Mathematics teachers’ attitudes toward the use of GeoGebra in the teaching and learning of mathematics in Ghana: A case study of Dormaa East, West, and Central municipalities

This qualitative case study investigated teacher educators’ (lecturers) use of the dynamic mathematics software, GeoGebra, to teach calculus in three teacher education institutions (TEIs) in Zambia. Visualisation, a key characteristic of GeoGebra, is increasingly gaining recognition of playing a critical role in mathematics teaching and learning, especially in problem solving tasks. It is considered a powerful didactical tool for students to construct mental and physical representations that can enhance conceptual understanding of mathematics. GeoGebra is a visualisation tool that can be used for problem-oriented teaching and foster mathematical experiments and discoveries. GeoGebra’s inherent visualisation characteristics align well with the teaching of calculus, the mathematical domain of this study. The study (whose research methodology was underpinned by the interpretive paradigm) was undertaken with a broader goal of designing and implementing GeoGebra applets and instructional materials on various calculus topics. The study is located within the “Teaching and Learning Mathematics with GeoGebra (TLMG) project” – a project that involves mathematics teachers and lecturers in Zambia. The case in this study is the six mathematics lecturers who co-designed and used GeoGebra applets to teach derivatives and integrals to pre-service mathematics teachers in TEIs. The unit of analysis therefore is the six lecturers’ use of GeoGebra as a visualisation tool to teach calculus to enhance conceptual understanding, their perceptions and experiences of using GeoGebra and the enabling and constraining factors of using GeoGebra to teach and learn mathematics. The data for the study were video recordings of observations and interviews of lecturers. The data was analysed thematically and was guided and informed by an analytical framework adopted from the theory of constructivism – the umbrella theoretical framework of this study – and the models of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A detailed analysis of the lecturers’ interactions with the applets enabled me to gain insights into the participants’ experiences and perceptions of GeoGebra applets in the teaching and learning process. The findings of the study revealed that the visualisation characteristics of GeoGebra generally enhanced the conceptual understanding of calculus. It also revealed that adequate training, coupled with sufficient knowledge of the subject matter in calculus, were necessary for lecturers to use GeoGebra effectively, and that the lack of resources and expertise were major hindrances in the use of GeoGebra to teach mathematics in TEIs. It also revealed that there is a need to equip GeoGebra with other features that would make it more versatile, and suggested a teaching approach that would complement the use of conventional methods and GeoGebra to provide a link between abstract and concrete concepts of calculus.

In the current Generation-Z Era, the use of digital technology in learning, especially mathematics in elementary schools, is increasingly important to increase student effectiveness and engagement. GeoGebra Mobile, as a dynamic mathematics application, offers interactive visualizations that can help students understand abstract concepts more concretely. This study discusses the use of mobile-based GeoGebra in mathematics learning at the Bancong Elementary School level, Madiun Regency, which includes materials on plane figures, fractions, number lines, and simple Cartesian coordinates. Meanwhile, the method used in this study is a literature review by examining various sources such as journals, books, and relevant research reports related to the use of the GeoGebra Mobile application in elementary mathematics learning. Furthermore, the researcher conducted analysis and scoring by grouping several findings based on benefits, implementation, as well as challenges and solutions. The final results of the study show that the GeoGebra Mobile application can help in visualizing abstract concepts, making it easier to understand concepts and being skilled in solving basic mathematical problems with a score of 90.00 (very good), GeoGebra as an interactive and innovative mathematics learning score of 85.15 (very good), with GeoGebra can motivate students to learn score of 88.50. In addition, GeoGebra also supports students in independent learning score of 80.50 (good) and can facilitate authentic assessment with a score of 80.10 (good). Although there are several technical challenges, practical solutions can be implemented so that the use of the GeoGebra Mobile application remains optimal. The conclusion is that the use of the GeoGebra Mobile application is in line with the characteristics of today's students (gen-z) who are familiar with digital devices.

Valuing in mathematics is one of the areas in mathematics education that has attracted the attention of mathematics education researchers in recent times. While efforts have been made to research the attributes students value in their mathematics learning, the same cannot be said about attributes teachers and their students value in mathematics learning, and value alignment in mathematics learning between teachers and students. This paper reports on a study that sought to explore what teachers and their students value and the alignment between attributes teachers and their students value in learners’ mathematics learning. A survey of what students and their teachers value in learners’ mathematics learning was conducted with 690 senior high school students and 66 teachers from nine schools, using adapted What I Find Important in my mathematics learning questionnaires. A multistage sampling procedure involving the use of stratified random sampling and purposive sampling procedures was used to select the research participants. The data obtained from the study were then analysed, using frequency counts, mean and standard deviation and principal component analysis. The results from the study revealed that the senior high school mathematics teachers valued Authority, Engagement, Strategy and Communication in students’ mathematics learning, while the students valued Authority, Relevance, Understanding, Engagement, Strategies, ICT and Achievement in their own mathematics learning; an indication of a gap in valuing among the two groups of research participants. Implications of the findings for mathematics teaching and learning as well as in-service and pre-service education programmes are provided.

Mathematics Curriculum Evaluation

The use of GeoGebra as an interactive learning medium in geometry has become a major focus in various mathematics education studies. GeoGebra allows dynamic visualization of geometric objects and supports student engagement in understanding concepts more deeply. As the number of publications discussing the use of GeoGebra in geometry learning at the secondary school level increases, a comprehensive review is needed to identify trends, focus directions, and open research gaps. Therefore, this study aims to identify and map trends and research focuses on the use of GeoGebra in geometry learning in secondary schools through a descriptive bibliometric approach. Data in this study were obtained from the Google Scholar database with a total of 480 published articles that have been selected through the stages of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. The results of the analysis show that the publication trend increased significantly in the period 2020–2025, with the highest citation peak occurring in 2022, namely 840 citations. The most dominant journals covering this topic are the Rafflesia Journal of Mathematics Education and the Cendekia Journal. The main focus of the research is divided into six large groups: GeoGebra; geometry; junior high school students; mathematics learning in secondary schools; application of the discovery model; and studies of algebra and problem solving. These findings not only provide a comprehensive overview of the development of GeoGebra research but also reveal potential new themes that can be developed in further studies.

The growing availability of technology offers opportunities to enhance mathematics teaching and learning. For mathematics educators, technology can serve as a form of instructional innovation alongside other indicators of innovative practice, such as student-centered learning, the use of real-world contexts, active concept construction, problem-solving, interaction, and the promotion of students’ motivation and attitudes. This study aims to describe mathematics teachers’ skills in designing innovative technology-based mathematics learning. A descriptive–exploratory mixed-methods approach was employed involving 20 mathematics teachers enrolled in a Mathematics Education graduate program. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires examining perceptions of the importance and use of technology in mathematics learning. Qualitative data were obtained from lesson plan design tasks and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using indicators of innovative mathematics learning. The results show that 93.8% of participants perceived technology as necessary in mathematics learning; however, 68.8% primarily used it to verify solutions after manual completion, and 25% believed that direct technology use might hinder conceptual understanding. Analysis of lesson plans revealed the use of GeoGebra, Scratch, YouTube, and online applications. Overall, participants demonstrated varying levels of skill, with strengths in basic technology use and student-centered approaches but limited evidence of transformative pedagogical integration.

This study is mainly about using GeoGebra as a tool for improving mathematics instruction and learning by Ghanaian teachers. The quantitative method was employed for the study and the descriptive statistics of the study were the mean, standard deviation, percentages, and frequencies were used. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used in answering the Hypothesis test. The sample size for the study comprised 10 junior high schools and 13 primary schools. A total of 74 samples made of mathematics teachers were used of which 40 were junior high teachers and 34 were primary school teachers. A questionnaire with 10 questions/items with 4 options or 4 Likert scales for each was used in measuring the use of GeoGebra as a tool to improve mathematics instructions or learning by Ghanaian teachers (primary teachers and junior high school teachers). The study indicated that teachers believe that GeoGebra could effectively improve mathematics instruction and learning in the classroom. It also showed that teachers are ready to learn and adopt the use of technology (ICT) in their lesson delivery.

Digital transformation has brought about major changes in the world of education. Many applications have been created to facilitate learning in the classroom. GeoGebra is one such application that has been developed with simpler features so that students can apply it effectively. Community service activities are an important moment for universities to disseminate their research results. The Mathematics Education Study Program also takes part in efforts to improve the quality of education in Maluku through community service programs (PkM) based on research conducted by lecturers and collaborations between lecturers and students, particularly those related to the use of GeoGebra. This activity is necessary because mathematics is abstract in nature, making it difficult for many students to understand the material well. This condition was also found during the initial observation by the community service team at SMP Negeri 30 Maluku Tengah. Therefore, mathematics education lecturers and students conducted community service (PkM) at SMP Negeri 30 Maluku Tengah with a seminar and training approach, one of which was about the use of GeoGebra in linear function graph material. The students' responses showed that (1) Students felt that GeoGebra helped them solve math problems (mean of 4.04 with a good rating); (2) The development of GeoGebra software was easier to apply so that students could use it well (mean of 3.92 with good criteria); and (3) Students were more enthusiastic about learning mathematics and wanted better grades from their mathematics learning (mean of 3.93 with good criteria).

<p style="text-align:justify">The aim of this study was to explore the degree to which a professional development (PD) program designed using GeoGebra influences a group of Turkish middle school teachers’ beliefs in relation to mathematics and role of GeoGebra in mathematics education. In order to collect the required data, the PD course was established to provide six teachers with an opportunity to obtain practical experiences with and necessary knowledge about the use of GeoGebra in mathematics education. In this context, a multiple case study approach was utilized, in which mathematics teachers were observed and interviewed using a variety of procedures to expose qualitative data about their beliefs and the dynamics of their beliefs changes during the course. The main findings illustrated that teachers’ beliefs were transformed to some extent in favour of the use of GeoGebra, as well as using constructivist ideas in their mathematics teaching and learning can be attained through the GeoGebra based PD course. In fact, the relationship amongst stated beliefs and intended teaching practice is complex and the social issues were very influential on teachers’ pedagogical decisions. This research also introduces some suggestions for researchers who focus on professional development of mathematics teachers relative to their beliefs.<em>.</em></p>

The research addressed the teaching and learning of mathematics in primary education, with a particular focus on problem-solving, identified as a difficulty for students. The objective was to propose the use of GeoGebra as a didactic resource to address this difficulty in fourth-grade students of Basic General Education at the Bolívar Educational Unit in Tulcán. The methodology included a mixed approach of quasi-experimental design of the pre-experimental type, with a pretest-posttest design in three groups, without a control group. Interviews with teachers and surveys of students were conducted to understand their perspectives and prior skills with GeoGebra. Pretests and posttest were carried out, the first in conventional classes and the second, using GeoGebra; problem-solving was evaluated based on specific phases and metrics. Normality tests, one-way ANOVA, and N-Gain were calculated to determine the difference between groups. The results indicated that teachers see the need to use GeoGebra and that students have difficulties in problem-solving due to reasoning problems. Students expressed not having used GeoGebra, but showed interest in its use. The data were parametric, and there were no significant differences between groups. However, an improvement was observed between pretest and posttest scores, although no significant differences were found between phases and scores. In conclusion, the use of GeoGebra is shown as a positive resource for learning mathematics.

This research work examined the issues and challenges in the use of GeoGebra in teaching and learning of Mathematics in Secondary Schools in Makurdi metropolis. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of 190 students and 10 teachers were used as respondents for the study. The researcher used both primary and secondary sources obtained by the use of a well-structured questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, simple percentages. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for to test the validity of the instrument while the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient was used to establish the reliability of the instrument. The result of the study showed that unavailability or no computer is the major challenges preventing teaching and learning of Mathematics in the selected Secondary Schools in the study area this is followed by low teacher competence as one of the challenges preventing the use of GeoGebra in the teaching and learning of Mathematics in the selected Secondary Schools in the study area. Unavailability of GeoGebra software and erratic power supply are some of the factors. It was concluded that with the availability of dynamic mathematics software, like GeoGebra, teachers will be able to make graphical representations of mathematics concepts and thus present difficult concepts in a very clear and unambiguous manner. It was recommended among others that Policy makers and school authorities should consider the acquisition of computer and GeoGebra software so that they can improve on the level of comprehension of mathematics being taught in school.

The use of technology in the pedagogical process is growing at a phenomenal rate and has revolutionized the way students learn. As a result, there is a need for integrating technology into students’ mathematical activities. GeoGebra is a technology software that supports teaching and learning mathematics, especially geometry, algebra, and statistics. This study investigated the students’ knowledge of the integration of GeoGebra in learning mathematics in lower secondary schools in Wakiso District, Uganda. The study utilized quasi-experimental and cross-sectional designs with 42 senior two students in the experimental and 43 in the control group. Data were collected using pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires to identify the students’ difficult geometric concepts when learning mathematics, establish the impact of GeoGebra-based training on the students’ learning, and examine the relationship between students’ perceived ease of use of GeoGebra and its integration in learning mathematics. Independent samples t-test, Pearson's linear correlation, and descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, percentages, and frequencies were employed to analyze the data. The study revealed that reflection on the Cartesian plane was the most abstract geometric concept to learn. The results further revealed a statistically significant mean difference between pre-test and post-test scores in favour of the experimental group after the intervention. Furthermore, a moderately significant positive linear correlation existed between students’ perceived ease of use of GeoGebra and its integration in learning reflection on the Cartesian plane. Therefore, the study recommends urgently training students to incorporate this interactive educational software into their mathematics learning.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0871/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

This paper assesses the extent to which social justice theories can be used to explain the causes of inequalities in mathematics education in Ghana and explores ways in which issues arising from such inequalities can be addressed. The paper traces the habitus that operates in the Ghanaian mathematics classroom and argues that the habitus is created by both learners and teachers who may be oblivious to its dangers. The author underscores the importance of teaching for social justice by using learners’ funds of knowledge in the delivery of the mathematics curriculum. The paper concludes that it is vital for teachers of mathematics to move away from authoritative approaches to the teaching and learning of mathematics towards more collaborative approaches, which will provide learners with the opportunity to make choices that will engage their creative potential in mathematics and harness their emotional energies.

To highlight the importance of the quality of lesson delivery for students’ satisfaction with the teaching and learning process in the classroom, this study examines the quality factors of accounting teachers lesson delivery that may influence students’ satisfaction with accounting teachers’ lesson delivery in Senior High Schools in Ghana. Survey questionnaire, a modified version of SERQUAL model, was used in collecting data for this study. In all, a sample of 504 students from 20 public Senior High Schools in Kumasi metropolis in the Ashanti region of Ghana participated in the survey. The findings of this paper suggest that accounting students in Ghanaian Senior High Schools are generally not satisfied with the quality of lesson delivery of their financial accounting teachers. In addition, classroom setting (environment, facilities and materials) and teachers’ teaching behavior (responsive to students’ needs, reliability, competency, and empathy) do not meet Senior High School accounting students’ expectations. It is evident from the results that teachers’ performance in lesson delivery, as perceived by students, influence students’ satisfaction with lesson delivery in the classroom. Perceived low performance on the service quality dimensions of accounting teachers’ lesson delivery seems more susceptible to low satisfaction with teachers’ lesson delivery. These findings imply that, quality of accounting teachers’ lesson delivery, especially, along the dimensions of tangibility, responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy in their lesson delivery requires improvement. There is the need for teachers and school managers to identify what students really expect from teachers in their lesson delivery so that teachers can make the necessary changes to improve lesson delivery quality and students’ satisfaction in the classroom.

Mathematics education at the Senior High School level plays an important role in forming the foundational understanding of more complex mathematical concepts, one of which is algebraic function graphs. Despite its importance, many students face difficulties in understanding and drawing algebraic function graphs due to the limitations of traditional teaching tools. GeoGebra, a computer-based mathematics application, can be a solution to address this issue. GeoGebra offers advanced visual aids, allowing students to draw and analyze graphs interactively. The use of GeoGebra makes it easier to visualize various elements of graphs, such as intersection points, slopes, and extrema, and allows students to conduct experiments by manipulating function parameters. The aim of this community service activity is to introduce the concept of algebraic function graphs, teach the use of GeoGebra as a visual aid, and enhance students' analytical skills and learning motivation at SMAN 5 Jember. The methods applied includes the socialization and introduvtion of GeoGebra, interactive workshops, independent practice, and student understanding evaluation. The results of this activity show that students are more motivated and have a better understanding of algebraic function graphs after using GeoGebra. Therefore, the use of GeoGebra can be an effective alternative for teaching complex mathematical concepts at the Senior High School level.