Abstract
Rapid global technological developments have affected all facets of life, including the teaching and learning of mathematics. This qualitative study was designed to identify the ways in which technology was used and to explore the nature of this use by a group of 52 mathematics student teachers. The participants were pre-service Mathematics students who were enrolled for a Mathematics module at a South African university. The research instruments were an open question and a semistructured interview schedule. Saxe’s framework was used to analyse the data. Some benefits of mathematics software were found to be the provision of different representations, dynamic visualisation of concepts and variation in mathematical situations. It was also found that students used technology more often in their own learning than in their teaching, because the schools did not have many resources. It is recommended that the education department prioritise the provision of specialist mathematics software that can be used to improve learning outcomes in mathematics.
Highlights
The face of mathematics instruction and learning has been transformed by the widespread use of graphics calculators, computer algebra systems (CAS) and other computer technologies (Forster, 2006)
Thirteen students mentioned the use of dynamic geometry programmes such as The Geometer’s Sketchpad (GSP) and GeoGebra, and two spoke about the indispensable use of their calculators, which made their task easier
The students’ reports suggest that the use and availability of technology in their lives have altered the landscape within which the learning and teaching of mathematics takes place
Summary
The face of mathematics instruction and learning has been transformed by the widespread use of graphics calculators, computer algebra systems (CAS) and other computer technologies (Forster, 2006). Tall (2010) cautions that changes in learning are caused by a variety of factors of which the technology is only one. The use of technology requires research and careful planning in order for it to achieve potential benefits. Tall (2010) reported that some students using a computer algebra system to find the derivatives of functions, when asked for an explanation of differentiation, responded by providing the sequence of key-strokes that were necessary to get the result. Tall (2010) cautions that the use of technology must be planned, so that students do not replace one procedure holding little conceptual meaning with a different but meaningless procedure
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
