The relationship between using information and communication technology in education and the mathematics achievement of students

Abstract

In his State of the Nation address on 7 February 2019, the president of the Republic of South Africa. Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, stated that the government would provide digital workbooks and textbooks to every school child in South Africa by 2025. (De Villiers, 2019). This announcement begs the question how effective the incorporation of Information and Computer Technology (ICT) is in Education. This study adapted the comprehensive model of educational effectiveness created by Creemers (1994) to explore the relationship between the use of educational technology in mathematics and mathematics achievement in South Africa. The questionnaire responses from Grade 5 students, their mathematics teachers and school principals, participating in TIMSS 2015 research project, have been utilised in this study. Findings from descriptive statistics showed that almost 90% of the students were taught by teachers who did not have computers in their mathematics classrooms. Consequently, only 10% of students were taught by teachers who utilised computers in the classroom. The minority of these teachers used computers ‘every, or almost every, day’ in order to explore mathematical concepts (8.37%), to search for ideas relating to mathematics (2.14%) or to practice mathematical skills and procedures (6.26%). Hierarchical linear modelling revealed that students that were in mathematical classes with computers generally outperformed those who didn’t have computers.