Abstract
In South Africa, fewer learners proceed with mathematics as a subject throughout their high school career; those who manage to do so mostly struggle with the subject. With the discourse around preparing teachers and learners for a 4IR environment, the mathematics classroom becomes increasingly challenged. There are growing demands placed on mathematics teachers to enhance their pedagogy with technology integration in the hopes that learners will learn in better ways and perform better as a result. This study was aimed at investigating the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use on the performance of grade 10 learners in the topic of algebra factorisation, a pre-requisite for topics such as equations, functions, and calculus at later stages.
The study is guided by the TPACK framework, which infuses pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and technological knowledge to transform and use ICT tools to teach mathematical content effectively. Research indicates that the integration of ICTs in the mathematics classroom has benefits such as the promotion of collaboration, better engagement of learners in the classroom and opportunities for collaboration as well as prompt individualised feedback. In addition, the access to resources enabling learners with understanding the content better, helps to motivate learners to learn and most importantly improves their academic performance in the subject while being developed as critical thinkers equipped for success in an increasingly digitised world.
Purposive and convenience sampling methods were used to select 45 learners and four mathematics teachers from a well-resourced private school in the Gauteng Province took part in the study. The learners completed pre-and post-tests after being randomly allocated to the control or experimental groups. Mathematics lessons in both classes were observed by a trained fieldworker for ten consecutive days. The fieldworker observed what ICT tools were used in the experimental class and how these were used. Four teachers teaching in the same school were also interviewed to elicit their perceptions of using ICTs to teach mathematics, especially the topic our study was based on, to elicit their beliefs and perceptions around the use of ICTs in the classroom.
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Learners in the control group were taught using traditional methods, while those in the experimental group were exposed to lessons which incorporated the use of ICTs to teach content. Findings from the tests showed a statistically significant improvement in the academic performance of learners exposed to the technology used to teach fractions for 10 days. The teachers interviewed in the study used ICT tools in their daily lesson planning and pedagogy and enjoyed benefits such as saving time in class when trying to complete a packed curriculum, providing their learners with opportunities to engage with the work done beyond the classroom setting, and also learning better from displays, automatically-marked assessments and the privilege of being able to identify their challenges with the content taught.
The study contributes to the growing body of literature and discourse regarding whether technology integration can enhance teaching and learning in the mathematics classroom. It was seen that the most significant influence on what happens in the classroom lies in the teacher delivering the content. Therefore, when the teachers are able to see the benefits of ICT integration in their classroom, it will be used willingly and effectively, regardless of the challenges which arise from their respective contextual settings.
Keywords: mathematics; factorisation; ICT use in mathematics classrooms; TPACK framework; pedagogy; technology