How teachers perceive the effectiveness of integrating Information and

communications technology (ICT) in improving students’ learning experience,

engagement and achievement in learning Mathematics?

Literature Review

The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is gradually increasing

in today’s classrooms and many schools employ ICT as one of the essential teaching

resources (Muir & Geiger, 2016). Integrating ICT in learning and teaching is essential

to prepare students to develop applicable skills and become digitally intellectual

which will benefit them for their future career and lifelong journey in the 21 st

century. NSW Department of Education has promoted the use of ICT in secondary

schools through the endorsement of policy - Student use of digital device and online

service. The policy has encouraged the integration of meaningful ICT in teaching and

learning as this is nurtured by the beliefs that ICT can benefit students’ learning and

wellbeing. (NSW Department of Education, 2020). Eickelmann, Gerick & Koop (2017)

admitted that the integration of ICT in teaching and learning mathematics is gaining

popularity as it has delivered greater students’ learning experience, engagement and

also academic achievement. The use of ICT is also ideal for the pedagogical approach

of flipped classroom. However, there are number of studies have put this under

debate whether the use of ICT in teaching and learning mathematics could assuredly

improve students’ learning experience, engagement and achievement as barriers

and obstacles are also presented.

ICT has several influences on human life and produces new opportunities and

information especially in the 21st century. Infrastructure investments of ICT in

educational settings has been considered as one of the major priorities of K-12

education not only in Australian context but internationally as well (Witte & Rogge,

2014). ICT refers to the use of digital devices, applications and software to support

education purpose. Mathematics syllabus (2017) from K -12 Australian education

outlines ICT as one of the general capabilities which is important for students’

learning. Educators should modify and adjust their teaching practices and skills in

order to meet the implementation of ICT. These changes have directly affected the

teaching approaches, students’ learning process, assessment for learning, student

tracking, teacher-student communication and also evaluation process (Crisan,

Lerman & Winbourne, 2007). Barriers and obstacles could easily happen due to

these new changes of integrating ICT in teaching mathematics. Barriers and

obstacles in ICT- based teaching are varied and according to teacher perception,

these obstacles are: inadequate experience, training and skills in ICT, lack of

connection to mathematics curriculum, lack of time and ICT facilities. According to

Mushayikwa (2013), the research's result showed that approximately 60 per cent of

teachers experienced difficulties in accessing ICT for both teaching process and

professional development. However, one of the biggest barrier considered and

concerned by many teachers when implementing ICT in teaching mathematics is

poor curriculum connections to the ICT activity; thus, students could not gain any

deep understanding or relevant mathematical skills from the teaching approach

(Radovic, Maric & Passey, 2019). Witte & Rogge (2014) claimed that there were

many teachers admitted that the implementation of ICT into their teaching practices
only to fulfill the requirements rather than truly consider the benefits of ICT toward

students’ learning and understanding of mathematics. Therefore, this is vital to

indicate that the successful integration on ICT in teaching and learning mathematics

is significantly affected by teachers’ perception of ICT, teachers’ ICT skills, schools’

culture and the availability of ICT resources.