High school mathematics teachers’ use of technology in their learning and teaching

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate how mathematics teachers used technology in their teaching, what and how they learned in their teacher education program in terms of using technology for teaching mathematics, and whether there were links or gaps between their learning and teaching in terms of using technology. The purpose of this study was to find useful ideas that may enrich technology-integrated courses in teacher education programs. Instrumental genesis theory and three metaphors: Zone of Proximal Development, Zone of Promoted Action, and Zone of Free Movement influenced the theoretical orientations of this study working as instruments for collecting and analyzing data. Goos’ (2005) categories of teachers’ working modes with technology were also used for this study. Three high school mathematics teachers who were graduates from the mathematics education department at the University of Georgia, where two technology integration courses were required, participated in this study. Using qualitative research methods, the main data sources include formal and informal interviews, and field notes and video recordings from observations. Inductive data analysis method for class observations data and content analysis methods for text data including transcribed interview data were used to find patterns. Comparisons between participant teachers’ learning and their teaching were made to determine what learning experiences in their teacher education program fostered their actual use of technology in meaningful ways. Also, comparisons between participant teachers in terms of their ways of using technology were made to discuss how different factors such as their working environments and their professional development opportunities affected their ways of using technology. Findings revealed that there were links between their learning and teaching in terms of using technology for teaching mathematics. Direct links were identified where the same mathematical topics at the same level were encountered in both their learning and teaching. Indirect links were found concerning their disposition to act toward using technology. However, their foci on using technology varied depending on their beliefs about students and students’ mathematics. Positive and/or productive meanings created during teachers’ use of technology also varied based on their foci.