Digital Instructional and Pedagogical Gaps in Mathematics Education during COVID-19: APOS Theory Based Laboratory Methodology in Higher Education

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic globally transformed the face to face teaching and learning into digital online teaching and learning. The uptake and integration of digital technology in mathematics education have been gradual for many decades. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the digital teaching and learning and made it an imperative and safe remote instruction and pedagogy of the day in mathematics education and education in general. We explored the uptake and use of virtual mathematics laboratory methodology for undergraduate Calculus teaching and learning as a remote instruction and pedagogy gap revealed during the COVID-19 infections prevention and containment period in Zimbabwe. The main objective of the study was to identify digital instructional and pedagogical gaps that existed in addressing students' mathematical misconceptions in Calculus learning in using the APOS theory and a virtual mathematics laboratory. Data was collected from 160 undergraduate students taking Calculus courses via APOS theory mediated digital mathematics laboratory for a semester. Results revealed that the undergraduate students who took the Calculus courses via the digital mathematics laboratory methodology performed better than those who used to take the same courses using didactical approaches. This COVID-19 crisis ushered in digital teaching and learning experiences that clearly spelt out the existence of digital instructional and pedagogical gaps in mathematics education.

Ict Usage Status in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Secondary Schools of Mizoram

“…Das, 2021, Mukavhi et al, 2021) and there are challenges in doing so (Supianti et al, 2019). And it is often found in the research studies that the remote locations and developing nations are struggling in delivering the ICT mode of education (Dhakal, 2018, Agyei, 2021, Kamau et al, 2018.…”