Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the views of learners of implementing a bring your own device (BYOD) strategy in mathematics classrooms at a rural secondary school. South African learners are among the worst-performing mathematics learners in regional and international assessments, and consequently the Department of Education finds itself under pressure to improve this situation. One way to achieve this is to incorporate technology into the mathematics classrooms, in the form of computers and tablets, which the learners can use to enhance their mathematical learning. However, many rural schools cannot afford to provide the learners with these technological tools, so a BYOD strategy can be implemented, which would allow the learners to bring their own devices to use in their mathematics classrooms. The quantitative research study was conducted at a rural KwaZulu-Natal secondary school. The participants were 52 mathematics learners in the FET phase. Data were collected through paper-based questionnaires, and the results were analysed using SPSS software and Microsoft Excel. The study found that most learners have positive attitudes towards, and are in favour of, the implementation of a BYOD strategy in their mathematics classrooms. The learners indicated that they are familiar with using their devices to learn mathematics, by accessing the internet, downloading and using educational apps, and using every day educational functions. The learners also felt that their teachers should allow them to use cell phones in class for these purposes, as this would support their learning of mathematics, increasing their attention and excitement to learn, improve their creativity, increase the amount of work they do in class, help them with technology skills and allow them to learn anywhere and anytime. Many learners are convinced that the use of cell phones would not be a distraction in class, nor would the devices be used inappropriately. The study recommended that the school needs to: find a way to cater for those learners who do not have smart devices; provide all learners with skills on how to use their devices for school related purpose inside and outside the mathematics classroom; have a comprehensive BYOD policy on the use of personal devices to avoid inappropriate use of cell 3 phones and to deal with any issues/ problem that can arise when learners bring their own devices to the mathematics class; and have technical and back-up support available to deal with any technical problems. Key words: Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD), Mathematics, Information Technology and Communication (ICT), Learner mathematics performance.
M.Ed. (Information Communication and Technology)