USING INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARDS TO TEACH MATHEMATICS: EXAMINING TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES

IWBs are becoming increasingly available in Australian (including Tasmanian) schools, with their use presenting both challenges and opportunities to teachers, particularly in the area of professional learning. Much of the research in this area has been conducted elsewhere, principally in the UK where the crucial role of the teacher in maximising the effectiveness of the technology has been highlighted. The study reported on in this paper used student and teacher surveys and classroom observations to determine how a selection of primary and high school teachers incorporate IWBs in their teaching of mathematics. Using data gathered from the surveys and reference to the research literature, the authors planned and implemented an intervention program with the teachers which focussed on the innovative use of IWBs in mathematics teaching with the aim being to enhance practice. Preliminary results indicated that teachers and students tended to focus on the presentation aspects of the technology, and that whole class interaction was the main pedagogical approach used. The authors report on the changes that occurred in teachers’ practice as a result of the intervention and provide implications and recommendations for professional learning in this area.