Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemUse of computers in mathematics teaching and learning : transition from grade 6 to year 7( 2001)Over the past ten years computer resources within Victorian schools have improved. Adequate level of facilities and resources has enabled teachers and students to use computers in the teaching and learning of mathematics. However it appears that computer skills acquired during primary years are not always the basis for further and continuous development of skills in the early years of secondary schooling. Research shows that during transition from grade 6 to year 7 there is need for stability and a sense of continuity in the adolescents' education and this applies to the area of mathematics as well. To gain further insight, this research investigated the use of computers in mathematics in a group of feeder primary schools and their linked secondary school. The study initially investigates whether the computer skills introduced in primary schools were known or built upon in secondary schools. The research then makes recommendations to the network of schools involved concerning continuity in teaching and using computer skills in the teaching and learning of mathematics during the transition years. This study was qualitative and involved parents, students and teachers. Questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations were used to obtain data. Recommendations include the need for continuous communication between grade 6 and year 7 mathematics teachers to form and maintain links regarding the development of computer skills, the need to develop a common goal for all grade 6 teachers in terms of teaching computer skills to prepare students for secondary school and finally, the need to increase computer literacy of primary and secondary mathematics teachers and make hardware and software available and accessible to all.
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ItemTeacher beliefs about mathematical problem solving in Free Wesleyan Church secondary schools in Tonga( 2001)It is clear from the literature that attention should be paid to teachers' beliefs about how the mathematics classroom operates and about the nature of mathematical problem solving. The introduction of a mathematical problem-solving curriculum which ignores these aspects is likely to be frustrated. This research seeks to learn more about the use of mathematical problem solving by Tongan teachers and what these teachers consider to be good teaching of mathematics and mathematical problem solving. Five mathematics teachers in the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga education system were interviewed about their beliefs using the Kelly Repertory Grid technique through Enquire Within software. Surveys were also conducted of the material produced for schools by the Tongan Government's Ministry of Education. It was found that the Ministry of Education has implemented a minimal problem-solving curriculum throughout the Kingdom and that the beliefs of the majority of teachers interviewed were compatible with this minimalist model. Recommendations for the Free Wesleyan Church's Education Department are made on possible approaches to fulfilling the Ministry of Education's stated aim of preparing students to apply the principles of mathematics to unfamiliar situations.
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ItemAn investigation of the effects of a graphics calculator based approach on the learning and teaching of year 8 equation solving( 2001)In the middle years of schooling, the topic of equation solving generally begins teaching students how to find solutions to linear equations using traditional by-hand techniques. This is a student's first formal introduction to algebraic equation solving and many master the techniques involved, however, few students acquire a conceptual understanding of the notion of a solution or the solution process. A graphics calculator is capable of plotting a function, generating a table of values and testing whether a number is a solution to an equation, all in a matter of moments. They are currently used in VCE mathematical studies and examinations. The aim of this investigation is to study the effects of a graphics calculator based approach on the learning and teaching of equation solving. This approach involved constant access, by an experimental group, to a TI-83 graphics calculator. A graphics calculator based approach to equation solving may assist students in developing a better understanding of the key concepts and solving techniques, and the application of these to the solution of problems. Constant access to graphics calculators in the classroom may allow students who lack pen-and-paper techniques the opportunity to reason mathematically about problems and mathematical ideas. To accomplish this aim a classroom-based study was conducted in a Melbourne metropolitan school. An experimental-control design was used with the four year eight classes of two teachers. Each teacher taught a control and experimental (graphics calculator) class. The study examined the achievement of the two treatment groups with pre and post-tests. Test performances of all students were compared and analysed to determine the benefits from the various instructional techniques. It was found that there were no significant differences between treatment groups and the only significant difference was between the teachers of the study. It was also found that low ability students, from the graphics calculator environment, made the largest gains. Although no statistical differences were found, students in the experimental group were more successful with questions involving graphs and tables while the students in the control group were better at solving equations by hand.