Supporting the integration of technology and computing in middle school mathematics classrooms: Three studies exploring student and teacher engagement

Abstract

As the use of technology becomes ubiquitous in everyday life, digital tools for learning are also becoming more common. Mathematics courses in particular are a common context for technology integration. The overall purpose of the three studies in this dissertation is to begin to better understand what happens when teachers integrate digital tools into their mathematics classrooms and how to better support teachers in their use of educational technology. All three papers include middle school mathematics teachers using educational technology for the first time. The first two papers describe how teachers supported mathematical engagement during a video game, Boone’s Meadow, which was designed to be integrated into lessons on ratio and proportion in middle school mathematics classrooms. The goal of these two papers was to begin to understand different ways teachers integrate games into their classrooms, especially while supporting disciplinary thinking. Findings point to the central role that teachers play in establishing the overall learning ecology around a game, and that prior experience is important for supporting deeper mathematical engagement. Paper three involves a tool for digital creation - another type of technology that teachers find highly effective but have difficulty implementing in their classrooms. Many teachers also lack access to effective professional development which supports the integration of educational technology. The third paper begins to address this issue by exploring in-service teacher professional development, specifically a PD focused on a set of activities to teach programming through integration with mathematics and art. Findings point to the importance of flexible designs to support productive disciplinary engagement, especially in professional development for in-service teachers.