Mathematics learning, digital resources, and the teaching and learning gap: Learning probability and statistics in Chilean elementary public schools

This research addressed issues related to the teaching and learning gap in mathematics evidenced in Chilean public elementary schools serving poor semi-rural areas. It was intended to support the implementation process of the changes posed by the new curriculum. Rooted in the research and development tradition, the purpose was to develop a digital resource center for learning the mathematical topics of probability and statistics, in Chilean public elementary schools, and to study the effect that such center would have in the students' learning. The research questions were: 1) What are the students' learning gains, if they exist, of those who are using the digital center versus those who are not?; 2) How do students and teachers perceive technology in this particular educational context and how has technology influenced their vision and attitude toward mathematics?;As a result, a digital resource center for teaching probability and statistics was created. A unit covering content for 7th and 8th grades, according to the new curriculum being implemented in Chilean school, was designed. This unit contains twenty one activities (teaching material) organized in four workshops available in PDF format. Some activities refer to interactive digital resources (such as videos, virtual manipulatives, visual aids) linked to the center. All the resources were organized in a comprehensive web database publicly accessible at http://datosyazar.bligoo.cl.;A study using a mixed method approach was implemented using a "concurring nested model" (Creswell, 2003, p. 218) as the experimental design. A group of 30 students (experimental group) using the digital resource center was studied. The students' learning was measured with a standardized test and compared with a group of 29 students (control group) who were taught whithout the use of the digital resources. At the end, there was a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group showing a possible effect of the digital resource center in the students' learning. Qualitative evidence was collected through two focus groups with the students, a in-depth interview with the teacher of the control group, and researcher's field notes, confirming a positive impact in the students' attitudes toward mathematics.