ERIC Number: EJ1150351
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0256-0100
EISSN: N/A
Investigating Zimbabwean Mathematics Teachers' Dispositions on the "O" Level Calculator Syllabus 4028
Nyaumwe, Lovemore
South African Journal of Education, v26 n1 p39-47 2006
The questionnaire responses of 38 secondary school mathematics teachers provided initial data for this study. About 26.3% (n = 10) of this number was sampled for classroom observation and in-depth interviews in order to assess the consistency of the dispositions. Only 15.8% of the schools in the study adopted the calculator version of the "O" Level curriculum, 4028. The teachers' dispositions showed competence to use scientific calculators during instruction but maintained teacher-centred instructional approaches in both classrooms where students possess calculators and logarithms. This finding raises fears that even when calculators are available, they may remain on the periphery of mathematics instruction when they continue to be narrowly used as computational devices. Implications of these results are explored with a goal of providing teachers with insight into how to use calculators effectively in the "O" Level mathematics curriculum.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Secondary School Mathematics, Mathematics Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Calculators, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, Mathematics Instruction, Technology Integration, Interviews, Questionnaires, Likert Scales, Teaching Methods, Qualitative Research, Statistical Analysis, Observation
Education Association of South Africa. University of Pretoria, Centre for the Study of Resilience, Level 3, Groenkloof Student Centre, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, George Storrar Road and Lleyds Street, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. Tel: +27-12-420-5798; Fax: +27-12-420-5511; Web site: http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Zimbabwe
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A