The ubiquity of mobile devices together with their potential to bridge classroom learning to real-world settings has added a new perspective to contextualising mathematics learning, but this needs further exploration. The aim of this thesis is to examine the effects of using mobile technologies on students’ attitudes, engagement and achievement in mathematics. The study starts with a systematic review of maths and mobile learning studies followed by three iterations of data collection. The three studies were mixed-methods studies guided by the micro, meso, macro (M3) Evaluation Framework. The studies included eight mobile learning sessions spread over three months covering topics on geometry and information handling. These sessions were conducted as collaborative learning activities in indoor and outdoor settings. Participants were Primary 6 and 7 students from three different schools in Scotland. In Study 1 (a single-group design, n=24), students had positive evaluations of mobile learning but some technical problems experienced lessened their initially positive views. There was a small effect in student self-confidence (ES=.20) and a significant positive difference between pre and post-test achievement scores. Breakdowns identified via the critical incident analysis in Study 1 informed the activity design of Study 2. In Study 2 (a quasi-experimental design, n=52), students had more positive perceptions about the use of mobile technology. The experimental group had higher gain scores on the maths test than the control group. In Study 3, a randomised controlled trial over six weeks (n=74), students also had positive evaluations of the mobile learning activities but this varied by gender. Analysis of the maths test scores with pre-test as covariate showed both groups had significantly improved their scores, but no significant treatment effect was found. For items relating to common student misconceptions on angles, students in the experimental group had significantly higher gains than the control group. The overall results from the three studies provide some evidence that students can have positive perceptions about the use of mobile technologies and that these can be effective in supporting students’ engagement and performance in mathematics, especially when learning takes place outside the classroom. It also showed that the success of a mobile learning intervention is dependent on various factors, such as student and teacher characteristics, stability of the technology and content compatibility, among other factors. There were several limitations including sample size, length of intervention, and programme fidelity. Implications for practice and future researchers are discussed.

In this study, the students in my Year 8 high school mathematics class and I set out to develop a functional and effective collaborative peer interactive classroom learning environment. This research was informed by the multiple theoretical perspectives of collaborative learning in mathematics education, Vygotskian learning and teaching approaches, and the Constructivist referent for pedagogic practices. Merging these perspectives into a viable foundation for our classroom practices led to the successful development of our collaborative peer interactive classroom learning environment.Working in groups of three or four, the students developed their social norms and utilised a collaborative approach to their learning of mathematics. Groups engaged in discussion, explanation, negotiation, peer teaching, giving help, receiving help and consensus building as part of their daily routine in our classroom. I kept qualitative and quantitative records of our progress as we worked to improve our collaborative peer interactive classroom learning environment during the first six months of the school year. I collected daily fieldnotes, audio and video recordings, observations taken by researcher colleagues, learning environment surveys and a variety of other artefacts. All of this data was analysed daily, weekly and monthly, so producing the monthly narratives upon which we based our determination of the success of this implementation.By adopting a Vygotskian perspective we utilised our peer interactive environment to develop and enhance 'scientific' and 'everyday' concepts through individual and group dynamic, overlapping (multiple) 'zones of proximal development' as well as our classwide 'zone of proximal development'. Our constructivist perspective aided us in focusing on our prior knowledge and experiences, which in turn enhanced the effectiveness of our collaborative ++ / classroom learning environment. We utilised the MCI and CLES learning environment measures to direct our endeavours to further improve our collaborative peer interactive classroom learning environment. The detailed analysis of the data from Months 1, 2 and 3 of this implementation, coupled with highlight analysis of the data from Months 4, 5 and 6, led me to conclude that teachers and their students can develop a functional and effective collaborative peer interactive classroom learning environment based on the multiple theoretical perspectives utilised in this study.This research improved my practice as a teacher and provided a functional and effective collaborative peer interactive classroom learning environment for the students to work in. It informed many of the calls for further research of this type and established that the theoretical concepts, upon which the implementation was founded, were valuable and useful in the practical setting of our collaborative peer interactive classroom. The findings are also valuable for the support which they offer to the latest movements in education, particularly the student-centred, outcomes-based approaches to learning and teaching. These approaches advocate the use of collaborative learning environments, and this study provides strong guidance as to how such environments can be successfully implemented.

The purpose of this study is to present arguments concerning a zestful learning for children ages 6-9 in mathematics. Four books in mathematics has specifically been analyzed to investigate what is written concerning a zestful learning. By means of an argumentation analysis within a qualitative text analysis the arguments are put forth. The didactic choices of the chosen literature are analyzed in a subject-matter didactic context. The result implicates a multitude of arguments and didactic choices supporting a zestful learning. The most prominent one is that teaching should presuppose the every-day life of the students, be varied concerning both education and environment and promote communication. Education should relate to joint experiences and clarify the already gained knowledge in math’s of the students, thus enhancing the students’ self-esteem within mathematical contexts: in addition, if students experience the usability of math’s and are given the opportunity to apply their body and senses in gaining this knowledge this is beneficial for zestful learning. To feel a desire to learn engages the students and motivates them to learn. As a conclusion there are many opportunities in creating zestful learning possibilities, prior research shows the importance of making the experience of learning enjoyable to promote a lifelong lust to learn, which is one of the assignments of school according to Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklass och fritidshemmet 2011 (Skolverket 2011).

The purpose of this study is to present arguments concerning a zestful learning for children ages 6-9 in mathematics. Four books in mathematics has specifically been analyzed to investigate what is written concerning a zestful learning. By means of an argumentation analysis within a qualitative text analysis the arguments are put forth. The didactic choices of the chosen literature are analyzed in a subject-matter didactic context. The result implicates a multitude of arguments and didactic choices supporting a zestful learning. The most prominent one is that teaching should presuppose the every-day life of the students, be varied concerning both education and environment and promote communication. Education should relate to joint experiences and clarify the already gained knowledge in math’s of the students, thus enhancing the students’ self-esteem within mathematical contexts: in addition, if students experience the usability of math’s and are given the opportunity to apply their body and senses in gaining this knowledge this is beneficial for zestful learning. To feel a desire to learn engages the students and motivates them to learn. As a conclusion there are many opportunities in creating zestful learning possibilities, prior research shows the importance of making the experience of learning enjoyable to promote a lifelong lust to learn, which is one of the assignments of school according to Läroplan för grundskolan, förskoleklass och fritidshemmet 2011 (Skolverket 2011).

Not often do mathematics teachers instruct to improve students' attitudes toward mathematics. The pressures to cover the state-mandated curriculum drive teachers to instruct for procedural understanding with few connections. The lack of real-life connections results in students with low motivation toward mathematics and results in poor mathematics attitude (Ma andamp; Kishor, 1997). The purpose of this mixed-methods research is to examine self-regulated learning as an instructional technique aimed at increasing mathematical attitudes while also increasing achievement and to reveal barriers to its implementation in the classroom.The research study involved an intervention in a Mid-South urban high school at the 9th grade level. All students who participated were enrolled in the middle track at the school, thus taking an Algebra I course. The intervention took place with four teachers in seven separate classes. Students were given the opportunity to regulate their own learning based on objectives for district and state requirements. In this pre/post design, students were surveyed for their mathematics attitude and achievement using the Attitude Toward Mathematics Inventory (Tapia, 1996) and a polynomial survey designed by the researcher. Teachers were surveyed and interviewed prior to the study to develop a sense of their teaching preferences. During the experiment classroom observations were conducted to assist in developing themes in the intervention. Following the study, extensive interviews took place with each participating teacher.Data analyses revealed no statistically significant difference between the control and experimental group in regards to mathematics attitude and achievement. Qualitative analysis using constant comparative strategies (Denzin andamp; Lincoln, 2000) revealed many teacher barriers and misconceptions. Teachers felt uncomfortable with the technique and were unable to allow the students to fully regulate their learning. The teachers imposed a timeline, quizzes, written tests, and direct instruction techniques on the students during the study. All of these created barriers to the students fully regulating their learning. Also, teachers' perceptions of learning and attitude were not valid. Teachers believed the students achieved at a lower level than with a traditional approach and viewed their attitudes as worse than normal. This was in direct contrast to the quantitative results.

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based outreach programme that addresses one aspect of a national strategic recommendation in South Africa. This outreach programme, which started in 1982, was in its twentieth year of existence in 2001 and provided support in mathematics and physical science to Grade 12 students and teachers from historically disadvantaged schools. This study examined the role that the outreach programmes played at two schools during 2001 and endeavoured to provide an analysis of the intended, implemented, perceived and achieved programmes for this year. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of this outreach programme in providing support to both teachers and students in the teaching and learning of mathematics and physical science. The goals and objectives of the outreach programme (the intended programme) were identified from documentation of the Outreach Project and interviews with Outreach Project managers. In addressing the implementation of the outreach programme (the implemented programme), lessons at each of the two, Mini-Computer Supported Education Centres (MICSECs) were observed over a period of four months. At one centre (Centre A), the lessons consisted of a formal (talk-and-chalk) presentation followed by an informal part when students worked on the computer in the same period. At the second centre (Centre B), the MICSEC was used as an adjunct to the normal classroom lesson, that is, students were taught in their normal classrooms and then, at least once a week, taken by their teacher to the MICSEC to do problem-solving on the computers. The perceptions of students (the perceived programme) were examined by an actual and preferred version of the Computer-Assisted Learning Environment Questionnaire and by interviews conducted with both individual students and groups. / At Centre A, the students preferred more involvement, more open-endedness, more organisation and more learning assessment opportunities in their computer-assisted classes but also less integration of computers in their every day classes whilst desiring investigation procedures in their classes to remain the same. At Centre B, students preferred to be more involved, to have more open-ended activities in their classes, have more learning assessment opportunities and a greater level of integration of computers but a reduction in investigative activities. Findings from student interviews were summarised as reflecting three viewpoints with regard to the inclusion of computer-assistance in classes. Students holding one viewpoint considered the inclusion of computer-assisted learning as important to their learning and were convinced that their interaction with the computer, fellow-students and teacher, led to an improvement in their learning. Students holding the second viewpoint conveyed a message of insecurity in the use of computers for they were not sure whether their working with computers made any difference to their learning. Many students' views were somewhere between the first and the second viewpoints which left the impression that these students were not convinced that using the computers would guarantee them success in the final examination. The third viewpoint was strongly articulated by a group of three students at Centre A and to a lesser degree at Centre B (one student), who considered that the new computer-assisted classes played no role in their learning and that teacher-centred classes would produce better results. The extent to which the outreach programme met its objectives (the achieved programme) included improved student performance on the matriculation examinations. / Teachers and students were generally positive of the support that they received but indicated that more computer terminals were required to address students' individual needs. The mean achievement of students at both schools improved in both mathematics and physical science, but more so in physical science. The MICSECs mainly served as a resource to students at the school where the centres were based and provided limited computer skills to students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. The findings of this study provided insight into the implementation of computer-assisted classes in two disadvantaged schools and the results can serve as baseline data for conducting research into computer-assisted learning environments in other secondary school grades in South Africa. However, it should be noted that students at the Grade 12 level also wanted a continuation of, indeed more of, teacher-centred teaching, in addition to the computer-assisted classes because of the perceived competency of teachers in helping them perform well in the matriculation examination.