An Exploratory Case Study of Computer Use in a Primary School Mathematics Classroom: New Technology, New Pedagogy? Research: Information and Communication Technologies

Abstract

Because computers potentially transform pedagogy, much has been made of their ability to impact positively on student performance, particularly in subjects such as mathematics and science. However, there is currently a dearth of research regarding exactly how the computer acts as a transformative tool in disadvantaged schools. Drawing on a detailed case study of a Grade 6 mathematics classroom I address the question of whether the introduction of a new tool - the computer - into the classroom shifts a teacher's pedagogical practice. I do this by elaborating on Vygotsky's learning theory before discussing Activity Theory as a framework for analysing change within and between the activity systems of the classroom and the computer laboratory. By focusing on contradictions as dynamic forces of change, I demonstrate how we can track transformation within an activity system. Tracking these contradictions enables me to illustrate how the use of the computer potentially leads to a shift in the object of the mathematics classroom, which in turn, leads to shifts in other elements of the classroom. This article seeks to provide one illustration of the way in which Activity Theory can be used as a methodological tool to investigate pedagogical change within a classroom.