Technology-enhanced Mathematics Research Articles

Improving the Computational Skills in Integers, Fractions, and Decimals Through Technology-Enhanced Mathematics Instruction (TEMI)

Improving the Computational Skills in Integers, Fractions, and Decimals Through Technology-Enhanced Mathematics Instruction (TEMI)

Technology-enhanced mathematics learning: A perspective from Cognitive Load Theory

Cognitive load theory is an instructional theory used to guide the design of effective instruction. The cognitive architecture that underpins cognitive load theory can be described by five principles, essential components that form the basis of many well-tested and well-known cognitive load effects. One of these documented effects, the worked example effect, indicates that showing novices worked solutions rather than asking them to generate solutions could facilitate learning by reducing levels of cognitive load. This paper will demonstrate how the worked example effect can be used in designing interactive podcasts to improve mathematics skills.

A research-informed web-based professional development toolkit to support technology-enhanced mathematics teaching at scale

We report a new phase of research of the scaling of Cornerstone Maths (CM), technology-enhanced curriculum units for lower secondary mathematics that embed dynamic mathematical technology (DMT). These combine web-based DMT, pupil and teacher materials, and teacher professional development that focus on developing the mathematical knowledge and pedagogies for teaching with technology. This paper presents the background research with teachers using CM (111 teachers from 42 London secondary schools in the period 2014–2017) that suggests the need for a web-based “professional development toolkit” to support the sustainability of the innovation and “within-school” scaling beyond the timeline of the funded project. It concludes with the research basis of the toolkit’s design principles and structure that are designed to support teachers to implement DMT in their classrooms.

Technology effectiveness in the mathematics classroom: a systematic review of meta-analytic research

The purpose of this systematic review was to examine trends in prior meta-analytic research to provide recommendations for future mathematics education research and instructional praxis. The current study aims to contextualize the effects of technology-enhanced instruction in the mathematics classroom. The researchers conducted a comprehensive literature search of articles written between 1980 and 2015. The final pool of studies comprised 18 meta-analyses inclusive of studies conducted between 1986 and 2014, representing 1193 independent effect sizes. The results suggest that the effects of technology on mathematics achievement range from small to large. Results suggest that researchers and educators should consider grade level, duration, and the instructional role of technology as key components when incorporating technology in the mathematics classroom. Results also suggest that race, socioeconomic status (SES), and gender did not moderate the effects of technology integration, although they were examined less frequently across studies. Implications are provided for practice, and research related to these results. Because of the chosen research approach, the research results provide relevant and practical implications to support classroom teaching with technology. This study contributes to the literature on technology-enhanced mathematics instruction by providing synthesis of 30 years of meta-analytic research.

Technology usage in mathematics education research – A systematic review of recent trends

There is a significant body of research relating to technology-enhanced mathematics education and the perceived potential of digital tools to enhance the learning experience. The aim of this research is to take a structured look at the types of empirical interventions ongoing in the field, and to attempt to classify and analyse the ways in which digital tools are being employed in such research. A systematic analysis of 139 recent, published studies of technology interventions in mathematics education, selected from in excess of 2000 potential studies, has been undertaken. A system of classification, developed as a part of this research, is used to categorise the digital tools, the pedagogical foundations and goals of the activities, and the levels of technology integration in the studies. Analysis of the results of this classification highlights a disparity between what is being researched in published empirical studies, and approaches that have been recognised as optimising the potential of technology to enhance mathematics education. Potential reasons for current trends are proposed and explored.

Studying the process of becoming a teacher educator in technology-enhanced mathematics

In this paper, we explore the process of becoming a teacher educator in the pedagogical use of digital tools in mathematics teaching. The study took place in the context of an in-service program during the trainees’ engagement in their practicum fieldwork activities including the process observation–reflection–design–implementation–reflection. We explored the features of this context that facilitated the trainees’ transition from the level of trainee educator to the level of teacher educator as well as the nature of the trainees’ documentation work for teachers. The results showed that observation of other teacher educators’ teaching in conjunction with reflection during the program’s respective sessions facilitated the trainees’ transition to the professional level. The identified operational invariants underlying the trainees’ designs concerned the focus of their observation in teacher education classrooms, the importance they attributed to the constraints and opportunities provided by the wider educational context and epistemological issues regarding the teaching and learning of mathematics with technology. The analysis of trainees’ designs revealed three kinds of documents (“explanatory,” “instructive” and “facilitative”) and corresponding roles of trainees during the implementation. These documents targeted different aspects of TPACK depending on the trainees’ conceptualizations of teachers’ roles either “as students” or “of students.”

Educating the Educators: Technology-Enhanced Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Educational research has shown that teaching quality is one of the most important factors in raising student achievement. There is a compelling need for educators to keep abreast of the important developments that are taking place in educational arena. One of the educational areas that has massive development is the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning especially in mathematics. This development needs professional developmentamong educators. Being a regional science and mathematics education centre, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (SEAMEO RECSAM) has always been cognizant of the importance of these developments. Its training programmes are planned to incorporate these developments for in-service teachers, teacher educators and ministry of education mathematics officers. As the Centre's mandate aims to ensure that these participants from Southeast Asians countriesas well as those from outside the region are equipped with emerging educationaltechnology tools which can enhance teaching and learning of mathematics. This paper will share the Centre’s experiences in continuing professional development among mathematics teacher, teacher educators and officers from the ministry of education on educational innovation and technology.

Inquiry-Based Lessons That Integrate Technology: Their Development and Evaluation in Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education

Technology-enhanced mathematics tasks were introduced to elementary pre-service candidates (n = 84) and in-service teachers (n = 38), who then, either in partners or small groups, created and taught inquiry-based lessons incorporating technology, with individual reflections. The lessons were coded using the following criteria: (a) The students themselves used the technology for inquiry learning, (b) technology was integral to the learning task, (c) the lesson focused on mathematics concepts—not the technology, and (d) the task would have been more difficult to accomplish without the technology. The lesson analysis revealed that, after instruction on inquiry learning and technology integration, each group achieved a high level of proficiency using these criteria. Further, the analysis assisted the instructors in identifying issues and concerns regarding implementation of technology in elementary mathematics instruction.

Technology-enhanced 5th grade mathematics curriculum

The purpose of this study is to design a 5th grade mathematics curriculum. The main feature of the designed curriculum is supposed to incorporate the integration of technology into teaching and learning of mathematics. In the technology-enhanced 5th grade curriculum, graphing calculators, spreadsheets, interactive geometry software and some other useful technological tools are encouraged for use in the classroom. The proposed technology-enhanced mathematics curriculum design is formed by combination of the various instructional models such as Wulf and Schave (1984), Dick and Carey (1996), and Posner and Rudnitsky (1997).