Teachers’ Beliefs and Technology: Calculator Use in Mathematics Instruction in Junior Secondary Schools in Botswana

Abstract

Lesson starts are transitional events which may cause management problems for teachers. This study sought junior secondary school mathematics teachers' beliefs about calculator use in mathematics instruction in Botswana and was descriptive in nature adopting a survey design. The sample of seventeen (17) mathematics teachers from four (4) junior secondary schools in the Tutume Sub-district in Central Educational Region was selected through a purposive random sampling procedure. A questionnaire comprising both closed and open ended questions was designed to collect data then the analysis of results was carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics. As an illustration, a t-test was used to test for differences in teachers' beliefs by gender while a one-way ANOVA was used to test for difference in their beliefs by experience. The study revealed that most of the teachers expressed their lack of confidence and were incompetent with the use of a calculator in their teaching with female teachers feeling less confident to explain different functions of a calculator than their male counterparts. In addition, the study showed that most of the teachers believed that a calculator was a technological tool that could be useful to the students in the future. On the contrary, most teachers felt that the overuse of calculators by the students could hamper the development of basic computational skills. Therefore, it was recommended that school based training on calculator use should be provided so as to empower teachers with the necessary technological skills for effective classroom instruction. The study findings have implications to research and practice as it provides unique and comprehensive data that will lead to insight for curriculum designers, policy implementers and instructional leaders on effective calculator use in math instruction.

Junior high school mathematics teachers’ knowledge in calculators

“…Research has shown conflicting results of the relationship between these aforementioned independent variables and mathematics teachers' perceived competence in the use of technological tools such as the calculator. For instance, Salani (2013) observed that mathematics teachers differed in their perceived competence in the use of calculators by teachers' gender and teaching experience. With a calculator as a technological tool, Agyemang and Mereku (2015) and Salani (2013) also upheld that apart from gender, a mathematics teacher's use of technology in Ghana was not significantly influenced by age/maturity and teaching experience.…”

“…For instance, Salani (2013) observed that mathematics teachers differed in their perceived competence in the use of calculators by teachers' gender and teaching experience. With a calculator as a technological tool, Agyemang and Mereku (2015) and Salani (2013) also upheld that apart from gender, a mathematics teacher's use of technology in Ghana was not significantly influenced by age/maturity and teaching experience. Riding on the same argument, Agyei and Voogt (2011) claimed that practicing teachers were superior to pre-service/student-teacher in technology use competency.…”

“…Given the widespread agreement among mathematics educationists on the necessity to equip teachers with the needed knowledge of technology in the use of calculators and other technological tools, it follows that teachers are trained in how to incorporate calculators in mathematical instruction and learning (Salani, 2013). In this light, recommendations have been made in Ghana for a modification of the mathematics curriculum for teacher training, to equip trainees in the use of calculators in mathematics instruction (Asare-Inkoom, Apau Gyamerah, & Najimudeen, 2008;Mereku et al, 2007).…”

“…Though a myriad of factors has been found to impact the use of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics in Ghana, the focus has largely being tilted towards ICT and computers, leaving handheld calculators largely unexplored. Technology competency has been established by research as one of the significant factors that influence technology use in teaching and learning interactions (Agyei & Voogt, 2011;Pelgrum, 2001;Salani, 2013). Pelgrum (2001) bemoaned the impact of teachers' competency gap in technology on the success of educational innovations, claiming that the success in vitalizing education through technological innovations depended on the technological competence of teachers.…”

Αλγοριθμικές Διαδικασίες Ως Κύρια Μαθηματική Γνώση

“…βλ. Salani, 2013) δείχνουν ότι οι εκπαιδευτικοί παρουσιάζουν έλλειψη εμπιστοσύνης στις δυνάμεις τους, ως προς την ορθή αξιοποίηση των αριθμομηχανών στο καθημερινό μάθημα. Επίσης, από άλλη παλαιότερη έρευνα είχε φα-νεί (Schmidt, 1998) ότι οι απόψεις των εκπαιδευτικών για τις αριθμομηχανές, μάλλον, αντικατοπτρίζουν τις πιο παραδοσιακές απόψεις για τα Μαθηματικά, καθώς, παρότι υποστήριζαν ένθερμα τη χρήση της αριθμομηχανής, πολλοί είχαν αμφιβολίες, αν αυτή η χρήση προσφέρει πλεονεκτήματα στη μάθηση των Μαθηματικών.…”