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How different is it really? – rural and urban primary students’ use of ICT in mathematics

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Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers the potential for changing mathematics education for both teachers and students. However, how ICT is used, and by whom, is critical to realizing this potential. This paper reports on an investigation of the use of ICT in the learning and teaching of mathematics in rural and urban primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Thirty-six teachers and almost 700 students were surveyed regarding their use of ICT for mathematics at home and at school, with a small number of selected teachers and students taking part in interviews. This paper focuses on students’ perceptions of ICT use. A comparison of rural and urban students’ responses shows little difference across most aspects of ICT use, and where there was a difference, the frequency of rural use almost always exceeded that in urban schools.

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Notes

  1. See http://nrich.maths.org/public/

  2. See http://www.csiro.au/helix/mathsbyemail/newsletter/newsletter.html

  3. RG1 refers to Rural Girl 1

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR) and a Research Development grant from the Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University.

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  1. Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

    Esther Loong, Brian Doig & Susie Groves

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  1. Esther Loong
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  2. Brian Doig
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  3. Susie Groves
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Correspondence to Esther Loong.

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Loong, E., Doig, B. & Groves, S. How different is it really? – rural and urban primary students’ use of ICT in mathematics. Math Ed Res J 23, 189–211 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-011-0011-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-011-0011-6

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