Integrating Technology Resources in a
Secondary Mathematics Classroom
Molly
McKee
University of West Georgia
Introduction
Technology
and education are both areas that are constantly changing and evolving. To provide students with the best possible
education, educators must learn how to effectively incorporate technology into
the classroom. The use of technology in the
classroom is lagging behind current technology trends. Classroom technology needs to parallel the
types of technology students are using outside the classroom. In the area of mathematics, the primary
technology resource is a calculator. Greater
efforts need to be made to integrate all sorts of technology into the secondary
mathematics classroom. Secondary
mathematics units that consist primarily of technology centered learning have
the potential to increase student comprehension on district benchmark tests and
raise student engagement depending on the level of proficiency the instructor
has with the given technological tools.
Technology
is one of the six principles created by the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM) for school Mathematics.
The Technology Principle states that “technology is essential in
teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught
and enhances students’ learning (NCTM, 2005, p.24). The Common Core Standards that are currently
being implemented across the nation align with the goals of NCTM’s technology
principle. The Common Core State
Standards for Mathematics number five, entitled use appropriate tools strategically,
states:
When making mathematical models, [students] know that technology can
enable them to visualize the results of varying assumptions, explore
consequences, and compare predictions with data. Mathematically proficient students at various grade
levels are able to identify relevant external mathematical resources, such as
digital content located on a website, and use them to pose or solve problems. They are able to use technological tools to explore
and deepen their understanding of concepts. (p.7)
Although
the ideal mathematics curricula presented by NCTM and the Common Core standards
are attainable, implementation can prove to be challenging. It is the responsibility of educators and the
educational system to ensure that integrating technology in to the classroom
and curricula are successful. Teachers
must be open to learning new ways to teach, and administrators must offer
teachers an opportunity to learn new techniques. It is impossible for teachers to make
substantial and effective changes in their classrooms, if they are not provided
with proper direction and instruction on how to achieve success (Apple, 1992).
As technology changes and becomes
more prevalent in everyday society, educators need to become comfortable with
using technology as an instruction tool and students need to learn how to
operate the tools they will be using in future professions. Research needs to be done to establish if
instructional technology is an enhancement to current teaching styles or if it
will hinder student learning. Since
student engagement and retention is always an important factor in education, we
need to discover if integrating technology into the classroom will increase
these factors.
Research Questions
The
purpose of this mixed methods pilot study is to investigate the effects
technology integration has on student mathematical comprehension and subsequent
standardized test scores. The research questions
being addressed through this study are: Does a technology enhanced unit plan
increase student comprehension and retention in high school mathematics? How does technology affect student
comprehension in the secondary mathematics classroom? How do teacher perceptions and expertise with
technology affect technology integration in the secondary mathematics
classroom?
The
instrument used
to collect the quantitative research data will be benchmark
exams created and administered by the district. Benchmark exams are local
formative assessments that have been previously used to gauge student
achievement, comprehension, and retention.
The qualitative research
will be conducted by using a variation of the Survey
of Preservice Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching and Technology created by Schmidt,
Baran, Thompson, Koehler, Mishra, and Shin. The survey must be altered because the
original is intended for pre-service teachers the research for this study will be
conducted with in-service teachers. The reliability of the scores of the
survey, documented by Schmidt (2009), is as follows:
Reliability of the Scores (from Schmidt et al, 2009).
TPACK Doman
|
Internal Consistency (alpha)
|
Technology Knowledge (TK)
|
.86
|
Content Knowledge (CK)
|
|
Social Studies
|
.82
|
Mathematics
|
.83
|
Science
|
.78
|
Literacy
|
.83
|
Pedagogy Knowledge (PK)
|
.87
|
Pedagogical Content
Knowledge (PCK)
|
.87
|
Technological
Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK)
|
.93
|
Technological
Content Knowledge (TCK)
|
.86
|
Technological
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)
|
.89
|
Purpose
The purpose of this pilot study
is to measure how effective technology integration is on student engagement and
comprehension in secondary mathematics classrooms. The direct goal of this study is to use the
results of other researchers in conjunction with research on available
technology resources to determine if it is possible to create an effective
mathematics unit taught primarily through the integration of technology. The research from this study will contribute
to the current literature and research on technology integration in a variety
of ways. The existing research conducted
by scholars such as Stiler (2007), focuses specifically on integrating one type
of technology to enhance an entire curriculum, rather than using a variety of
resources to expand the enrichment a specific unit.
The results of this study will
directly benefit all teachers of the new common core mathematics curriculum. Siegle (2004) discusses the benefits of
technology for the advancement of gifted students, while Smith and Robinson
(2003) stress how the use of technology can be used to aid in the remediation
and advancement of students with special needs.
Therefore, the secondary goal of this study is to demonstrate how
technology can be integrated into any type of classroom environment to increase
student comprehension and engagement on all levels.
References
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