Research articles

Use of Computer Technology for the teaching of primary school mathematics

Authors:

Abstract

There is a rapid change in new technologies today than ever before. Among them, computer technology is the most wide spread technology. However, when new technologies are used in areas such as education, they must be done with a proper theoretical basis to match the discipline.

This paper describes the development of a computer based framework for the teaching of mathematics. The research study was carried out on sixty students in grade eight. The framework for designing the computer package was based on David Ausubel's Subsumption Theory, which falls under the cognitive theory of education. This theory was selected because mathematics deals with conceptual structures and abstract models. An intelligent framework, which enables expert system features with three-layer architecture, namely, visual level, conceptual level and abstract level has been postulated. The visual level of the framework supports the understanding through visual objects in the real world. The conceptual level promotes the understanding through concepts while the abstract level leads to abstract thinking, which is at the core of mathematics. Each level comprises modules for teaching and evaluation before going to the next level.

Students showed significant gains in their performance after using this computer package. The computer based framework identified in this study could be used as a generic framework to teach abstract mathematical concepts meaningfully at the primary school level.

doi:10.4038/ouslj.v4i0.337

OUSL Journal (2007) Vol.4, (pp.33-52)

Keywords:

computer technologyprimary schoolmaths
  • Year: 2007
  • Volume: 4
  • Page/Article: 33-52
  • DOI: 10.4038/ouslj.v4i0.337
  • Published on 1 Dec 2007
  • Peer Reviewed