Review Article
Zara Ersozlu
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 3, Article No: ep517
ABSTRACT
Mathematics anxiety is a significant problem in education that affects students’ learning outcomes, academic success, and well-being. This systematic literature review aimed to explore the role of technological interventions in reducing mathematics anxiety and promoting positive learning experiences in mathematics learning. Our findings revealed a mixed picture, where learning mathematics through online distance education increases mathematics anxiety, especially among primary school students, while interventions such as game-based learning and digital tools show positive results in reducing students’ mathematics anxiety levels. Additionally, the results of this study contribute to ongoing discussions on effective strategies to reduce mathematics anxiety and improve mathematics education through the integration of technology, providing new understanding among educators, parents, researchers, and policymakers in creating inclusive and effective learning environments. Using technology to reduce mathematics anxiety and increase student achievement emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts.
Keywords: mathematics anxiety, technology, digital tools, primary school students, positive attitudes towards mathematics
Research Article
Adeeb M. Jarrah, Kamar Fayez, Hanan Almarashdi, Patricia Fidalgo
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 3, Article No: ep516
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an unprecedented reliance on digital technologies in education, regardless of the pre-existing attitude of teachers. This study explores elementary school teachers’ perceptions about teaching mathematics through distance education. Using a quantitative approach, an online questionnaire was administered to primary teachers in the UAE during the spring semester of 2020-2021. The results show teachers’ readiness to adopt digital technology in teaching against increased workload. Difficulties emerged in optimizing student performance in online environments. While the institution supports digital integration, teachers prefer traditional in-person classroom instruction. Therefore, the research would inform some educational systems and curriculum planning worldwide on the best way to integrate digital technology within elementary mathematics education. The study aims to close the gap in mathematics education within a digital context to solve the emerging educational demands.
Keywords: distance education, elementary education, information and communication technology, mathematics education, United Arab Emirates
Research Article
Dirgha Raj Joshi, Krishna Prasad Adhikari, Jeevan Khanal, Shashidhar Belbase
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep454
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of classroom practices of using communication tools, collaboration skills, digital skills, and software skills of teachers on the communication behaviors of students during mathematics instruction. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 466 mathematics teachers in Nepal. The primary statistical techniques applied in the data analysis were mean, standard deviation, one-sample t-test, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that the level of skill transformations of mathematics teachers in digital skills was found to be significantly low. Moreover, practices of using communication tools, collaborative skills of teachers, digital skills enhancement of teachers, and software skills enhancement of teachers were found to be significant predictors of the communication behavior of students. The results of this study suggested that teachers’ technological empowerment is essential for developing digitally competent teachers who can transform the traditional mathematics classrooms into an online mode that is more constructive, collaborative, engaging, and supportive to the learners in a flexible and joyful learning environment. The study contributes to providing the knowledge of digital instructional skills of mathematics teachers to the communication behavior of the students. Moreover, the study gives an insight into using multi-group SEM in studying teachers’ technological skills on students’ learning of soft skills, such as communication behavior.
Keywords: collaboration, communication, communicative behavior, digital tools, mathematics teaching, transformation
Research Article
Jiseung Yoo, Min Kyeong Kim
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 3, Article No: ep438
ABSTRACT
This study focuses on how teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of mathematics may differ depending on teacher interactions in an online teacher community of practice (CoP). The study utilizes data from 26,857 posts collected from the South Korean self-generated online teacher CoP, ‘Indischool’. This data was then analyzed using natural language processing techniques; specifically, text classification with word2vec, BERT, and machine learning classifiers was used. The results indicate that the texts of posts can predict the level of teacher interactions in the online CoP. BERT embedding and classifier exhibited the best performance, ultimately achieving an F1 score of .756. Moreover, topic modeling utilizing BERT embedding is used to uncover the specific PCK of teachers through high- and low-interaction posts. The results reveal that high-interaction posts with numerous likes and replies demonstrate more in-depth reflections on teaching mathematics and refined PCK. This study makes two significant contributions. First, it applies a data science framework that allows for the analysis of real data from an actual online teacher community. Secondly, it sheds light on the intricacies of knowledge management in an online teacher CoP, an area that has to this point received limited empirical attention.
Keywords: online community of practice, natural language processing, mathematics pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge management
Research Article
Scott A. Courtney, Mary E. S. Miller, Michael J. Gisondo
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 4, Article No: ep387
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus pandemic impacted all aspects of society, causing countries and local communities to close workplaces, move schools to remote instruction, limit in-person contact, cancel public gatherings, and restrict travel. Attempts to mitigate COVID-19 through remote instruction provided unique opportunities for researchers to examine the resources teachers utilize to drive their practices. We examine the impacts of the pandemic on grades 6-12 mathematics teachers and math interventionists, with particular attention to teachers’ integration of digital resources. Using purposive sampling, we surveyed 50 participants—across urban, suburban, and rural districts—throughout the United States. The descriptive survey focused on six aspects of teachers’ practices with digital resources. Results indicate that challenges encountered and lessons learned included a lack of student engagement and motivation, increased distractions, and varied access to technology. Integration of technology did not positively impact students’ mathematical proficiency across all teachers. Common resources used across planning of lessons, implementation of instruction, and assessment included the Google platform, Desmos, and GeoGebra. Where appropriate, we situate our results within the larger context of recent international research. These findings support teacher practices that constantly attempt to optimize students’ mathematics and social emotional learning, regardless of the environment or situation.
Keywords: digital technology, remote instruction, teachers’ mathematics practices, students’ social emotional learning
Research Article
Yuval Ben Abu, Renana Kribushi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 3, Article No: ep364
ABSTRACT
During the junior high and high school years, there is a dramatic decrease in motivation for math studies, which has been found to play a major role in learning processes. Many attempts have been made to mitigate this decrease in motivation and to encourage mathematics studies in higher grades. One way that researchers have proposed to stimulate students’ curiosity and their perceived ability in math is to integrate technology into teaching. Such technology includes technological tools, digital educational activities, learning support software. Using tablet in class has significant potential to improve learning but the issue of how to effectively integrate digital technology into teaching and learning practices becomes critical. According to that knowledge we examined the impact of the use of a digital writing board (similar to tablet) by the lecturer during frontal lectures in mathematics on students’ learning motivation in an engineering academic preparatory program, following motivational constructs: self-efficacy, implicit theory of ability, value beliefs, and learning climate. The results showed that the technological tool positively affected two important motivational constructs that influence general motivation for mathematics studies.
Keywords: motivation, teaching using technological tools, digital writing board, teaching mathematics, pre-academic preparatory program
Research Article
Shu Ling Wong, Su Luan Wong
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 4, Article No: ep326
ABSTRACT
This quasi-experimental study sought to investigate the effects of the motivational adaptive instruction on Malaysian students’ motivation towards mathematics in a technology-enhanced learning classroom. Geometer’s Sketchpad is used in the study to foster a technology-enhanced learning environment. The motivationally adaptive instructions were designed following the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) motivational model. The study adopted a non-equivalent control group design with pre-and posttest with two weeks of treatments. Two intact Form Two classrooms were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a comparison group — each with 20 students. The findings showed that Malaysian students had a slightly above-average level of motivation towards mathematics. The ANCOVA results showed that the intervention did not significantly improve the experimental group’s students’ motivation towards mathematics learning, despite having their motivation mean scores improve from Time 1 to Time 2. The results also showed that motivation and mathematics performance were not strongly correlated for this group of students. The weak relationship between motivation and mathematics performance among Malaysian students may be explained by the culture and value of East Asian towards education, which is discussed in this paper.
Keywords: motivation, mathematics, ARCS motivational model, Malaysia, Geometer’s Sketchpad, dynamic geometrical software
Research Article
Mailizar Mailizar, Abdulsalam Almanthari, Suci Maulina
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 2, Article No: ep298
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to examine factors that influenced experienced teachers’ intention to use E-learning in their teaching of mathematics. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 161 secondary school mathematics teachers who completed a six-month in-service online training provided by the Indonesian Ministry of Education. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used as the framework while E-learning experience was included as an additional construct. An extended TAM model was proposed and tested in this study. It consisted of five constructs, namely: intention to use, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward using, and experience. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling with SMARTPLS 3.0. The findings showed that attitude toward E-learning use and E-learning experience were the two most significant constructs in predicting E-learning use. Contrary to previous studies, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were non-significant factors for the prediction of the behavioral intention. Implications for future research and practices are discussed.
Keywords: behavioral intention, teachers’ intention to use e-learning, extended TAM model, teachers’ e-learning experience, e-learning in mathematics classroom
Research Article
Joseph Njiku, Védaste Mutarutinya, Jean François Maniraho
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 2, Article No: ep297
ABSTRACT
Developing teachers’ competencies in technology integration has recently been one of the areas of attention in teacher training. This paper presents an investigation of the development of mathematics teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) through collaborative lesson design activities. The study employed a pre and post-test for non-equivalent groups quasi-experiment with three groups. Participants were secondary school mathematics teachers from Dar es Salaam -Tanzania who responded to a TPACK questionnaire before and after the intervention. Group 1 participated in collaborative lesson design teams to integrate technology and implemented the designed lesson in the classroom. Group 2 participated in lesson planning and implementation and group 3 operated conventionally. Using paired sample t-test, although all groups appear to have improved their TPACK significantly, the effect size was large for group 1 and group 2 only. When the comparison between groups and across the two points of time for data collection was done using the split-plot analysis of variance, it was found that group 1 improved the most in TPACK. These finding favoured the use of collaborative lesson designs in school-based teacher design teams. The study recommends that professional development needs to be authentic by involving teachers in routine professional activities, optimizing their peer teams to support each other within the real school contexts.
Keywords: collaborative activities, lesson design, TPACK, mathematics education, professional development
Research Article
Eddie M. Mulenga, José M. Marbán
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep269
ABSTRACT
Digital learning has reshaped education in many ways. The purpose of this study is to respond to the question of whether COVID-19 is the gateway for digital-learning in mathematics education. To this end, this study explores some uptakes of social media platforms by prospective secondary school teachers. Data was collected from 102 prospective mathematics teachers from the Copperbelt University (CBU). Cluster analysis approach was used. Results revealed that participants’ scores for digital learning in mathematics in cluster 2 were higher than those in both cluster 1 and 3. This is a clear indication that prospective teachers in clusters with low scores are more likely to exhibit low skill levels in the use of mobile technology and the adoption of social media in relation to mathematics pedagogy during the COVID-19 crisis. Results show different patterns. However, overall results show that digital learning could be a positive response to COVID-19 closure period.
Keywords: COVID-19, digital learning, social media, students, mathematics education, Zambia
Research Article
Melike Ozudogru, Fatma Ozudogru
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp. 1-24
ABSTRACT
With increasing global requirements for the use of technological tools and resources in K-12 settings, there is a need to examine the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) levels of mathematics teachers because technology use in class may enhance students’ engagement and motivation in learning mathematics. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a TPACK scale to be used in investigating mathematics teachers’ knowledge levels in TPACK components, and investigate if mathematics teachers’ TPACK levels differed in terms of gender, teaching experience and level of school. This study is based on survey research design. Data were collected from 202 mathematics teachers in the spring semester of 2016-2017 academic year. MANOVA was used for data analysis. As a result of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the TPACK instrument was developed as a valid and reliable 39-item 5-point Likert scale consisting of six scales: 1. Technological Knowledge, 2. Pedagogical Knowledge, 3. Content Knowledge, 4. Technological Content Knowledge, 5. Pedagogical Content Knowledge and 6. TPACK. The results also revealed that there were significant differences between gender and technological knowledge domain in favor of male teachers. However, it was found that teaching experience and level of school had no significant effect on TPACK domains.
Keywords: Technological pedagogical content knowledge, TPACK, Scale development, Mathematics teachers
Research Article
Kevin Smith
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 2, pp. 111-130
ABSTRACT
Adaptive learning programs are frequently used in the K-8 mathematics classroom. These programs provide instruction to students at the appropriate level of difficulty by presenting content, providing feedback, and allowing students to master skills before progressing. The purpose of the study was to seek to interpret how preservice teachers’ experiences influence their perceptions and plans to integrate adaptive learning programs in their future K-8 mathematics classroom. This was a qualitative study with 17 participants who were enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program. Data was collected and analyzed from archived journals the participants completed as a part of their K-8 Math Methods course, a survey, and semi-structured interviews. The findings from this study indicate that the participating preservice teachers perceive adaptive learning programs to be beneficial for students, and they recognize they have many decisions to make regarding what adaptive learning programs are used and how they are integrated into the classroom. The study also found that the instruction the preservice teachers received in their K-8 Math Methods course played a critical role in making them aware of the features available and myriad of options available in adaptive learning programs.
Keywords: Preservice teacher education, Mathematics education, Adaptive learning systems, Perceptions for technology
Book Review
Olivia Nichole Ritter
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp. 99-102
ABSTRACT
This book’s value lies in the succinct provision of evidence that confounds simplistic views of the objectives and potential directions of STEM education. More importantly, this book elicits significant questions about how the proposed alternative conceptions of STEM may materialize. As an educator in a system dominated by high-stakes standardized testing, the authors’ perspectives concerning the importance of the intrinsic value of genuine learning and the aesthetics underlying the subjects of mathematics and science are refreshing and provide hope for potential change.
Keywords: STEM, science education, mathematics education, technology education
Research Article
Barbara Freeman, Kristina N. Higgins, Mark Horney
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 7, Issue 4, pp. 281-313
ABSTRACT
This article reports the findings of a study designed to examine the influence of multimodal
writing on the communication of mathematical ideas. Elementary school students (ages 8-13)
were required to write mathematics notes using two digital writing technologies, a personal
digital notepad and a social mathematics blog, in the context of a formal intervention. Fortytwo
students participated, across three schools. The study showed that when students wrote
notes that could be assessed for correctness, their answers were predominately right,
indicating that mathematical sense-making was taking place. It also showed that the digital
notepad and blog were used differently and that the type of technology influences the writing
content. Moreover, students’ mathematical writing were understandable by their peers and
students collaboratively explored solutions. Younger students were more likely to draw
pictures to represent their ideas than older students. These findings show that writing can
help students acquire mathematical understanding, and suggest that multimodal writing may
help them surmount difficulties often associated with learning math. Although this research
demonstrated that writing can help teachers gain an awareness of their students’
mathematical understanding, it also revealed that writing environments need to be monitored
and students require close guidance to bring about systematic improvement.
Keywords: mathematics education, instructional technology, elemantary education, digital writing tools, blogging
Research Article
Kristina N. Higgins, Lindy Crawford, Jacqueline Huscroft-D’Angelo, Mark Horney
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 7, Issue 1, pp. 1-24
ABSTRACT
Mathematical reasoning involves comprehending mathematical information and concepts in a logical way and forming conclusions and generalizations based on this comprehension. Computer-based learning has been incorporated into classrooms across the country, and specific aspects of technology need to be studied to determine how programs are influencing student reasoning and learning. This article explores how one aspect of computer-based learning, electronic support tools (ESTs), influences students’ mathematical reasoning over the course of an online supplemental mathematics program, the Math Learning Companion (MLC). Students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 (N = 31) from two private schools participated in MLC, and their reasoning was assessed before and after participating in the program. EST use was measured by using frequency counts for each tool. Results describe students’ tool use and reflect an overall change in their reasoning over the course of the intervention, indicating that students use ESTs as needed to individualize the learning program. Students specifically used ESTs as needed to improve their mathematical reasoning, their correctness of response, and their mathematical explanations of their answers over the course of the intervention.
Keywords: Mathematical reasoning, Computer-based instruction, Electronic support tools, Mathematics education
Research Article
Hasan Karal, Mehmet Kokoc, Canan Colak, Yasin Yalcin
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 4, pp. 319-337
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore instructors’ perspectives on the effect of using pen-based technology in the online mathematics courses and understand instructors’ experiences in online mathematics teaching with pen-based technology. In this study, two instructors who taught online mathematics courses in fourteen weeks used digital pen as a pen-based technology. The data were obtained from semi-structured interviews and observation of online mathematics course records. The findings indicated that the use of digital pen in the online mathematics course was fairly beneficial in pedagogical and interaction aspects and it was necessary to use digital pen in online mathematics courses for displaying steps of problem solving process synchronously. It was concluded from the study that digital pen technology plays a positive role in the enhancement of interaction between the elements of an online learning environment by providing real-time feedback to students and permitting to digitize mathematical concepts. The observation findings also supported the statements of the instructors. The findings of the study have further provided some insight into how to use digital pen by an instructor in online mathematics course efficiently.
Keywords: Online mathematics course, Digital pen, Digital ink technology, Interaction in online learning, Teaching with digital ink
Research Article
Dabae Lee, Yeol Huh
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 5, Issue 4, pp. 286-301
ABSTRACT
Effort to determine teachers’ effects on student has been continuously made with national data. However, paucity of research has been conducted on how teachers’ instructional strategies impact on student learning with national data, although instructional theories suggest a direct relationship between instructional strategies and learning outcomes. Therefore, the relationship between teachers’ use of instructional strategies and learning outcomes should be examined with national data. This study investigates how much teacher’s instructional strategies explain student learning in mathematics and what instructional strategies are positively related to student learning outcomes. Revised Bloom’s taxonomy was used to define instructional strategies that support different levels of cognitive processes. The U.S. 8th grade mathematics data from the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study was analyzed using multilevel modeling. As results, teachers’ instructional strategies explained approximately 12% at the individual level and 17% at the teacher level of the learning outcome. Also, asking student to write equations and functions to represent relationships and to decide on their own procedures for solving complex problems were positively and significantly related to student learning outcomes.
Keywords: Instructional strategies, TIMSS, Mathematics education, Academic achievement, Multilevel modeling