Philosophy of teaching, teaching style and ICT use: a qualitative study of the perspectives of high school mathematics teachers

Abstract

This study is a response to findings that have shown the importance of teachers’ philosophy, teaching styles and ICT use in impacting student learning outcomes. The study adopted an exploratory case design to explore the philosophical foundations, teaching styles and the levels of ICT use of six high school mathematics teachers in Ghana. Data for the study was collected using semi-structured interviews. The study found that the high school teachers used mainly the teacher-centred teaching approaches in which they dominate classroom instruction by disseminating knowledge to their learners. In spite of its perceived potentials, the study also reported low usages of ICT in instructional delivery among the teachers. Interestingly, the philosophy of teaching reported in the study by the teachers resonates with their current teaching style and ICT usage levels; the study found that the high school mathematics teachers hugely subscribed to the absolutist philosophical views of teaching mathematics which takes root in teacher-dominated teaching approaches. Consequently, the study reiterates that if teachers hold philosophical views that support the absolutist school of thought, they are likely to use delivery strategies which do not support ICT use but position the teacher to assume a central role in the instructional processes.

Philosophical aspects of application of information and communication technologies in contemporary continuous education of adults

“…In additions, the advantages of ICTs in education concern the following (Mensah & Agyei, 2019, Kaware & Sain, 2015, Stamoulis & Plakitsi, 2013:…”

“…The use of ICT in education has been growing rapidly in recent years, and it is likely to continue to do so in the future. Here are some of the prospects for the use of ICT in education in the years ahead (Mensah & Agyei, 2019, Infante-Moro et al, 2019, Kavathatzopoulos & Asai, 2018, Khan et al, 2011, Fu, 2013: Blended learning: Blended learning, which combines online and in-person instruction, is likely to become even more prevalent in the future. This approach allows students to access educational resources and materials from anywhere at any time, while still benefiting from face-toface interaction with teachers and peers.…”

Introducing a Model for Infrastructure Improvement to Develop Intelligent Schools

“…The integration of ICT in education affects educational systems in many ways and learners and teachers' lives are affected by the extent of their involvement regarding this technology [5]. The integration of ICT in education has focused on student-centered education and self-directed learning [6]. Moreover, students become more capable of using information and data from a variety of sources [7,8].…”

An analysis of pre-service mathematics teachers’ geometric thinking and classroom discourse using a commognitive lens.

“…In a recent study, Mensah and Agyei (2019) desired to understand the philosophical stance of Ghanaian teachers, their teaching styles and the use of ICT in mathematics discourse. The study, which employed an exploratory case study design, involved six high school mathematics teachers selected from six schools.…”