| The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) states, "Students can learn more mathematics more deeply with the appropriate and responsible use of technology (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2004)." However, an exhaustive review of the literature has found little recent research regarding the state of high school math teachers' attitudes, beliefs, or pedagogy regarding the integration of computer technology into their classroom paradigms. The purpose of this study was to assess the current attitudes and practices of Texas high school mathematics teachers regarding technology use.;Primary analyses consisted of descriptive analyses, and t-tests and analyses of variance (ANOVA). No statistically significant differences were found in respondent answers by gender, district size, and experience. However teacher computer use varied significantly when compared to number of lessons planned which incorporated computer integration. Overall, teachers reported a higher than expected feeling of efficacy with both calculators and computers. Ubiquitous student use of calculators was widespread, and although the teachers expressed reservations about some aspect of that use, their overall attitude toward student calculator use was positive. Their beliefs about student computer use were just a positive, overall. However, although there was widespread teacher use of computers for lesson demonstration, there was substantially less indication of extensive student computer use. Reasons for this included lack of time, unreliable or unavailable technology and a need for information on resources to help with technology-based lesson planning. More research is needed to determine whether these findings are consistent with prevalent high school mathematics teachers' beliefs about and uses of technology Implications for practice and further research are discussed.;Participants (N = 200) were recruited from a cross-section of Texas high schools to participate in an on-line survey designed to assess their attitudes about and use of technology in the context of their math classes. Items were designed to elicit information regarding respondents' pedagogy and use of calculators as well as their pedagogy and use of other computer-related technology. Participants were also asked to report their school district size, gender, and years of teaching experience. |
