scholarly journals The Paradox of Ghanaian High School Mathematics Teachers’ Perspectives on ICT Use

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-194
Author(s):  
Farouq Sessah Mensah ◽  
Douglas Darko Agyei
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ict Use ◽  
High School Mathematics Teachers

The paper sought to investigate the perceived use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) of high school mathematics teachers in Ghana. A hundred high school mathematics teachers from 20 public schools,10 each located in the rural and urban areas respectively in the Central region of Ghana, were stratified and used in the study. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The result of the study indicated low levels of perceived knowledge/skills of ICT use by high school mathematics teachers, contrary to their reported high usage levels of ICTs. The findings of the study also indicated that the high school mathematics teachers’ ICT use in a professional related context (instructional delivery, assessment, and professional learning network) was minimal compared to use for social networking, although they seemed to be fully aware of the relevance of using ICT in a professional related manner. Similarly, their reported technical knowledge/skills of ICT were low. Thus, the results of the study suggest that, though the teachers reported high ICT usage, actual usage seems to be at the peripheries. Among other things,  this study has implications for curriculum development and training in Ghana and countries of similar context. It may be necessary for the  Curriculum Research Development Division (CRDD) of the Ghana Education Service in collaboration with the related agencies to explicitly define parameters such as what ICT tools must be used, when they must be used, and how they should be used when reviewing and revising their mathematics teaching curriculum.  

scholarly journals Philosophy of teaching, teaching style and ICT use: a qualitative study of the perspectives of high school mathematics teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Farouq Sessah Mensah ◽  
Douglas Darko Agyei
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Teaching Style ◽  
Teaching Styles ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
Teaching Approaches ◽  
Philosophical Foundations ◽  
Ict Use ◽  
High School Mathematics Teachers

This study is a response to findings that have shown the importance of teachers’ philosophy, teaching styles and ICT use in impacting student learning outcomes. The study adopted an exploratory case design to explore the philosophical foundations, teaching styles and the levels of ICT use of six high school mathematics teachers in Ghana. Data for the study was collected using semi-structured interviews. The study found that the high school teachers used mainly the teacher-centred teaching approaches in which they dominate classroom instruction by disseminating knowledge to their learners. In spite of its perceived potentials, the study also reported low usages of ICT in instructional delivery among the teachers. Interestingly, the philosophy of teaching reported in the study by the teachers resonates with their current teaching style and ICT usage levels; the study found that the high school mathematics teachers hugely subscribed to the absolutist philosophical views of teaching mathematics which takes root in teacher-dominated teaching approaches. Consequently, the study reiterates that if teachers hold philosophical views that support the absolutist school of thought, they are likely to use delivery strategies which do not support ICT use but position the teacher to assume a central role in the instructional processes.

scholarly journals Junior high school mathematics teachers’ knowledge in calculators

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-93
Author(s):  
Isaac Bengre Taley ◽  
Matilda Sarpong Adusei
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Junior High ◽  
Real Life ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
High School Mathematics ◽  
School Students ◽  
High School Mathematics Teachers

Helping junior high school students to use calculators and computers for problem solving and investigating real-life situations is an objective of the junior high school mathematics curriculum in Ghana. Ironically, there is a technological drought in junior high school mathematics instruction in Ghana, with a suspicion that mathematics teachers’ competency in the use of calculators for teaching may be the source of this lack of use. This study sought to establish a correlation between junior high school mathematics teachers’ competence and the motivation supporting the use of calculators in teaching.  A descriptive survey comprising of a test and questionnaire was used to collect data from junior high school mathematics teachers in an educational district in Ghana. Teacher characteristics such as educational attainment, age, and gender in relation to teachers’ competency in the use of calculators were discussed in the study. The results showed that about 70% of the teachers exhibited a low level of calculator competence. Besides, novice teachers outperformed expert teachers in the calculator competency-based test. Additionally, mathematics teachers’ enthusiasm for using calculators in teaching was directly associated with the teachers’ level of competency. The findings may send a signal to stakeholders in their efforts to revising the Ghana JHS curriculum in order to actualize the curriculum desire for the integration of technology in the teaching and learning of JHS mathematics.

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