An investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical software

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dc.contributor.authorChantler, Edward Wilmot Jamesen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-11T14:27:56Z
dc.date.available2016-03-11T14:27:56Z
dc.date.issued1987en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes Course Papers.en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographies.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractVery little is known about how young children think and behave when faced by computers and the broad array of mathematical software available. Much of the software has been developed by adults in the way adults see young children reasoning. A class of twenty English-speaking boys of approximately 12 years of age were exposed to carefully selected mathematical software without adult (teacher) interference, to clarify how these pupils would react to that software. Special focus was placed on the interactions of three children throughout the series of twenty lessons, using two video cameras to record their behaviour. The size of the groupings was changed to consider the effect of group size on the pupils' interactions. Various 'themes' evolved out of reviewing the video recordings. These 'themes' were then linked to Research data. It appears that these pupils had great trouble in reading and interpreting instructions accurately. Also, the software made assumptions of what the pupils could do. The interaction and collaboration by the boys seemed at its best when they were in a group of two as 'peer equals'. The class recognised and used the services of those boys they considered 'experts' in the use of computers. The video-recordings showed that the pupils preferred having pencil and paper available to record information and their estimations, rather than having to rely on memory. It seemed to give permanence to their thoughts and make these more explicit and organised. An analysis of the data also showed that the software and the boys' reaction to it was distinctly sexist. The names of the software (SNOOKER, PILOT, MATHS - CARS IN MOTION, etc.) can be seen as male. The boys gave the computer a 'personality' and referred to it as a 'he'. Also, a disturbing tendency among these pupils was the way they interpreted the software and reacted to it in a distinctive military fashion. This can be attributed to the boys having to battle, explode or bomb their way to victory; to shoot something or be shot in much of the software available. My role of being 'non-expert' was an extremely difficult one as the pupils had expectations of me, and the shortcomings in the software obliged some form of interference. My conclusions are that the mathematical software needs to be appropriate and relevant to what is being done in the class rather than to exist on its own outside of it, and that it could aid the pupil to think about his thinking.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationChantler, E. W. J. (1987). <i>An investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical software</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17660en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationChantler, Edward Wilmot James. <i>"An investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical software."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17660en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationChantler, E. 1987. An investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical software. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Chantler, Edward Wilmot James AB - Very little is known about how young children think and behave when faced by computers and the broad array of mathematical software available. Much of the software has been developed by adults in the way adults see young children reasoning. A class of twenty English-speaking boys of approximately 12 years of age were exposed to carefully selected mathematical software without adult (teacher) interference, to clarify how these pupils would react to that software. Special focus was placed on the interactions of three children throughout the series of twenty lessons, using two video cameras to record their behaviour. The size of the groupings was changed to consider the effect of group size on the pupils' interactions. Various 'themes' evolved out of reviewing the video recordings. These 'themes' were then linked to Research data. It appears that these pupils had great trouble in reading and interpreting instructions accurately. Also, the software made assumptions of what the pupils could do. The interaction and collaboration by the boys seemed at its best when they were in a group of two as 'peer equals'. The class recognised and used the services of those boys they considered 'experts' in the use of computers. The video-recordings showed that the pupils preferred having pencil and paper available to record information and their estimations, rather than having to rely on memory. It seemed to give permanence to their thoughts and make these more explicit and organised. An analysis of the data also showed that the software and the boys' reaction to it was distinctly sexist. The names of the software (SNOOKER, PILOT, MATHS - CARS IN MOTION, etc.) can be seen as male. The boys gave the computer a 'personality' and referred to it as a 'he'. Also, a disturbing tendency among these pupils was the way they interpreted the software and reacted to it in a distinctive military fashion. This can be attributed to the boys having to battle, explode or bomb their way to victory; to shoot something or be shot in much of the software available. My role of being 'non-expert' was an extremely difficult one as the pupils had expectations of me, and the shortcomings in the software obliged some form of interference. My conclusions are that the mathematical software needs to be appropriate and relevant to what is being done in the class rather than to exist on its own outside of it, and that it could aid the pupil to think about his thinking. DA - 1987 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1987 T1 - An investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical software TI - An investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical software UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17660 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/17660
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationChantler EWJ. An investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical software. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 1987 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17660en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentSchool of Educationen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherMathematics - Study and teaching (Primary)en_ZA
dc.titleAn investigation into the behaviour of a group of primary school children when using selected mathematical softwareen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMEden_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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