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TopIntroduction
The achievement of learners in mathematics continues to attract attention from the general public, policymakers and researchers globally (Mullis et al., 2004). Looking at the underlying importance of mathematics to educational and economic opportunities, emphasising this subject is unavoidable and of great importance. The low levels of learner performance in mathematics and science remain a serious concern for different countries worldwide (Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Arora, 2012). Schooling systems worldwide are faced with major challenges concerning the instruction and learning of mathematics in the entire education system.
White (1987), as quoted by Watanabe (2001, p. 201), stated that policymakers and researchers could use well-performing countries as a reflection “but not as a blueprint.” Watanabe (2001) argued that well-performing countries could serve as a reference to other countries based on the results arising from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) international comparative studies. The most imperative attribute is for underperforming countries to learn from well-performing countries when reflecting on their own practices. The emphasis should be placed on developing intervention plans, not on replicating well-performing countries’ practices. Therefore, cross-country comparative studies can unearth and spell out the similarities and variations in policy and practice and the association between these rapports and variations (Grønmo & Onstad, 2013; Martin et al., 1997; Murphy, 2010).
Context
In this study, the emphasis was on a cross-country comparison of mathematics teachers’ beliefs about integrating technology into teaching and learning. This study aimed to determine how South African learners compared with their selected international counterparts according to their mathematics teachers’ viewpoints regarding their use of computer activities. The comparison was based on the teachers’ self-reported views that were linked to learners’ data expressed during the TIMSS 2011 study. This study’s objectives included exploring teachers’ views regarding their use of computers and computer software in the classroom; examining the specific computer activities used in the classroom; identifying barriers that hinder successful implementation and integration of these technologies and activities; and making suggestions and recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders to improve teaching and learning in South African schools. This study was also driven by the prevailing notion that the achievements of South African learners, who participated in the TIMSS 2011 assessment, were below average when compared to other countries.
The TIMSS 2011 results have shown that learners in the six countries analysed in this study (Norway, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates) all outperformed South African learners when it comes to mathematics achievement. This study analysed the TIMSS 2011 dataset, the fifth trend measure conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) since 1995. A study focusing on teachers’ viewpoints related to classroom practices is imperative because it will reveal various countries’ comparative achievement worldwide. Deductions could be made on the relationships between several factors in learning situations, such as classroom practices, resource allocation, teachers’ beliefs and experiences. These connections could be used in other countries for possible argumentation in learners’ performance.
Literature Review
Mishra and Koehler (2006) developed a conceptual framework named TPACK (technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge) by enhancing Shulman’s idea of ‘‘pedagogical content knowledge’’ and broadened it to the phenomenon of teachers integrating digital technologies into their pedagogy. The TPACK framework consists of two forms of knowledge, namely, primary and secondary knowledge. The primary forms of knowledge encompass content, pedagogy and technology. Technological pedagogic knowledge, technological content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge are regarded as the secondary forms of knowledge. Furthermore, at the heart of these two forms of knowledge is the TPACK. The TPACK framework envisioned a teacher capable of incorporating knowledge of technology, content and pedagogy into their teaching and learning practices (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).