The implementation of a personalized online teaching and learning system (PeTeL), and its influence on online and hybrid chemistry teaching and learning experiences and outcomes

education. These elements will serve as the outline for describing the findings, discussing their relevance and contribution to the literature, and concluding their implications for online and hybrid education. The aim of this mixed-methods research was to explore the complementary perspectives of both teachers and students on online, remote and hybrid teaching and learning – through their experiences with educational technology. This work originated from the proposition that technology can aid teaching and learning, not just to be facilitated but empowered and improved, by adapting it to the needs of its users. This rationale originated even from before the rapid changes that occurred in the world due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that followed, which changed the global approach to educational technology during that unique time in human history. The research was conducted along the development, adaptation, and implementation of a novel learning management system (LMS) in the field of chemistry teaching. PeTeL – which stands for Personalized Teaching and Learning – is developed in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. It is designed to aid in the adaptation of the teaching and learning processes to fit the needs of both teachers and their students. The system enables teachers to analyze students’ achievements and respond accordingly, thus improving learning and teaching.

In the first element, the study explored students’ outcomes and achievements with online learning. The students responded to a questionnaire regarding online and personalized chemistry learning, addressing their attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs, and were asked to elaborate on what they liked and disliked in online learning. The quantitative results showed that students had a significant rise in their attitudes towards the use of technology for chemistry learning – unique finding in that it contradicted the global trend. A significant rise in their self-efficacy to learn chemistry with the aid of technology was also noted. Analysis of students’ responses to the open-ended questions, showed that they learned to appreciate the contribution of technology to their schooling during the forced change to online learning due to the spread of Covid-19. In addition, an examination of concept understanding demonstrated a significant rise in achievements for students who received personalized treatment when learning with PeTeL, compared to a group who did not receive personalized treatments. The conclusions from this element of the research address issues of personalized learning, including its implementation and the factors that caused it to fall short of its potential. This work has garnered a set of four Interfaces that students conduct with online learning: Student-Self, Student-Conditions, Student-Teacher, and Student-Technology. These interfaces were established on the Differentiated Instruction (DI) design and evaluation model, which further cements the connection between personalization of the online learning experience and the differentiation of instructions and assignments.

In the second element, the research investigated teachers' views, approaches and outlook on personalized and online teaching. This was accomplished by examining the teachers’ experiences and practices using technology, their attitudes towards employing technology for teaching purposes, and the personalization of teaching methods. In addition, the work explored how the teachers perceived their students' self-efficacy in learning with technological tools. The research among teachers was conducted in two phases: the first phase was conducted near the beginning of the lockdowns on the educational system due to the spread of Covid-19; and the second phase was conducted during the following year. In the first phase, the teachers answered a survey on their practices and needs, from which their perceptions on advantages and disadvantages of online teaching were extracted. In the second phase, the teachers responded to a questionnaire regarding online and personalized chemistry teaching, addressing their attitudes and how they perceived their students’ self-efficacy beliefs. The teachers were also asked to elaborate on their best practices to use technology, and PeTeL specifically, in their chemistry teaching. Quantitative results show a significant increase in the way the teachers perceived their students’ self-efficacy to learn chemistry using technology. Qualitative analysis mirrors the students’ reports on their online learning experience, including the four original Interfaces, but from the teacher’s perspective: Teacher-Self, Teacher-Conditions, Teacher-Student, and Teacher-Technology. It also yielded a new and unique interface, based on the teachers’ references to their Pedagogy.

The third element of the research began with the initial implementation of PeTeL in chemistry classrooms. During that stage, teachers were interviewed on their use of PeTeL, specifically on why and how they changed teaching units taught with the system. Four case studies were compiled to illustrate how teachers adapted a teaching unit to align with their pedagogical perspectives while addressing emerging situations in their classrooms. Supported by the model of DI design and evaluation, three of the Axes of Hybridity were identified. The following year, a cohort of teaches participated in weekly meetings to support their implementation of PeTeL in their teaching. After the school year concluded, the teachers were interviewed in person about their hybrid teaching. They were interviewed again three years later for a follow-up. From the data collected, four case studies were created which demonstrated the characteristics of the teachers’ practices as they utilized educational technology while trying to adhere to their pedagogical vision. Building on the teachers’ experience, the Axes of Hybridity model was expanded to nine axes, as an alternative to the single scale dichotomy that was the definition of hybrid teaching. The results also shed light on the ways teachers used educational technology in their teaching, specifically PeTeL, along a period in which conditions constantly changed and evolved. Following the identification of the axes, a unique Profile of Hybridity was created for each teacher along three instances (at the beginning and end of the research timeframe, and three years later) – which served as an analytical tool, to help the teachers reflect on their teaching during the period of the research.

This study has three main contributions to theory. The first contribution is the model of Interfaces with online education for teachers and students, building on their experiences in online teaching and learning in a complementing approach – and serving as a bridge between the concepts of Personalized Learning and Differentiated Instruction. The second contribution of the study is the proposed Axes of Hybridity model, conceptualize the aspects of hybrid teaching and expands the current definition of the term. The third theoretical contribution of the study is a complementary definition for personalized learning (PL), as the adaptation of the teaching process to the teacher’s pedagogical perspective. This adaptation is based on their understanding of and familiarity with their class, the curriculum, the administration, and other factors, and is referred to as Personalized Teaching (PT). These contributions also have practical applications. Employing the Interfaces for students and teachers in a complimentary approach, can allow for better design, adaptation, and evaluation of teaching and learning units for online and hybrid teaching – adapted to the needs of all users. The Profiles of Hybridity is a visual representation of the axes, which can be used for reflection (for implementation of online or hybrid teaching), for deductive planning (for personalized, educational technology-based units) and comparative analysis (in different conditions and instances).