Action and Interaction: A Multiple Case Study of E-Textbook Engagement in Secondary School Biology Courses

Electronic texts have become ubiquitous in the United States over the past two decades, even frequently displacing traditional physical texts in classrooms. Electronic textbooks, or e-textbooks, are sometimes adopted as a cost-saving measure or a way to engage reluctant students. But integrating e-textbooks into pedagogical and learning practices is rarely a simple swap of paper for screen. Students who read academic texts from screens would often benefit from additional support from instructors, many of whom are underprepared to provide effective literacy instruction to students. Set within the framework of activity theory, this research took a multi-level approach to explore how teachers and students engaged with e-textbooks in one American high school. Four biology teachers and 159 of their students participated in this multiple case study that spanned two academic years and three learning environments due to Covid-related disruptions. Each of the learning environments – face-to-face, online, and hybrid – served as an individual case because it provided distinct spatial and temporal boundaries for the teaching and learning activities. Data sources included questionnaires, naturally occurring teaching and learning artefacts, and observation. Findings from this study suggest that these biology teachers engaged with the e-textbook in much the same way as they would a physical textbook during their pedagogical actions. Additionally, students did not have opportunities to engage with the e-textbook during class time; however, they did engage with it to complete homework assignments. The students’ potential to engage with the e-textbook was constrained by the teachers’ engagement practices as well as a rule that ensured students only engaged with the e-textbook when outside of class.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Cambridge

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Nourie, Kristi

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Winterbottom, Mark

• e-textbooks
• electronic textbooks
• activity theory
• case study
• secondary school
• high school

Licence

• https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/

Language dc:language

eng

DOI dc:identifier.doi

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.92780

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/345357