The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of Mathematics teachers using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as educational tool in their classrooms. This study focuses on the Mathematics teachers’ 21st century-oriented pedagogical practices that propagate learning outcomes that are considered essential for all learners to prosper in this ever-changing and demanding information society. The learning competencies considered are termed lifelong competencies as they transcend the classroom and school environment and can thus be used to solve authentic problems in day-to-day life. The development of these learning competencies, especially by using ICT, has become vital in equipping learners with the necessary skills to become confident citizens in this globalised world. The role the teacher plays is increasingly acknowledged as having a major impact on this process. An essential assumption of this study is that learning activities facilitated by teachers utilising ICT efficiently and effectively as an educational tool have the potential of enhancing the quality of learning competencies. Moreover, as the role of the teacher in these activities is highly important, the teacher’s characteristics and background have the potential to determine the overall success of the learners. Using the underlying principles of Activity Theory and the conceptual framework of SITES 2006 this study investigates the relationship between these three components, i.e. ICT integration, learning competencies, and teacher background and characteristics. The intricate relationships that exist among these three components are investigated in this study in the context of Mathematics education. This is a secondary data analysis study that utilises data from the SITES 2006 South African Mathematics teachers’ questionnaire. Only Mathematics teachers who indicated using ICT as an educational tool in the discovery of Mathematics principles and concepts were considered. Using Spearman’s correlation coefficient, the data was analysed to determine the strength of the relationships among the variables. Findings of the study suggest that certain teacher characteristics do indeed influence the probability of teachers developing certain learning competencies in learners. Moreover, the findings indicate that a number of the learning competencies investigated in this study are not as readily attained as others. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2013 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

As technology development is advancing almost exponentially, it has since touched almost every aspect in our lives, from work to recreation. Therefore, in view of the extent to which technology is integrated in modern socio-economic settings, this study undertook to investigate South African schools readiness to integrate ICT. The following research questions were investigated: What is the relationship between the importance of ICT use for 21st Century Skill Development and obstructions hindering ICT goals in the light of currently available Infrastructure in South African schools? What is the relationship between the importance of ICT use for 21st Century Skill Development and obstructions hindering ICT goals in the light of currently available Human Resources in South African schools? A Spearman’s rho correlation was calculated, using SITES 2006 data obtained from the Principal Questionnaire (Brese & Carstens, 2009). It was found that all of the influencing factors, pertaining to both Infrastructure and Human Resources, showed a weak, to very weak negative correlation with the ICT goals under question. This means that, though the relationship is not strong, the influencing factors are hindering schools from reaching ICT goals for 21st Century Skills Development. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become part of education as it has, in many cases, become the mode of choice of communication with people in all spheres of life. It provides teachers with the opportunity to access information from a vast array of resources that assists them in their teaching practices. Education in South Africa is constantly transforming to new requirements from the National Department of Education (NDoE). The fundamentals of Outcomes Based Education are lifelong learning and the development of 21st century skills that allow learners to use information for different contexts. ICT enables teachers and learners to access computer systems to develop skills, interact with their peers, colleagues, and the global society. Even though teachers know the value of ICT in teaching and learning, the pedagogical use of ICT in South African schools remains limited. In the SITES 2006, South African teachers acknowledged that they were enthusiastic to explore new ways to make teaching and learning more interesting, but that they encountered many barriers that hinder the pedagogical use of ICT for mathematics. This research has determined that the teachers’ ICT pedagogical knowledge contributed towards more effective teaching and learning practices of mathematics in South African schools. The study also describes how insufficient ICT pedagogical knowledge affected teachers’ confidence to explore ICT tools. This study followed a secondary data analysis (SDA) of the Second International Information Technology in Education Study of 2006 (SITES 2006) data from the 640 participating mathematics teachers in South Africa. The correlated data describes the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) of mathematics teachers while making use of ICT. Continuous professional teacher development is required to focus on the attainment of information technology pedagogical knowledge to further the use of ICT on the teaching of Mathematics. The study also indicates that South Africa lags far behind the other 22 countries that participated in SITES 2006. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become part of education as it has, in many cases, become the mode of choice of communication with people in all spheres of life. It provides teachers with the opportunity to access information from a vast array of resources that assists them in their teaching practices. Education in South Africa is constantly transforming to new requirements from the National Department of Education (NDoE). The fundamentals of Outcomes Based Education are lifelong learning and the development of 21st century skills that allow learners to use information for different contexts. ICT enables teachers and learners to access computer systems to develop skills, interact with their peers, colleagues, and the global society. Even though teachers know the value of ICT in teaching and learning, the pedagogical use of ICT in South African schools remains limited. In the SITES 2006, South African teachers acknowledged that they were enthusiastic to explore new ways to make teaching and learning more interesting, but that they encountered many barriers that hinder the pedagogical use of ICT for mathematics. This research has determined that the teachers’ ICT pedagogical knowledge contributed towards more effective teaching and learning practices of mathematics in South African schools. The study also describes how insufficient ICT pedagogical knowledge affected teachers’ confidence to explore ICT tools. This study followed a secondary data analysis (SDA) of the Second International Information Technology in Education Study of 2006 (SITES 2006) data from the 640 participating mathematics teachers in South Africa. The correlated data describes the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) of mathematics teachers while making use of ICT. Continuous professional teacher development is required to focus on the attainment of information technology pedagogical knowledge to further the use of ICT on the teaching of Mathematics. The study also indicates that South Africa lags far behind the other 22 countries that participated in SITES 2006. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.