Abstract
We report the results of a classroom study of three secondary mathematics teachers who had no prior experience teaching with technology as they began to use an online mathematics learning system in their lessons. We gave the teachers only basic instruction on how to operate the system and then observed them intensively over four school terms as they taught using it. We documented changes in the teachers’ Pedagogical Technology Knowledge and subsequently classified their various roles as technology bystanders, adopters, adaptors and innovators. Results show that all teachers made some progress toward using the system in more sophisticated ways, but the improvements were not uniform across the teachers. We suggest possible reasons to explain the variation and discuss some implications for teacher professional development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnold, S. (2004). Mathematics education for the Third Millenium: Visions of a future for handheld classroom technology. In I. Putt, R. Faragher, & M. McLean (Eds.), Mathematics education for the third millennium: towards 2010, (Proceedings of the 27th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (pp, Vol. 1, pp. 16–28). Sydney: MERGA.
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. (2006). Standards for excellence in teaching mathematics in Australian schools. Adelaide: AAMT.
Bennett, S., & Lockyer, L. (1999). The impact of digital technologies on teaching and learning in K-12 education: a research and literature review. Melbourne: Curriculum Corporation.
Bennison, A., & Goos, M. (2010). Learning to teach mathematics with technology: a survey of professional development needs, experiences and impacts. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 22(1), 31–56.
Berry, J. S., Graham, T., Honey, S., & Headlam, C. (2007). A case study of the issues arising when teachers adopt the use of a new form of technology in their teaching for the first time. International Journal for Technology in Mathematics Education, 14, 150–160.
Commonwealth of Australia (2009). Shape of the Australian curriculum: mathematics. Retrieved 16 August 2010 from the World Wide Web: http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Australian_Curriculum_-_Maths.pdf
Darling-Hammond, L. (1998). Teacher learning that supports student learning. Educational Leadership, 55(5), 6–11.
Fitzallen, N. (2005). Integrating ICT into professional practice: A case study of four mathematics teachers. In P. Clarkson, D. Gronn, M. Horne, A. McDonough, R. Pierce, & A. Roche (Eds.), Building connections: research, theory and practice (Proceedings of the 28th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (pp. 353–360). Sydney: MERGA.
Forgasz, H. (2006). Factors that encourage or inhibit computer use for secondary mathematics teaching. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 25, 77–93.
Garofalo, J., Drier, H., Harper, S., Timmerman, M. A., & Shockey, T. (2000). Promoting appropriate uses of technology in mathematics teacher preparation. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 1(1), 66–88.
Goos, M. (2005). A sociocultural analysis of the development of pre-service and beginning teachers’ pedagogical identities as users of technology. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 8, 35–39.
Goos, M., & Bennison, A. (2007). Technology-enriched teaching of secondary mathematics: Factors influencing innovative practice. In J. Watson & K. Beswick (Eds.), Mathematics: essential research, essential practice, (Proceedings of the 30th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (pp, Vol. 1, pp. 315–324). Hobart: MERGA.
Goos, M., Dole, S., & Makar, K. (2007). Designing professional development to support teachers’ learning in complex environments. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 8, 23–47.
Goos, M., Galbraith, P., Renshaw, P., & Geiger, V. (2000). Reshaping teacher and student roles in technology-enriched classrooms. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 12, 303–320.
Guskey, T. R. (2003). What makes professional development effective? Phi Delta Kappan, 84, 748–750.
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2005). What happens when teachers design educational technology? The development of technological pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 32, 131–152.
Lawless, K. A., & Pellegrino, J. W. (2007). Professional development in integrating technology into teaching and learning: knowns, unknowns, and ways to pursue better questions and answers. Review of Educational Research, 77, 575–614.
Lee, H., & Hollebrands, K. (2008). Preparing to teach mathematics with technology: an integrated approach to developing technological pedagogical content knowledge. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 8, 326–341.
Levin, T., & Wadmany, R. (2008). Teachers’ views on factors affecting effective integration of information technology in the classroom: developmental scenery. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 16, 233–263.
Norton, S., McRobbie, C. J., & Cooper, T. J. (2000). Exploring secondary mathematics teachers’ reasons for not using computers in their teaching: five case studies. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 33, 87–109.
Pegg, J., Reading, C., & Williams, M. (2007). Partnerships in ICT Learning Study: Full Report. Canberra, Australia: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Schulman, L. (1986). Those who understand: knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14.
Thomas, M. O. J., & Chinnappan, M. (2008). Teaching and learning with technology: Realising the potential. In H. Forgasz, A. Barkatsas, A. Bishop, B. Clarke, S. Keast, W.-T. Seah, P. Sullivan, & S. Willis (Eds.), Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2004–2007 (pp. 167–194). Sydney: Sense Publishers.
Thomas, M. O. J., & Hong, Y. Y. (2005). Teacher factors in integration of graphics calculators into mathematics learning. In H. L. Chick & J. L. Vincent (Eds.), Proceedings of the 29th annual conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathemaics Education (Vol. 4, pp. 257–264). Melbourne: University of Melbourne.
Watson, G. (2001). Models of information technology teacher professional development that engage with teachers’ hearts and minds. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 10, 179–190.
Windschitl, M., & Sahl, K. (2002). Tracing teachers’ use of technology in a laptop computer school: the interplay of teacher beliefs, social dynamics, and institutional culture. American Educational Research Journal, 39, 165–205.
Wozney, L., Venkatesh, V., & Abrami, P. C. (2006). Implementing computer technologies: teachers’ perceptions and practices. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 14, 173–207.
Zbiek, R. M., & Hollebrands, K. (2008). A research-informed view of the process of incorporating mathematics technology into classroom practice by in-service and prospective teachers. In M. K. Heid & G. W. Blume (Eds.), Research on technology and the teaching and learning of mathematics: Syntheses, cases and perspectives (Vol. 1, pp. 287–344). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Acknowledgement
The investigation reported in this paper was part of a larger study funded by a Macquarie University External Collaborative Grant and a matching grant from the Cambridge HOTmaths company. We are grateful to our research assistant, Dr Heather McMaster, for her skill and insight in conducting the observations and interviews.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cavanagh, M., Mitchelmore, M. Learning to teach secondary mathematics using an online learning system. Math Ed Res J 23, 417–435 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-011-0024-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-011-0024-1