Intermediate phase mathematics teachers’ integration of ICT within a blended learning environment

Abstract

Interventions to address South Africa’s mathematics educational crisis are ample, but little to none of them integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within a blended learning environment (BLE) (Padayachee, Boshoff, Olivier, & Harding, 2011). Teaching within a BLE has a positive impact on the learning experiences of learners and it can be independent of traditional time constraints. The internet, as an integral part of Information and Communication Technology, makes it easier than before to reach rural communities that were previously isolated from current and best practices. In effect improving equity to high quality mathematics education.

This study aimed to explore the experiences of three intermediate phase mathematics teachers’ experiences while integrating ICT within a BLE. This contributed to the larger pool of academic literature and the Department of Basic Education’s vision of developing citizens who are critical and active lifelong learners.

This study is qualitative in nature and follows an interpretivist paradigm to understand the subjective experiences of the participants and to create new understandings within a specific context (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007). Through purposive sampling three intermediate phase mathematics teachers were selected from a rural school in the Northern Cape to capture the uniqueness and complexity of the case. Data from semi-structured interviews and scheduled observations were analysed deductively according to the four main variables of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology framework, namely facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, social influence, and effort expectancy (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003).

This study found that all three teachers believe that the integration of ICT within a BLE will enhance the teaching and learning experiences within the mathematics classroom. Two of the more experienced teachers successfully integrated ICT in their lessons taught within a BLE whereas one of them experienced several difficulties. The teachers who integrated ICT successfully within a BLE planned their individual lessons to not be too heavily dependent on ICT contrary to the teacher who experienced teaching difficulties who relied too heavily on ICT.