The main objective of this study is to explore the effect of one taught course, a Logo module, on Kuwaiti elementary mathematics student-teachers’ beliefs about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Logo. The Logo module incorporated ICT, in particular the Logo programming language, as a cognitive tool, that supports the constructivist perspective for mathematics instruction. The Logo module comprised of 24-sessions (deducted from the hours of the Methods of Teaching Mathematics course) and was non-compulsory and non-credit bearing. It was developed and taught by the researcher during the Fall semester 2007 at the College of Basic Education in the State of Kuwait. The researcher was not employed by the College of Basic Education: his only relationship with the College was to conduct his research there. The intention of the module was to give student-teachers the opportunity to experiment with a powerful innovation in a practical mathematics instruction context, both as students and as teachers, thus, enable them to reflect on and reevaluate their beliefs about the nature of mathematics, the teaching and learning of mathematics, and using Logo as an ICT tool. The study explores how participation in the Logo module course may have influenced these beliefs and promoted more positive beliefs toward using ICT and in particular Logo programming language in their future mathematics classroom, and its potential to reform education and enhance students’ learning. The fact that Logo is not used yet in Kuwaiti schools for mathematics education is one of the drivers of this study. A mixed methodology was used, to explore mathematics student-teachers’ beliefs. Two instruments for collecting quantitative and qualitative data were used to explore student-teachers’ beliefs prior to and following their participation in the Logo module: 1. A beliefs questionnaire, administered to thirty-two (32) mathematics student-teachers as a pre- and post-test; 2. A Semi-structured interview, administered to six (6) student-teachers as a pre- and post-test. Specifically, data collected by these instruments, in this study, attempted to investigate and answer the following two key questions: 1. What are Kuwaiti mathematics student-teachers’ beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning and the impact of ICT? 2. What is the effect of using Logo in a mathematics education course on Kuwaiti mathematics student-teachers’ beliefs about Logo and the teaching of mathematics? Analysis of the results showed a strong change in beliefs in support of the use ICT in general and in particular the use of Logo in their future mathematics instruction, as well as toward using constructivist teaching pedagogies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:629197 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Sulaiman, N. A. J. |
| Publisher | Nottingham Trent University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/117/ |
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