Persian].

Kashani, E. S. (2019). Reviewing the history of science, technology and innovation studies and the necessity of playing the role of the government. Science and Technology Policy Research Quarterly, 11(2), 1-17. [In Persian].

Khesravi, M., Fathi V. K., Maleki. H. & Nowrozi, D. (2013). Analyzing the adoption of curriculum innovations in the higher education system the subject of this article, the revision of the curriculum of Iranian universities. Educational Psychology Quarterly, 7(27), 135-164. [In Persian].

Khesravi, M & Arman, M. (2014). A model for implementing innovation in the curriculum of the higher education system. Innovation and value creation quarterly, 4(7), 65-84. [In Persian].

Khurshid, A., Rauf, A., Calin, A.C., Qayyum, S., Mian, A & Fatima.T. (2021). Technological innovations for environmental protection: role of intellectual property rights in the carbon mitigation efforts. Evidence from western and southern. International Journal of Environmental Science. 1(3), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03491-z.

Kossybayeva, U., Shaldykova, B & Akhmanova, D. (2022). Improving teaching in different disciplines of natural science and mathematics with innovative technologies. Educ Inf Technol 27, 7869–7891 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10955-3

Kolelu, M. K. & Arefi, M. (2021). Policy bases of information technology development in higher education. Iran Tehran. Nigah Maser publication. [In Persian].

Mohebi, F. (2020). Augmented reality technology and its application in biology education. Specialized scientific quarterly, research in biology education, 1(3), 73-84. [In Persian].

Mousavi, S., Sharifi, M. & Rajaei, P. (2013). Investigating the relationship between organizational climate dimensions and the degree of adoption of curriculum innovation. Research Quarterly in Curriculum Planning, 10(12), 11-23. [In Persian].

Mohsenpour K. H. (2017). Explaining the conceptual framework of promoting the culture of curriculum planning in universities and institutions of higher education in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Shahid Beheshti University. Ph.D. Thesis. [In Persian].

Munandar, K., Musimin, I & Yuanita, L. (2018). The Pedagogical Competence skills of biology teaching condiddates. BIRCI journal. 1 (3), 244-250.

Ndebele, C. & Munienge, M. (2022). Examining Technology Acceptance in Learning and Teaching at a Historically Disadvantaged University in South Africa through the Technology Acceptance Model. Education Sciences 12(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12010054.

Omurtak, E. & Zeybek, G. (2022). The effect of augmented reality applications in biology lesson on academic achievement and motivation. Journal of Education in Science, Environment and Health (JESEH), 8(1), 55-74. https://doi.org/10.21891/jeseh.1059283.

Omidi, M. & Samii Farahani, Z. (2016). The future of biotechnology and safety, Rahbaran Research Journal in Agriculture and Natural Resources, 3, (1), 51-63. [In Persian].

Onyema, E. M., Eucheria, N.C., Obafemi, F.A., Sen, S., Atonye. F.G., Sharma, A & Alsayed, A.O. (2020). Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on Education, Journal of Education and Practice, 11, (13), 1-12.

Ortiz, P. A. (2020). Teaching in the time of COVID-19, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, and State University of New York, Albany, New York. 48, 201-211. DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21348.

Peivasteh, S. (2019). STI Policy Making: Social Aspects and Cocequences. Journal of Science & Technology Policy, 11(2), 43-57. [In Persian].

Qi Zhang, Y. Y. & Jianfeng, P. (2022). Recent Advances in Plant Nanoscience. Advanced Science. 9, 1-32. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103414.

Safitri, M., Riandi, R.,  Widodo, A &  Nasution, W. R. (2017). Integration of Various Technologies in Biology Learning, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 895 012145. DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/895/1/012145.

Shubani, H. (2019). Educational and educational skills, Iran: Tehran, second volume, Somat Publications. [In Persian].

Sobti, R. C., Ali, A., Dolma, P., Kadwalia, A., Dolma, T., Rai, J. & Chauhan, A. (2022). Emerging techniques in biological sciences. Advances in Animal Experimentation and Modeling, 3-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90583-1.00013-1.

Sreenivasan, VKA., Balachandran, S., Spielmann M. J. (2022). Med Genet Epub ahead of print: Doi: 10.1136/ jmedgenet-2022-108588.

Twining, P., Butler, D., Fisser, P. (2021). Developing a quality curriculum in a technological era. Education Tech Research Dev 69, 2285–2308 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09857-3.

UNCTAD. (25 Feb 2021). Catching technological waves: Innovation with equity, United National Publication. Geneva. https://unctad.org/publication/technology-and-innovation-report-2021.

Vrchota, J., Pech, M., Švepešová, I. (2022). Precision Agriculture Technologies for Crop and Livestock Production in the Czech Republic. Agriculture. 12, 1080. https://doi.org/10.3390/ agriculture12081080

Wei, X., Luo, J., Pu, A., Liu, Q., Zhang, L., Wu, S., Long, Y., Leng, Y., Dong, Z., Wan, X. (2022). From Biotechnology to Bioeconomy: A Review of Development Dynamics and Pathways. Sustainability. 14, 10413. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su141610413

Zhong, T. C., Mat Saad, M. I. & Che Ahmad, C. N. (2022). Integrating technology-mediated learning in Biology education (Histology): A systematic literature review. Journal of ICT in Education, 9(1), 86–99. https://doi.org/10.37134/jictie.vol9.1.8.2022.