Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education

ISSN: 0962-029X (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtpe19

Preparing student teachers to use computers in

mathematics classrooms through a long-term pre-
service course in Turkey

Adnan Baki

To cite this article: Adnan Baki (2000) Preparing student teachers to use computers in
mathematics classrooms through a long-term pre-service course in Turkey, Journal of Information
Technology for Teacher Education, 9:3, 343-362, DOI: 10.1080/14759390000200090

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14759390000200090

Published online: 20 Dec 2006.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 553

View related articles

Citing articles: 8 View citing articles

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rtpe19

Download by: [180.253.111.69] Date: 21 September 2017, At: 22:51

 Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2000

Preparing Student Teachers to Use Computers

in Mathematics Classrooms through a
Long-term Pre-service Course in Turkey

ADNAN BAKI
Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey

ABSTRACT Recent studies have found short in-service teacher education

programs are not providing adequate technology experiences to prepare their
participants for teaching mathematics with computers. As an alternative to the
short-term courses the author has been teaching a two-term mandatory
undergraduate course within a mathematics teacher education program since
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

1995 to train student teachers and to investigate their perceptions on their

preparation to use computers in their own teaching. This article describes
issues that emerged from the analysis of this undergraduate course. Data were
gathered through questionnaires and students writings about the course
activities. Findings indicated that computer literacy appeared to be an
important key factor in utilising the course activities successfully. Students
who felt prepared made the link between computer-based mathematical
activities and school mathematics, and had more experience of using
instructional software during the course than others. Findings of this nature
can also assist teacher educators as they incorporate information technology
into existing pre-service programs. The implications of these results for the
designing and implementing of computer-based undergraduate courses and
for further research in this field are discussed.

Introduction
The need to prepare teachers to integrate technology into the range of
instructional strategies they bring to their teaching is not a new concern and
it has been widely addressed in the literature (for example, Criswell, 1989;
Ingam, 1992). The preparation of future teachers to use technology
continues to be a basic concern of teacher educators today in Turkey as well
as in many other countries (Askar & Akkoyunlu, 1994; Altun, 1996; Baki,
1998). Despite the growing need to train new teachers to teach with
technology, the professional development of teaching staff in teacher

343
 Adnan Baki

training institutions is insufficient. Also the use of information technology

(IT) applications is not yet a priority concern for most lecturers in teacher
training institutions (Altun, 1996). As pre-service teachers complete their
teacher education programs, they are often faced with the reality that their
teacher education did not prepare them to use technology in their teaching.
The Turkish education system at all levels is highly centralised under the
legal authority of the Ministry of National Education. Universities have to
follow the same teacher education programs prescribed and offered by the
Higher Education Council in 1982. From 1982 to 1998, the mathematics
teacher education programs in all education faculties included only an
optional introductory computer course. Typically these courses introduced
word processing and programming languages, usually BASIC and PASCAL.
The computer courses taken by student mathematics teachers were
frequently taught by technology specialists and rarely focused on the use of
computer-assisted learning software in an instructional setting. Thus, the
focus was often on the mechanics of computer use rather than on ways
modeling the learning and teaching of mathematics with computers. This
current pattern did not provide Turkish student mathematics teachers with
an opportunity to apply new approaches to the learning and teaching of
mathematics and to experience for themselves the role of the mathematics
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

learner in the computer-integrated environment in which they are expected

to teach (Ersoy, 1998).
As plans for reforming schools call for increased use of technology in
mathematics, teacher educators see the potential for enhancing and
changing mathematics instruction with computers. Significant changes in
mathematics education will only be achieved if there are marked changes in
teachers perceptions about the effectiveness of innovative curricula and
approaches. Therefore, teachers should have practical experiences with new
innovative curricula, approaches, materials and activities that they are
expected to employ when they teach. Learning to teach mathematics with
technology is best learned as technology infused into the teacher education
curriculum. This means that technology experiences should become an
integral part of the pre-service curriculum rather than a separate experience.
In this connection, the Turkish Higher Education Council-World Bank:
National Education Development Project (1996-1998) prescribed a new
curriculum for student mathematics teachers including a mandatory
introductory computer course. This new curriculum has been in force since
1998.
Will new teachers entering their classrooms be prepared to teach
mathematics with computers? Unfortunately, the answer is not easily yes.
Despite the new programs, the current teaching methodology is basically
chalk-and-talk, which is not efficient enough for effective teaching, let alone
when using new technologies. Turkish student mathematics teachers often
find very little modeling of the use of technology during their pre-service
years. It is currently not possible to change the teacher training programs

344
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

set by the Higher Education Council; you may only add some extra optional
courses, not exceeding four. Foreseeing the need for the increased use of
computer-based educational technology in mathematics education, the
author proposed that the Faculty of Education at Karadeniz Technical
University provide a two-term mandatory pre-service course called
Computer-based Mathematics Teaching. The author has been teaching this
course since 1995. The objectives of the course are to help prospective
mathematics teachers improve their use of educational computing, to allow
student mathematics teachers to have first-hand experience of the
applications of instructional software, and to use this experience to begin to
think about their current preparation for using computers in mathematics
teaching.
The question of preparing student teachers to use educational
technology in the classroom through short-term or long-term courses has
become a complex process with regard to what should be taught and what
should not (Altun, 1996; Baki, 2000). Courses focusing on learning are
different from courses focusing on teaching. This difference is reflected in
the content, experiences, structure, and underlying knowledge base of the
courses. Because of the complexity of the teaching and learning process, the
simple presentation and transmission of techniques and methods is not
sufficient to prepare student mathematics teachers to use computers in their
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

teaching as learning tools. It has been increasingly apparent to teacher

educators that in order to facilitate the learning of their students, a more
cognitively oriented approach to the education of teachers is required, an
approach which supports the belief that knowledge is constructed, built on
prior knowledge, coupled with experience, transformed and evolving (Hoyles
& Noss, 1991; Baki, 1994). Learning to teach is a development process that
should include opportunities for the development of the knowledge
structure that sets the expert apart from the novice. In this view, classroom
instruction is characterised by its emphasis on student thinking, reasoning
and conjecturing in rich problem-solving situations and by its view of
teachers as facilitators of a process in which students construct an
understanding of mathematics concepts through interactions with their
peers and the teacher within a computer-based environment. This view of
mathematics teaching and learning contrasts with the more traditional view,
in which memorisation and imitation are the primary goals and the teacher
is seen as the source of knowledge and intellectual authority (Jaworski,
1991). With this in mind, the computer-based course has been based on the
principle that student teachers need to experience the role of the
mathematics learner within a computer-based environment before they are
ready to facilitate such learning among their students. In this environment,
student teachers are encouraged to develop a new understanding of
learning, to reflect on their past models of learning and teaching, and to
build more effective models based on their own experiences in the program.
They were asked to play two different roles during the course: the first as

345
 Adnan Baki

secondary school students (aged 16-18) learning mathematics in a computer-

based environment; and the second as secondary school mathematics
teachers for whom they were developing, presenting and evaluating
computer-based lessons. They were asked to evaluate their preparation to
use technology in an instructional setting as it was provided by the course.
Two hundred and forty-six student mathematics teachers have taken the
course since 1995. The study described below presents the results of 4 years
of research examining the self-perceptions of student mathematics teachers
who have taken the computer-based mathematics teaching course.

Sample
The research was undertaken with student teachers undertaking a 4-year
undergraduate program in the Faculty of Education at Karadeniz Technical
University. The data source consisted of all student mathematics teachers
enrolled on the course. Two hundred and forty-six student mathematics
teachers in the last year of their undergraduate program have taken the
course since 1995. More information about the participants is given in Table
I.
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

Years Enrolled Gender Computer use

students
Male Female Never or Several times
just a little or many times
1995-1996 68 39 29 36 32
1996-1997 62 34 28 26 36
1997-1998 60 33 27 21 39
1998-1999 56 26 30 9 47
Total 246 132 114 92 154
Table I. Participant student mathematics teachers, grouped by year, number,
gender and experience of computer use.

Instrumentation
The study employed a range of information gathering techniques to suit the
authors aim during the study period at the Faculty of Education. The data
were gathered through questionnaires and participants written reflections
concerning the course activities, which took the form of journal writing. Pre-
and post-questionnaires and participants writings were administered to the
participants to identify if any significant changes occurred in their
perceptions of their preparation to use computers in mathematics teaching.

346
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

Questionnaires
The pre- and post-questionnaires included identical items. The questionnaire
was a revised form of an instrument used by Gressard & Loyd (1986), and
consisted of two parts. The first part included four items to elicit initial
information about teachers previous computer experiences:
A1. What currently do you know about computers?
[very much] [much] [very little] [nothing]
A2. Have you used a computer before?
[many times] [several times] [just a little] [never]
A3.What do you know about hardware?
[I know exactly what it is] [I know something about it] [I know little about
it] [I dont know what hardware is]
A4. What do you know about software?
[computer programs] [diskettes] [monitor & keyboard] [I dont know what
software is]
The rest of the items in the questionnaires were designed to gather the
perceptions of the student teachers on their preparation to use computers in
the classroom:
B1. Do you feel that the computer will affect the quality of your life?
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

[very much] [much] [little] [will make it worse]

B2. How quickly do you feel you learn to use computers?
[very quickly] [quickly] [slowly] [not at all]
B3. How do you feel prepared to use Logo, Coypu and Excel in
mathematics teaching?
[very much] [much] [little] [not at all]
The above three items were used to measure the extent to which
participants felt they were capable of learning computer-related skills and
knowledge. The post-questionnaire was administered during the final class
meetings. Having compared the responses of the participants to these three
questions, the author tried to determine to what extent the student teachers
felt prepared to teach mathematics with computers before and after the
course.

Participant Writings
If the goal is to have student teachers construct their own knowledge of
Logo, Coypu and Excel, then it is appropriate to encourage them to write
their reflections on the activities of the course. These reflections were in the
form of journal writing based on the experiences of learning and teaching
during the course. Indeed, writing their reflections led the student teachers
to begin analysing their experiences during the course. From a research

347
 Adnan Baki

perspective, the purpose was to derive conclusions from participants

reflections about:
o how they felt prepared to use the computers;
o how they considered the course as being valuable or otherwise to the
learning of teaching mathematics with computers;
o what suggestions they made about improving this course for mathematics
teachers who take this course in future.
To understand how the student teachers were interpreting their experiences,
and whether and how their feelings and ideas about teaching with
computers were changing, they were asked to write their reflections on four
occasions. Their first reflections were written at the beginning of the course.
They wrote about what they were expecting from the course, and how they
were perceiving the teaching of mathematics with computers. The second
reflections were about computer-based mathematical activities introduced in
the first term of the course. The third reflections were about computer-based
mathematical activities introduced in the second term of the course. The last
reflections were written at the end of the course. They provided an
opportunity to evaluate the course in general. The students wrote about
what they were learning and doing during the course, how they were
relating them to mathematics learning and teaching, and what suggestions
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

they had to make about the teacher training program.

Procedures
If computers are to be used in the school curriculum, then teachers need to
be trained in computer use. In response to the need for teacher development
in this field, a two term computer-based mathematics teaching course has
been run since 1995 at the Faculty of Education at Karadeniz Technical
University. The course was offered as a mandatory course in the last year of
a 4-year undergraduate program culminating in a Bachelor degree with
specialisation in mathematics education. The course objectives were:
o to help student mathematics teachers in developing and implementing
new instructional approaches;
o to produce a useful computer-based mathematics teaching model for the
education of mathematics teachers.
Therefore, the central focus was not just the computer but also the learning
of mathematics through computers. In order to provide mathematics
teachers with such experience, WinLogo (a version of Logo for Windows),
Coypu and Excel have been chosen as means of applying an alternative in
practice. Why Logo, Coypu and Excel? They are user-friendly and have
special features for mathematics. The rationale for using Logo emerged from
an extensive literature review. There are convincing arguments made by
Noss & Hoyles (1996), stating that Logo offers possibilities for mathematical

348
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

exploration and provides an environment in which the learner can construct

mathematical models and ideas. A wide variety of graph packages is
available. Coypu is one of the function and data graph plotting packages
providing graphs of functions and polynomials at both Cartesian and polar
coordinates. The user can design their own examples and explore graphs of
their own choice. Excel is very widely used throughout the world of
mathematics education, especially for numerical and iterative methods in
mathematics. Excel allows the display of numerical data and text in tabular
form on a grid of cells as an example of mathematical matrices. Excel is
designed as a database package to record, classify and sort large amounts of
data. It also includes graphical facilities that enable aspects of the tables to
be displayed rapidly in graphical form.
The course included:
o the philosophy behind the use of educational technology in mathematics;
o the introduction of Logo, Coypu and Excel at a technical level;
o exploration of the link between computer-based activities and school
mathematics;
o reflection on Logo, Coypu and Excel activities and the development of
projects.
The curriculum of the course has been designed with the aim of providing a
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

model for classroom practice. The author as the teacher of the course tried
to make sense of what computers with Logo, Coypu and Excel could do to
enhance mathematical learning, and modeled for the students the way he
hoped they would use computer-based mathematical activities in their future
classrooms. Computer-based mathematical activities aimed to complement
and enrich mathematical learning and extend the students exploration of
mathematical patterns and relationships that are difficult (or impossible) for
many students to analyse and obtain through blackboard and pencil-and-
paper activities. Several resources and books were used to design computer-
based mathematical activities consistent with the objectives of the course
(Arganbright, 1985; Harper, 1989; Lewis, 1990; Ernest, 1991; Tall, 1992;
Pead & Phillips, 1995; Noss & Hoyles, 1996). The course activities involved
and dealt with numbers, calculus, trigonometry, geometry and algebra. The
pattern considered fruitful is to base the activity of student teachers on the
work they are expected to organise in their future classroom so that they
can acquire sufficient confidence in practical and theoretical aspects of the
mathematics topics to guide their students in an efficient way. In the final
week of the second term the students worked on their own projects.
Students were motivated to develop their own projects by using the software
introduced in the course (40% of the course grade in the second term was
allocated to the projects).

349
 Adnan Baki

Analysis
Questionnaires and participants writings were the sources of data in this
study. Quantitative data emerged from the questionnaires. The responses to
the first part of the questionnaires and the first set of participants writings
were used to divide the participants into two groups as computer literate
and computer illiterate. This classification has been done according to the
criterion used by Anderson (1983). This author proposed that a computer-
literate person should have the following skills:
o the ability to use computer terminology as it relates to hardware and
software;
o the ability to read and write simple computer programs;
o the ability to use a variety of computer-applications software within a
professional and educational context.
The responses to the questions in the second part of the both questionnaires
and the fourth set of participants writings were used to identify the
differences between the two groups in terms of changes in their perceptions
of their preparation to use computers in mathematics teaching. Statistical
significance of differences (at a 95% confidence level) was tested using the
non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test of difference (Rabson, 1993). The large
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

amount of qualitative data collected from participants writings were used to

elaborate the findings emerging from quantitative data about the
perceptions of the participants on preparation for teaching mathematics with
computers. While interpreting the qualitative data, the author tried to
identify some salient points and recurring themes in the reflections.

Findings
The four questions about computer literacy in the first part of the
questionnaire were designed to test the participants experiences with
computers. The results of the first part of the questionnaire are presented in
Tables II and III.

Question A1: What currently do you know about computers? Although the
modal response is much, 81 students chose very little or nothing. This
indicates that computers were new to some of them (33%). On the other
hand, of the 246 student teachers, 165 chose very much or much. This
indicates that majority of them (67%) felt that they knew enough about
computers.

Question A2: Have you used a computer before? Although the modal
response is several times, the results of Question A2 were almost similar to
the first question. Of the 246 student teachers, 33 (13%) had never used a

350
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

computer, 59 (24%) had used it at least once while 154 (63%) had used a
computer several times.

Question A3: What do you know about hardware? The participants might
assume that hardware represents parts of computers like the monitor, case
and keyboard without considering their interrelations and functions. The
modal response to this question is I know something about it. The results
of this question indicated that the participants previous knowledge about
hardware seemed to be based on presumptions rather than real experiences.

Question A4: Do you know what software is? As in Question A3, responses
to this question seemed to be based on presumptions. While 114 (46 %)
chose computer programs, 22 (9%) chose diskettes, 69 (28%) chose
monitor & keyboard as the correct answer, and 41 (17%) reported that they
did not have any idea about software.
The responses to the four questions as a whole and the statements
about the computer use, software and hardware in their first writings
highlighted that the student teachers appeared to have differing experiences
of computers. According to the criterion used by Anderson (1983), 43% of
the student teachers began the course as novices (computer illiterate), and
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

only 57% appeared to be computer literate.

Question A1 N Question A2 N Question A3 N Question A4 N

Very much 51 Many times 55 I know exactly 22 114
Computer programs
what it is
Much 114 Several times 99 I know something 112 I know something 22
about it about it
Very little 52 Just a little 59 I know little 80 I know little about it 69
about it
Nothing 29 Never 33 I dont know 32 I dont know what 41
what hardware is software is

Table II. Responses to the four questions in the pre-questionnaire.

Question A1 N Question A2 N Question A3 N Question A4 N

Very much 107 Many times 185 I know exactly 134 Computer programs 207
what it is
Much 134 Several times 61 I know something 88 I know something 23
about it about it
Very little 5 Just a little 0 I know little 23 I know little about it 16
about it
Nothing 0 Never 0 I dont know 1 I dont know what 0
what hardware is software is

Table III. Responses to the four questions in the post-questionnaire.

351
 Adnan Baki

After using the computer, writing small programs in Logo, using functions
and their graphs and constructing mathematical models with Excel during
the course, the majority of the student teachers appeared to have gained
ideas about hardware and software. While there was no significant change in
the computer-literate group (Mann-Whitney U test, Zobs=1.07 at .05), there
was a significant change in the computer-illiterate group in terms of
computer experiences as a result of the course (Mann-Whitney U test,
Zobs=3.16 at .05). According to the criterion used by Anderson (1983), 86% of
the student teachers completed the course in order to be computer literate.
This does not mean that the course prepared almost all student teachers to
teach mathematics with computers. In the following, the author elaborates
this issue in the light of responses to the second part of the questionnaire.
The results from the two questionnaires relating to the pre- and post-
experiences with Logo, Coypu and Excel were used to identify the
differences between these two groups in terms of changing perceptions of
their preparation to teach mathematics with computers.

Question B1: Do you feel that the computer will affect the quality of your
life? In the pre-questionnaire, the modal response of the computer-literate
group is little and the modal response of the computer-illiterate group is
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

very much (Figure 1). The results of the pre-questionnaire related to

Question B1 indicated that the computer-illiterate group felt that computers
would improve the quality of their life to a greater extent (84%) than did the
computer-literate group (41.4%).

80
70
60
percentage

50
computer-literate
40
computer-illiterate
30
20
10
0
very much much little will make it worse

Figure 1. Responses to Question B1 in the pre-questionnaire.

Most (68%) of the computer-illiterate group felt that computer technology

would dramatically change their life and improve it. The results indicated
that at the beginning of the course the computer-illiterate group appeared to
glorify the computer and see it as a panacea, solving every problem in
education and life. Their writings at the beginning of the course also
illustrated similar preconceptions about the role of computer technology.

352
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

Most of them in their first writings suggested that the computer is a

contemporary need, and it should be used in all fields in order to catch up
with developed countries. Positive statements made by the computer-
illiterate group clearly indicated that the computer was typically construed
as a way of being modern, and was seen as important for the future of the
teaching profession and improving the quality of life. In the post-
questionnaire, the modal response of the computer-literate group is again
little and the modal response of the computer-illiterate group is also little
(Figure 2).

70

60

50
percentage

40 computer-literate
30 computer-illiterate

20

10

0
very much much little will make it worse
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

Figure 2. Responses to Question B1 in the post-questionnaire.

In the computer-literate group, the modal response did not change as a

result of the course. There was no significant change in both questionnaires
(Mann-Whitney U test, Zobs=0.77 at .05). The computer-literate group seemed
to think that computers would not affect their life too much, and believes
that computers would not improve the quality of their lives as much as the
computer-illiterate group believed in the pre-questionnaire. The modal
response of the computer-illiterate group shifted from very much (68%) to
little (60%). Towards the completion of the course the computer-illiterate
group significantly changed their views (Mann-Whitney U test, Zobs=2.86 at
.05), so that they matched the computer-literate group.
This does not indicate a pessimistic change in the computer-illiterate
group. This may be interpreted that as a result of their experiences with
Logo, Coypu and Excel they reached proficiency at a level reasonable
enough to be able to evaluate the potential of the computer in their
professional life.

Question B2: How quickly do you feel you learn to use computers? This
question was asked to see how the participants felt they were capable of
learning to use computers before and after the course. The percentages of

353
 Adnan Baki

the responses to Question B2 in the pre-questionnaire are presented in

Figure 3.

80
70
60

percentage 50
computer-literate
40
computer-illiterate
30
20
10
0
very quickly quickly slowly nat at all

Figure 3. Responses to Question B2 in the pre-questionnaire.

100
percentage

80
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

60 computer-literate
40 computer-illiterate
20
0
very quickly slowly nat at all
quickly

Figure 4. Responses to Question B2 in the post-questionnaire.

The modal response of the computer-literate group is very quickly (74.7%).

The modal response of the computer-illiterate group is slowly (66.8%).
Additionally, 11% of the computer-illiterate group chose not at all. This
highlights that the computer-illiterate group, as in Question B1, glorified the
computer and felt that they were not capable of learning to use the
computer. This shows something about the computer which seems to put
fear into the hearts of student teachers when first confronted by it. Their
first and second writings supported this. For these students the computer
has the amazing power to make them feel stupid. This is true for some when
they are trying to learn to use Excel functions or learn to program in Logo.
In both instances, it is related to the necessity to get a machine to do
something for them when they do not understand how the machine works
or how it operates, but what its guiding principles are. One statement from
the participants writings highlighted this:

354
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

While I was learning to write Logo programs, I always complained

that each time I sit down in front of the computer with working sheets. I
feel confident until I run the first small program and see a simple error
message, I dont know how to do k in function, and suddenly feel as if
this machine not only knows more than I do but is going to make me
learn to do things
The results from the pre- and post-questionnaires about Question B2
indicated that the computer-literate group felt prepared to learn computers
very quickly or quickly. The range of their responses to this question did not
change significantly in either questionnaire (Mann-Whitney U test, Zobs= -1.24
at .05). On the other hand, the computer-illiterate group went from
responding slowly to responding quickly after completing the course. This
indicates a positive attitude change towards learning to use computers
(Mann-Whitney U test, Zobs=3.06 at .05). It is hoped that this change may
increase interest in using computers as learning and teaching tools. This
also leads to the question: should all student teachers learn how to use
Excel and any other graph plotting package and learn how to program in
Logo or another package in order to teach with computers in their future
classrooms? Yes, to the extent that learning to use a particular software and
to program will force student teachers to struggle with a software and a
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

computer language, learn how to talk to the computer, and learn more
about how the computer works and what it can and cannot do for learning
and teaching mathematics.

Question B3: How prepared do you feel to use Logo, Coypu and Excel in
mathematics teaching? The percentages of the responses to Question B3 in
the pre-questionnaire are presented in Figure 5. Although at the beginning
of the course the modal response is little, only 26% of the computer-literate
group felt prepared (very much + much) to use Logo, Coypu and Excel in
mathematics teaching. On the other hand, the modal response of the
computer-illiterate group is not at all. Thus, 94.7% of the computer-illiterate
group did not feel prepared (little + not at all) to use the software in their
teaching before the course.
The results from the post-questionnaire about Question B3 are
represented in Figure 6. The modal response of the computer-literate group
is much. The modal response of the computer-illiterate group is little. In
the post-questionnaire, 84% of the computer-literate group felt prepared
(very much + much) to use the software (Logo and Excel) in their own
teaching. Only 25% of the computer-illiterate group felt prepared (very much
+ much) to use the software (Logo and Excel) in their own teaching.
In the computer-literate group, the modal response to this question
before the course is little, whereas after the course the modal response is
much (Mann-Whitney U test, Zobs=2.94 at .05). On the other hand, the modal
response of the computer-illiterate group to Question B3 is not at all before

355
 Adnan Baki

the course and the modal response is little after the course (Mann-Whitney
U test, Zobs=2.17 at .05). Although this clearly indicates a positive view about
their computer experiences, this is not implying that the computer-illiterate
group gained adequate experience of using computers in mathematics
teaching. Nevertheless, these results illustrate that the computer-literate
group appeared to gain more experience with Logo, Coypu and Excel than
the computer-illiterate group. The participants writings also support these
results in that the computer-literate group began to look at mathematics
from computer-based activities. On the other hand, the computer-illiterate
group seemed hesitant to use trial and error techniques while using Logo
and Excel. They were inclined to ask for ready-made information from the
instructor. Most of them had spent their time on the technical aspects of the
keyboard and software introduced in the course and did not have time to
link activities with mathematics. However, comparing their responses in both
questionnaires, their preparedness ratio in the post-questionnaire was
significantly higher than in the pre-questionnaire.
The following qualitative analysis of the participants reflections may
provide a global summary of variations in the participants conceptions
about computer-based mathematics learning and their capabilities of
teaching mathematics with computers. In the second and third writings, the
participants who did not have enough background in software and had
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

difficulties with the computer during the course made the following similar
statements:
o Computers can lead to disruption in the classroom.
o What we saw here has no place in the mathematics classroom.
o Excel functions wasted too much time to record data and to draw results.
o Logo commands are too difficult for students to interpret.
o Students need to spend a lot of time using keyboards.
o Computers should be a separate curriculum subject.

70

60

50
percentage

40 computer-literate
30 computer-illiterate

20

10

0
very much much little not at all

Figure 5. Responses to Question B3 in the pre-questionnaire.

356
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

60

50

percentages
40
computer-literate
30
computer-illiterate
20

10

0
very much much little not at all

Figure 6. Responses to Question B3 in the post-questionnaire.

The above statements clearly indicate that students who began the course as
novices struggled to understand the technical aspects of the programs and
use the software introduced during the course. Then, they did not see any
potential for using the computer in the mathematics class, and could not
relate computer-based activities to their classroom practice. They appeared
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

to believe that using Excel to record data during the class period would be a
waste of students time. They thought that they would not find time to
practice the same activities within the current mathematics curriculum, and
suggested that students should use Logo, Coypu and Excel at home and
that they can find time to learn a lot about them at home. However, some
students in the computer-illiterate group made positive statements in their
final writings contrasting with their second and third writings, as the
following statements demonstrate.
o Excel represents information nicely in tables and graphs so students can
have a better understanding of it.
o Solving maximum-minimum problems with Excel is really enjoyable.
This shows that after having enough experience with Excel some students
began to perceive it as a useful time-saving and problem-solving device. At
the beginning of the course, most of the students in the computer-illiterate
group viewed the computer as nothing more than an object to learn about
in itself. However, their last writings showed that they gradually began to
link Logo, Coypu and Excel activities with classroom practices based on the
formal mathematics curriculum. For instance:
o Logo, Coypu and Excel activities could enrich the teachers lecture.
o The teacher could sustain students interest in mathematics by using
computer-based mathematical activities.
o Through these activities we learned more in less time. I will use the same
way when I start to teach.

357
 Adnan Baki

o These exploratory activities aroused my mathematical learning, they

could arouse students interest in mathematics as well.
These statements also illustrate that some participants who began the
course as novices showed their satisfaction about computer-based learning
towards the end of the course. The use of computer-based mathematical
activities linked to classroom activities seemed to be very much appreciated
by the participants. They seemed to be positive that they would be capable
of doing the same things in their future teaching. Most of them showed their
inclination to use computers in the same way even though they did not
believe the course had prepared them to do so.
The participants who began the course as computer-literate made more
optimistic statements during and after the course than the computer-
illiterate group:
o I liked Excel, that should be used by students for modeling and problem
solving in secondary schools.
o More often than not pencil-and-paper is less appropriate than using Logo,
Coypu and Excel.
o There is a mismatch between the current curriculum materials and
computer-based activities introduced here. If the teacher is supposed to
teach with the computer, the teacher would have to work too much to
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

prepare her/his own materials and activities.

o The computer can help the teacher in different ways. If the teacher is
supposed to teach with computers, the teacher could solve complex
problems and introduce new topics with graphics and simulations.
o Mathematical investigation is important. If the computer is available in
schools, the teacher should facilitate students learning through
providing exploratory computer-based activities.
Almost all the participants who made similar statements to the above
indicated a desire to replace traditional methods with new strategies
introduced in the course, but at the same time indicated difficulties and
constraints which would apply when they became qualified teachers in the
existing system. They became more aware of the institutional constraints on
their teaching, and of the dilemmas they would encounter in the classroom.
For instance, after having experience of exploratory Logo, Coypu and Excel
activities, some of them began to anticipate changing their role in the
classroom where a computer would be available, but cited some difficulties
in implementing the same approach in the existing mathematics curriculum.
Concerning the difficulty in preparing such activities, they indicated a gap
between what they needed when they used new technology for mathematics
teaching and what existing curriculum resources provided.

358
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

Recommendations and Conclusions

The course provided student teachers with an understanding of the
philosophy of mathematics education, as well as training in a computer-
based environment. The relationship between computer-based mathematical
activities and the needs of students in school mathematics was thoroughly
discussed. From the findings, we can say that taking this kind of pre-service
course did have an impact on how much students felt prepared to use
computers for learning and teaching. The course served as a window into
the participants perceptions of their experience both as learners and
teachers in using the computer for learning and teaching mathematics. By
focusing on their own learning during the course, teachers were better able
to understand their future students learning experiences.
On the basis of the findings, the following suggestions for mathematics
teacher education are developed. Pre-service courses for preparation to use
technology in mathematics teaching should provide student mathematics
teachers with experience and knowledge of a wide range of instructional
software for school mathematics. This implies that pre-service courses
should be carried out in the context of the school rather than as teacher
training programs isolated from schools. When pre-service courses in this
field take into account how teachers learn and how they feel about their
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

learning and preparation, they can form models of how pre-service teachers
will use computers in their own classrooms. Many studies have
demonstrated that teachers tend to teach as they have been taught (Ball,
1988). If the statement of we teach as we are taught is true, then education
faculties must consider this implication. Asking education faculties to do this
requires professional development at university level. Designing and
providing appropriate technology experiences means that the faculty itself
must develop comfort with and an awareness of the technology that is
currently being used in schools. More importantly, it means that education
faculties must model the use of the educational software in their own
teaching programs.
Not all the students enrolled on the course gained equal experience of
the computer-based activities. Student teachers who had enough experience
of hardware and educational software began to link computer-based
activities and school mathematics. However, student teachers who did not
have enough experience of hardware and educational software always
turned their attentions to the technical aspects of hardware and software
throughout the course rather than their instructional applications in
mathematics learning and teaching. They did not seem to be ready to use
the computer in their teaching. They appeared to demand more time to
learn how to run the software, and how to program. They did not have time
to think about the link between a particular software and school
mathematics. Overall the results related to this issue highlight that computer
literacy is an important requisite for the ability to follow and utilise

359
 Adnan Baki

computer-based activities properly with an understanding of the philosophy

behind them.
Student teachers recognised that a limitation for them was that the
mathematics currently being taught in the Turkish curriculum and textbooks
does not provide material suitable for computer use in classroom teaching.
The chief obstacles from their perspective are bureaucracy and the national
system of schooling. This indicates that student teachers will need follow-up
supervision and support when they teach in schools. First-hand experience is
essential but not sufficient to ensure that the implementation of an
innovation will be successful. epni (1993) found that new teachers need at
least 3 years of support during their induction period to make a substantial
change in their teaching. Pressure to cover an existing curriculum, lack of
institutional support, resistance from students and demands on teachers
time may reduce the actual effect that the computer-based mathematics
teaching course has. Thus, it is important to provide supervision and
support after graduation until the student teacher has reached a sustainable
level of use of the innovation.
The current literature and the perceptions of student teachers
described in this study suggest two possibilities and directions for further
research:
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

o Gooler (1989) reported that 50% of the faculty surveyed in the USA
believed that their student teachers are being prepared to use IT during
teacher education courses. However, we do not have reliable information
about what teacher educators in Turkey believe about how prepared
their students are to use educational technology. Do teacher educators
believe their students are being prepared? This question deserves an
investigation in Turkey. Teacher educators perceptions of their students
level of preparedness would complement studies about student teachers
perceptions of how prepared they are to use computers in classroom
teaching.
o A limitation of the present study was that student teachers practices and
skills in using a particular software in teaching were only self-assessed.
As a consequence the study does not necessarily represent their actual
competence in using Logo, Coypu and Excel in classroom instruction. An
investigation of the relationship between what student teachers say
during the course and do during their actual teaching would be valuable.
The course remains an active and ongoing catalyst for teacher reflection
and professional considerations. The research process continues. The
model created for the research and course structure is being used to
study other software (such as Mathematica, Cabri and Derive) across the
mathematics curriculum.

360
 PREPARING STUDENT TEACHERS TO USE COMPUTERS IN CLASS

Acknowledgment
This research was informed by doctoral studies at the University of London
Institute of Education.

Correspondence
Dr Adnan Baki, Department of Instructional Technology,
Faculty of Education, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
(adnanbaki@hotmail.com).

References
Altun, E. H. (1996) Information Technology in Developing Nations: a study of
lecturers attitudes and expertise with reference to Turkish education, Journal
of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 5, pp. 185-205.
Anderson, C. A. (1983) Computer Literacy: changes for teacher education, Journal
of Teacher Education, 34(5), pp. 6-11.
Arganbright, D. (1985) Mathematical Applications of Electronic Spreadsheets.
London: McGraw-Hill.
Askar, P. & Akkoyunlu, B. (1994) Use of Information Technology in Schools and
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

the Role of Principals, in M. Thomas, T. Sechwest & N. Estes (Eds) The

Eleventh International Conference on Technology and Education, London,
27-30 March, pp. 1056-1058. Austin: Morgan Printing Company.
Baki, A. (1994) Breaking with Tradition: a study of Turkish student teachers
experiences within a Logo-based mathematical environment. Unpublished Ph.D.
thesis. London: Institute of Education, University of London.
Baki, A. (1998) Technology Preparation for In-service Mathematics Teachers
Through a Short Term In-service Course, in I. Vakalis & D. H. Hallett (Eds) The
Proceedings of the International Conference on the Teaching of Mathematics,
Samos, Greece, 3-6 July, pp. 32-35. New York: John Wiley.
Baki, A. (2000) Learning to Teach Mathematics within a Computer-based
Environment, Hacettepe Journal of Education,19, pp. 186-193.
Ball, D. L. (1988) Research on Teacher Learning: studying how teachers knowledge
changes, Action-in-Teacher Education, 10(2), pp. 17-23.
epni, S. (1993) New Secondary Science Teachers Development in Turkey:
implications for the academy of new teacher programme. Unpublished Ph.D.
thesis, University of Southampton.
Criswell, J. R. (1989) Rethinking Microcomputer Instruction as a Part of Teacher
Education Reform, Educational Technology, 29(11), pp. 40-43.
Ernest, P. (1991) Whats the Use of Logo, in P. Ernest (Ed.) Mathematics Teaching:
the state of the art. London: Falmer Press.
Ersoy, Y. (1998) Use of New Information Technologies in Pre-service Education of
Mathematics Teachers in Turkey. in I. Vakalis & D. H. Hallett (Eds) The
Proceedings of the International Conference on the Teaching of Mathematics,
Samos, Greece, 3-6 July. New York: John Wiley.

361
 Adnan Baki
Gooler, D. (1989) Preparing Teachers to Use Technologies: can universities meet the
challenge?, Educational Technology, 29(3), pp. 18-21.
Gressard, C. & Loyd, B. A. (1986) Validation Studies of a New Computer Attitude
Scale, Association of Educational Data System Journal,19, pp. 295-301.
Harper, D. (1989) Logo: theory and practice. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cloe Publishing
Company.
Hoyles, C. & Noss, R. (1991) Microworlds Project 1986-1989. London: Institute of
Education, University of London.
Ingram, J. M. (1992) Whos Teaching the Teacher: education and the computer,
Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 8(3), pp. 17-19.
Jaworski, B. (1991) Mathematics Teaching: belief and practice, in P. Ernest (Ed.)
Mathematics Teaching: the state of the art. London: Falmer Press.
Lewis, P. G. (1990) Approaching Precalculus Mathematics Discretely: explorations
in a computer environment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Noss, R. & Hoyles, C. (1996) Windows on Mathematical Meanings: learning
cultures and computers. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Pead, D. & Phillips, R. (1995) Coypu: a versatile function and data plotter.
Nottingham: Shell Centre for Mathematical Education, University of
Nottingham.
Rabson, C. (1993) Real World Research: a resource for social scientists and
practitioner authors. Oxford: Blackwell.
Downloaded by [180.253.111.69] at 22:51 21 September 2017

Tall, D. (1992) Computers in the Mathematics Curriculum. London: The

Mathematical Association.

362