Using GeoGebra to enhance learning and teaching of basic properties ofcircles for a secondary 5 class

Abstract

With advancements in information technology, people can now access enormous amounts of information with ease. The education system, which plays a vital role in developing our future, has undergone important changes. In the past decades, nearly every part of the education process, from curricula design, assessment methodologies, to teaching methodologies, have been scrutinized. As a result, a series of reforms or changes have been implemented.

The purposes of the present study are to investigate more about perceptions and attitudes of secondary school mathematics teachers towards the use of computers in their teaching. Besides, the factors affecting teachers’ attitudes towards computer application in teaching are also analyzed. Finally, the study will also explore the effectiveness of students’ learning through cooperative learning

One class of 36 students from 5C, aged 14-16, were invited to participate in this research by using the DMS of GeoGebra for teaching the topics of ‘Basic Properties of Circles’. The teaching outcome of 5C would then be compared with 2 other classes of 5A and 5B, which would be taught by my peer teachers. 5A and 5B’s teachers would employ conventional teaching methods to teach ‘Basic Properties of Circles’ (i.e. the Control Group).

Five student worksheets for Basic Operation of GeoGebra and each sub-topic of “Basic Properties of Circles” were devised (see Appendices I to V). Those 5 students were all asked to fill in the questionnaire I. Besides, 12 mathematics teachers were asked to fill in the questionnaire I (see Appendix VIII) of Mathematics with Technology Perceptions Survey (MTPS) in order to investigate their perceptions of using information technology (IT) in teaching mathematics. The purpose of the MTPS items was to ascertain the prevalence of key attitudes and perceptions creating barriers or enabling teachers’ intentions to alter their practice and to teach mathematics with technology. Demographic data of MTPS items were collected on gender, age group, years of teaching, education level, teacher training, teaching level and subject taught.

During the whole study, video-recording was taken. In addition, my two peer teachers from classes 5A and 5B were also invited to have an interview. Then, they were asked to fill in the questionnaire II (see Appendix XIII) in order to investigate their’ intention in using the DMS of GeoGebra for teaching and learning mathematics in Secondary 5 classes. Besides, 14 students were randomly selected in order to find out the effects of their learning by using DMS of GeoGebra through peer groups, and these 14 students were invited to complete an extended version of questionnaire II (see Appendix X). Finally, students were asked to conduct a test (see Appendix VI) in order to compare the learning outcome of students learning ‘Basic Properties of Circles’ with the DMS of GeoGebra with those learning in its absence.

It is suggested that the integration of computer in learning mathematics should be required. Schools need to make full use of technology to guide students to learn as much as possible. Also, leadership needs to be available to teachers and to provide an in-service education in technology use, so that technology use was operating as well as possible.