Review article 38
Tanner, Howard. 1992. Developing the use of IT within mathematics through action
research. Computers and Education, 18 (1-3), 143-148.
This article assesses the extent to which IT skills are used or developed within
mathematics in Britain and examines factors, which are limiting development. The results
of an action research project, which investigated the extent to which IT skills could be
taught within the mathematics curriculum, are described. The findings of the study can be
summarized as follows– generic computer software can be used to enhance the teaching
of mathematics; IT skills relating to the use of generic computer software can be taught
effectively in the context of lessons, primarily mathematical; the majority of mathematics
teachers need training in the use of generic packages; the training required is not simply
technical but also how to use computers to support subject learning; beginners with
computer software often need support in the classroom in the early stages; lack of access
to computers is a problem for many mathematics teachers; and the integration of
computer based lessons into schemes of work facilitates forward planning and thus access
to hardware. The author further argues that the shift of emphasis away from IT as a
separate subject and towards integration into the curriculum as a whole is educationally
sound. However, he maintains that to achieve this, a large scale programme of in-service
training is required.
Keyword: Teaching-learning strategies; Action research; Generic computer
software; Mathematics; England.