Sociocultural influences on primary teachers implementing TouchTimes

Abstract

In this article, I share case studies of two primary school teachers (K–5) in British Columbia, Canada who were interviewed after their implementation of <i>TouchTimes</i> (hereafter, TT) in their mathematics classes. TT is a multi-touch digital application that is designed for users to create and interact with multiplicative situations kinaesthetically through their fingertips on an iPad screen. Using the theoretical constructs of double instrumental genesis, instrumental distance and didactical landmarks, I identify and highlight sociocultural influences described by each of the teachers as being impactful on their integration of this digital technology into their mathematics teaching. These influences included other teachers and the researchers who were part of a larger research project involving TT, as well as the students in each of the case study teachers’ classes. My analysis indicates the multi-faceted and complex nature of the process of double instrumental genesis that teachers undergo when implementing digital technology and how sociocultural factors impact teachers’ personal and professional instrumental geneses.