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The Mathematics Teacher in the Digital Era pp 71–89Cite as

Teaching with Digital Technology: Obstacles and Opportunities

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Part of the book series: Mathematics Education in the Digital Era ((MEDE,volume 2))

Abstract

A key variable in the use of digital technology in the mathematics classroom is the teacher. In this chapter we examine research that identifies some of the obstacles to, and constraints on, secondary teachers’ implementation of digital technology. While a lack of physical resources is still a major extrinsic concern we introduce a framework for, and highlight the crucial role of, the intrinsic factor of teachers’ Pedagogical Technology Knowledge (PTK). Results from a research study relating confidence in using technology to PTK are then presented. This concludes that confidence may be a critical variable in teacher construction of PTK, leading to suggestions for some ways in which professional development of teachers could be structured to strengthen confidence in technology use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Michael O. J. Thomas & Joann M. Palmer

Authors
  1. Michael O. J. Thomas
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  2. Joann M. Palmer
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Correspondence to Michael O. J. Thomas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. London Knowledge Lab Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK

    Alison Clark-Wilson

  2. Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Ornella Robutti

  3. Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Nathalie Sinclair

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Thomas, M.O.J., Palmer, J.M. (2014). Teaching with Digital Technology: Obstacles and Opportunities. In: Clark-Wilson, A., Robutti, O., Sinclair, N. (eds) The Mathematics Teacher in the Digital Era. Mathematics Education in the Digital Era, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4638-1_4

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