THE USE OF ICT’S IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE IN

SCHOOLS

by

LINDI NTULI

RESEARCH PROJECT

in

Bed (Hons)

in the

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

at

UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG

SUPERVISOR : Dr GV LAUTENBACH

APRIL 2010
ACCESS TO ICT TEACHING AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
IN SCHOOLS .

1. INTRODUCTION

The use of ICT’s in education is being seen as a way of widening access to

education , particularly in developing school. This paper address the issue
of ICT implementation in secondary schools and focuses specifically on the
teaching of Mathematics, Science and Biology for teaching and learning.
This question tries to identify a number of key enabling and constraining
factors surrounding practical issues such as sufficient hardware, sufficient
technical support and training of educators and learner involvement.

The idea described in this paper arose during the planning stages of a project
which aimed to investigate access to and the use of ICT in teaching and learning
at schools. The project set out to develop baseline information through a survey of
Mathematics and Science teachers in schools. The data to be gathered woild be
useful to identify areas that need improvement and solutions at schools. lectricity
will have problems in implementing the use of computers at schools. The general
lack of academic preparedness, large class size and inadequate curriculum design
makes it difficult to use computers in schools. The teachers lack of interest to
acquire & apply skills and experience necessary to take advantage of the new
technology. Educator’s are therefore the pivotal people in determining the extent
to which innovations are adopted and implemented in educational practices. With
the introduction of ICT’s when teaching the above mentioned learning areas it will
improve the quality of learning and teaching across the education system. This is
the result of young people who are growing up in a “Digital World” and are
comfortable with technology. According to the Education’s white paper on e-
education(200:17),this will also make the competent and confident in using
technology and they will find learning to be interesting. At the same time
educator’s will also enjoy the benefit of having to do less administrative work.
ICT’s will therefore transform teaching and learning will be an ongoing, creative
process.
2. HYPOTHESISE

Most South African attended schools in which a curriculum was specifically

designed for them in low-income areas that couldn’t afford computers or
laboratories for that matter. These schools produced of the current poorly
skilled educator’s who are now expected to teach using ICT’s now. These
are the schools whereby the department of education has tried its project
like “Gauteng On-Line” to improve teaching and learning with the use of
ICT’s. The challenge though is that there are still educator’s who are not
well equipped with basic skills and they also don’t have the interest of
changing their ways of teaching. Their argument is that the curriculum is not
designed to include the use of computers and this means they have to now
do more planning and research. This is because most of them are not
computer literate and have no confidence in teaching learner’s who are
more skilled than them. This is because the children of today are being
socialized in a way that is vastly different from their educators .The number
of usage for the different ICT gadgets is overwhelming for example over
10,000 hours playing videogames and at the very most 5000 hours of book
reading (Prensky 2001: 1). This is because they spent their lives
surrounded by and using this different gadgets. This children are no longer
the students that the education system was designed to teach because
they have been subjected to digital technology that changed their lifeworlds
fundamentally. This also part of the reason why educators therefore have
low-esteem when it comes to intergrating computers with their teaching.

3. CURRENT DEBATE

The change towards the new use of technology means that both educator’s
and learners need to develop competencies that are not addressed in the
curriculum. This means that educators need to re-assess the nature of the
learning process in their classes. More emphasis must be placed on open-
ended questions and information skills. The curriculum to each learning
areas must therefore be structured in a way that educator’s and learner’s
 will understand the outcomes of using ICT’s when learning mathematics
and science. The inclusion of ICT in the curriculum is to facilitate changes in
education that would better prepare the students for the more developed
Information Society. The intergration of ICT into the teaching of
mathematics and science can benefit learners with hands on experience
and the opportunity to learn skills that will be useful in an increasingly
technological work environment. It will make it possible for learners to
become creators of knowledge in their own right through seeking
information on the internet to complete their projects.

But because some educators are still believing in the old ways of teaching,
they don’t believe that a child can learn through the use of gadgets like
computers it then means that this learners might reach tertiary levels
without knowing how to use a computer. This educators also feel that it is
difficult for them to integrate computers into classroom instruction practices
and that it is time consuming to prepare lessons in which computers are
used. Most of them depend on the administrative staff to type their work or
just photocopy the work. Those educators that wish or are intergrating ICT
in their lesson sit with the problem of large classes and this means
children must share the computer or take them in groups which means one
lesson can take the whole week. Other cases reported are the sufficient
upgrade of computers and the frequent non availability of the internet. Then
there are schools who still don’t have telecommunication lines and
electricity meaning that for this schools to implement the use of ICT for
teaching and learning won’t be possible. Until such time the department can
implement such basic needs like electricity and addition of classes then this
schools must teach using the old style of teaching (writing on the
chalkboard).

4. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

Computers are part of our daily lives, each time a cashier scans a barcode
in a shop a computer is involved. This is the case too,when our learners
 use facebook and mixit. Computers are now vastly used in different
organizations hence the department feel that computers must be
intergrated in schools too. Learners therefore need to develop ICT skills so
that they can function effectively in the changing society and can contribute
to the sustained use of ICT’s. The department with the assistance of the
principals should therefore ensure that educator’s are trained regularly on
the use of ICT. Training will make them feel confident to teach mathematics
and science using the latest technology developments within the
curriculum. With training educators will actually realize that computers can
actually save them time, for example giving children a task that they can
actually research during their computer period and enable them to do their
work faster, more neatly and more efficiently.

The use of ICT also enable learners to have a good understanding of ICT,
with measures in place for assessing their competence in mathematics and
science. The children also learn to be independent because they try to
solve problems on their own rather than waiting for the teacher to assist
them, this promote active learning strategies. Because most children enjoy
using gadgets, they behave much better in the computer room and the
absenteeism rate drops.

The aim of this research is therefore to :

• Increase proficiency with ICT when teaching mathematics and

science,

• An understanding by educator’s of how learner’s can benefit

from intergrate their learning areas with ICT,

• Knowledge about educational ICT and content mastery of the

educator.

• Ability of the learner to engage in learning mathematics and

science practices through the use of ICT skills.
Survey Instrument for use of ICTs in Schools
Biographical information

Name of School
What is the quintile of your school? 1 2 3 4 5
Deputy Senior
Indicate the designation of the Principa
HOD Teacher
respondent in the school l Principa Teach
l er

Province What is the gender of Femal Male

respondent? e
How many learners are enrolled Number of computers for
in your school? administrators
Number of computers for Number of computers for learners
teachers
Leadership and Management

The school has a documented/written Strongly Strongly Do not

Agree Disagree
vision for the use of ICTs in the school. Agree Disagree know

The school’s ICT vision is understood by the Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree know
staff.

The school allocates an annual budget for Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree know
ICTs.

ICTs are used for sharing ideas between Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree know
staff members.

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not

ICTs are used for school management. Agree Disagree know

The principal supports the use of ICTs for Strongly Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree
teaching and learning. Agree Disagree know

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not

ICTs are used to communicate with parents Agree Disagree know

ICTs are used to record student Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree know
performance data

ICTs are used to generate the school time Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree know
table

ICTs are used to generate the end of year Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree know
schedule

The District supports the use of ICTs at the Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Do not
Agree Disagree know
school

Curriculum

Strongl
Do
Planning is done to identify opportunities to use Strongly Disagr y
Agree not
ICT to support learning and teaching Agree ee Disagre
know
e

Learner experiences of ICTs are focused on Strongly Agree Disagr Strongl Do

computer literacy Agree ee y not
Disagre
 e know

ICT’s are used as supplement to existing Strongly Agree Disagr Strongl Do

curriculum Agree ee y not
Disagre know
e

Strongly Agree Disagr Strongl Do

There are opportunities for learners to use ICT to Agree ee y not
support their own learning Disagre know
e

Strongly Agree Disagr Strongl Do

Members of staff collaborate in using ICTs for Agree ee y not
teaching and learning Disagre know
e

Strongly Agree Disagr Strongl Do

ICTs are only used by IT and CAT teachers and Agree ee y not
students Disagre know
e

ICTs are used in the teaching of:

 Mathematics  Biology  Natural Sciences

 Other

Learning and Teaching

Strongl
Teachers use ICTs to provide support for Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
teaching and learning y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
The use of ICTs for teaching and learning Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
is well planned
e

Teachers are encouraged to explore new Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not
technologies y Agree e y know
Disagre
 e

Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
Teachers use ICTs to access web-based
e
resources
Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Teacher’s use ICT as supportive learning Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
aids
e

Teachers use ICT to assist learners with Strongl

barriers Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Students use ICTs to access web-based Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
resources
e

Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Learners use ICTs to share ideas about Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
school activities
e

Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Learners use ICTs to facilitate group Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
learning activities
e

Strongl
Learners use ICTs to communicate with Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
learners from other schools y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
Learners develop their own ICT resources y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl
Learners have access to the computer lab Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
when they are not in time-tabled classes y Agree e Disagre know
e

Professional Development
 Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
Regular audits are undertaken to e
establish staff ICT needs
Strongl
Regular and systematic review of the ICT Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
skills of staff y Agree e Disagre know
e
Regularly attending course to update ICT
skills and knowlegde Strongl
Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Staff development programmes in ICTs
Disagre
are provided
e

Strongl
Monitoring and evaluation of staff Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
development in ICTs is undertaken y Agree e Disagre know
e

Assessment

Strongl
E-resources developed by your school are Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
used by other schools y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl
The impact of ICT on learning and Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
teaching is evaluated y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
ICTs are used in assessment activities Disagre
e

Extending opportunities for learning

ICT is valued by the school as a key Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not
resource for learning in the community y Agree e y know
Disagre
 e

Strongl
The school is involved in effective ICT Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
partnerships with other organisations y Agree e Disagre know
e

Resources

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
The school has a well equipped computer
Disagre
laboratory
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
The computer laboratory is suitable for
Disagre
teaching and learning
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Reliable Internet connectivity is available Disagre
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Adequate technical support is provided Disagre
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Hardware and software are regularly
Disagre
updated
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Procurement of ICT resources is well
Disagre
planned
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Teachers have access to e-resources in
Disagre
the school
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Teachers develop e-resources for the
Disagre
curriculum
e

The school provides e-resources procured Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not
 y Agree e y know
from non-African countries Disagre
e

Strongl
E-resources developed by your school are Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
used by other schools y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl
Sufficient resources are available to cater Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
for all the learners y Agree e Disagre know
e

Teachers use resources from:

 DoE website  Thutong  Currikie

 Microsoft Digital Library  Microsoft Partners in  Skool.co.za

Learning

 Wikipedia Encarta 2007/8

Impact on student outcomes

Strongl
Learners are assessed on their progress in Strongl Disagre y Do not
Agree
using ICTs y Agree e Disagre know
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
ICTs have a positive impact on learning
Disagre
e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

ICTs generate interest in learning y Agree e y know
amongst learners Disagre
e

Learners support each other in learning Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not
through ICTs y Agree e y know
Disagre
Develop independence and responsibility e

Strongl Agree Disagre Strongl Do not

y Agree e y know
Disagre
 e

Thank you.

You have no literature review. You only included a copy of the original proposal???
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