- Title
- An investigation of how Visual Technology for the Autonomous Learning of Mathematics (VITALmaths) video clips on mobile phones can be used by student teachers as a visualisation tool in the teaching of Number Sense: a case study
- Creator
- Kangwa, Lemmy
- ThesisAdvisor
- Schafer, Marc
- Subject
- Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Zambia -- Case studies
- Subject
- Visualization
- Subject
- Number concept
- Subject
- Mobile communication systems in education
- Subject
- Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Software
- Subject
- Telecommunications in education
- Subject
- Educational innovations
- Subject
- VITALmaths
- Date
- 2017
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MEd
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6930
- Identifier
- vital:21201
- Description
- Visualisation is increasingly being recognised as having a significant role in the learning of mathematics especially when students are solving mathematical problems (Thornton, 2001). It is argued that visualisation is a powerful tool for learners to construct mental and physical representations that correctly mirror mathematical relationships and concepts. To gain a thorough understanding of the scope of visualisation, three Visual Technology for Autonomous Learning of Mathematics (VITALmaths) (www.vitalmaths.com) video clips were uploaded on mobile phones of each of the eleven participating student teachers who used them in their teaching practice. This is in cognisance of the educational potential offered by mobile phones and their current pervasiveness in the daily lives of both teachers and learners in Zambia (Zambia. Ministry of Education [M.O.E], 2013]). This study sought to investigate how VITALmaths video clips on mobile phones could be used by student teachers as a visualisation tool in the teaching of Number Sense. The videos of the lessons formed the core of my analysis. The study was conducted at four primary schools by eleven student teachers of a public university in Zambia. The study is framed as a case study and is grounded within the interpretive paradigm. The findings revealed that the student teachers’ use of the video clips in the classrooms for teaching was generally approached from two perspectives: at the beginning of the lesson or at the end. The videos were used at the beginning of the lesson as a means to introduce a topic or an idea, and at the end of the lesson to consolidate what was taught. The videos were also used to enhance the conceptual understanding of Number Sense. The findings also revealed that students encountered both enabling and constraining factors in their use of mobile phones to teach number sense. The overall findings revealed that, if well utilised, mobile phones as visualisation tools had the potential to enhance the teaching of Mathematics in general and Number Sense in particular, and therefore teachers should be encouraged to use them in their teaching.
- Format
- 117 pages, pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Education, Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Kangwa, Lemmy
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Thesis - Lemmy Kangwa - PDF.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |