ELECTRONIC RESOURCES IN TEACHING THIRD GRADE PUPILS MATHEMATICS

Abstract

The effectiveness of teaching in primary schools depends on the pupils’ active engagement. When teaching the pupils of today, different forms and methods have to be used to organise the learning process, rather than opting for the simple transfer of knowledge directly from teacher to pupil. Pupils today do not simply sit and listen to the teacher and answer his/her questions. They also discuss and relate what they are taught to their personal experiences. A number of studies show that a person absorbs different amounts of information when listening, watching, listening and watching, and actively participating. The pupils’ involvement during the different activities in the lesson varies. Their acquisition capacity is different when listening to a teacher’s explanations, reading, observing a demonstration, practicing or using a computer, multimedia and electronic resources. The electronic textbook (also known as e-textbook) is a teaching tool and a rich source of additional tasks and materials for pupils and teachers. Electronic textbooks are digitised versions of paper textbooks. Electronic textbooks can be used online or offline. Electronic versions contain additional materials, such as audio, video, animations, 3D visualisations and interactive tests, as well as hyperlinks to relevant websites. The electronic readable textbook is identical to the approved print edition of the textbook. The electronic readable textbook creates a realistic page-turning effect in PDF format. In Bulgaria, new mathematics learning sets were created for primary school classes in accordance with the new Preschool and School Education Act, which came into force from the 2016/2017 school year, and the modified curricula. An electronic textbook and an electronic readable textbook have been developed for each new textbook. E-textbooks are free of charge for teachers who have chosen to teach using the paper textbook of the relevant publisher. Pupils and parents can also access them after registering on the publisher’s website. The Ministry of Education and Science requires that publishers give parents and pupils free access to electronic readable textbooks.The main idea of this article is to present an analysis of the third grade mathematics textbook published by Anubis and the electronic resources it features (additional tasks and materials). The article will also include the opinions of pedagogical students collected in a survey of the use of electronic textbooks in teaching primary school pupils.