Abstract:

Researchers agree that technology can be used effectively as a cognitive tool for teaching and learning in the classroom. Students make greater conceptual gains; either when using the computer to prepare for laboratories than those who use the textbook and solve additional problems on the topic, and are more capable to integrate knowledge (Zacharia & Anderson, 2003). With respect to mathematics teaching in particular, researchers have argued that technology has the potential for enhancing instruction. However, teachers’ attitudes and beliefs have been identified as barriers affecting teachers’ use of technology for instruction (Hew & Brush, 2007) and problems can emerge when teachers’ beliefs are ignored. Teachers’ beliefs drive many of their decisions about the use of technology.

The aim of this research is to examine the influence of grade 10 to 12 mathematics teachers’ behavioural beliefs, normative beliefs and control beliefs on their intention to use dynamic software in their classroom. These beliefs will therefore, according to Theory of Planned Behaviour, determine teachers’ behaviour intention and their actual use of dynamic software.

The study adopted the co-relational research design. Both correlation statistics and regression analyses were used to analyse the data. Two samples of teachers were used for this study. The first sample consisted of 13 high school teachers from 7 different schools in a semi-urban part of South Africa. The second sample consisted of 13 high school teachers from 8 different urban schools in South Africa.

The study found a high significant correlation of 0.902 between the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived compatibility of using dynamic software for teaching. From the regression analyses, however, it emerged that the only significant predictor of attitude towards the use of dynamic software is the perceived usefulness of it. The implication is that the perceived compatibility does not directly determine the attitude but rather work through the perceived usefulness to influence the attitude. The perceived complexity of dynamic software did not have a significant influence in the attitude towards the use of dynamic software.

The results indicate that the expectations of the parents or the colleagues did not have any significant impact on the teachers’ decision to use dynamic geometry. This is understandable because in a normal schooling context teachers have the authority to make their own decisions in the classroom. Both the general technology proficiency of the teacher and the external factors relate to the perceived behaviour control. A strong positive statistical significant relationship of 0.754 was found between perceived behaviour control and the general technology proficiency of the teachers.

References:
[1] Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behaviour. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
[2] Hew, K.F., & Brush, T. (2007). Integrating technology into K-12 teaching and learning: current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(3), 223-252.
[3] Zacharia, Z & Anderson, O.R. (2003). The effects of an interactive computer-based simulation prior to performing a laboratory inquiry-based experiment on students' conceptual understanding of physics. American Journal of Physics, 71, 618.

Keywords:

Dynamic software, conditions.