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enable individual initiative. Teacher can undertake online training session and apply the new technique or use new material in their classes
immediately. Use virtual communities to facilitate sharing of information, ideas, and
experience as well as exchanging materials with colleagues.
CHAPTER 6 6.
DESIGNING THE RESEARCH WORK
6.1. Selection of target group and controlled group 6.2. Lesson preparation and presentation using computer and without
using computer 6.3. Assessment at end of the chapter
6.4. Results 6.5. Analysis
6.6. Inference
6.1 Selection of target group and controlled group.
This section discusses the process of designing instructional materials that are relevant to the level of students that are involved in this study. Through
it, the general principles of learning and instruction are translated into elaborate and detailed plans for instructional materials and learning
Reigeluth 1999. The designer whose main goal is to make learning easier quicker and more enjoyable, has to consider member of elements during
instructional designing process Tillya 2002 The contents of this study were taken from quadratic equations in the
algebra section of the secondary basic mathematics curriculum. According to the Tanzanian basic mathematics curriculum the quadratic equations are
taught in the level of form two. In this case the participants of this study are form two students and their mathematics teachers from three secondary
schools based in Dar –es –salaam. In order to involve students from different learning environment we selected one boy’s school, one girl’s school, and
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one co-education mixed school. These schools were named as school M, school G, and school K respectively. The teachers who participated in this
study were named as Mw1 from school M, Mw2 from school G, and Mw3 and Mw4 both from school K. the table below summarizes the
qualifications, teaching experience, and the computer literacy of these teachers.
Name of the Teacher
Qualifications Teaching
Experience Computer
Knowledge Mw1
Diploma in Education
5 Years Literate
Mw2 Diploma in
Education 11 Years
Literate Mw3
Diploma in Education
6 Years Literate
Mw4 Diploma in
Education 15 Years
Literate
Table 2. Summary of teacher’s qualification, experience and knowledge of computer.
Before teaching in the classes where computers were used in the teaching and learning process, students were taught the basic skills on how to open
Microsoft Excel, enter data in the worksheet, and find the required values in the formatted cells. Students cannot be expected to benefit from technology
if their teachers are neither familiar nor comfortable with it. The primary reason teachers do not use technology in their classrooms is a lack of
experience with the technology Wenglinsky, 1998; Rosen Weil, 1995. Due to this reason all teachers who participated in the study were trained
how to use the technology and also how to integrate that technology into the curriculum. The observations showed that, almost all students who
participated in the study were completely computer illiterate, except few students who could start computers. All teachers were computer literate as
shown in the table, but they lack enough experience. Also teachers were trained to prepare detailed and computer-based lesson plans, use Microsoft
PowerPoint to prepare presentations and present, and use computer to teach
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active-based learning lessons. The school administration in all three schools was informed before the process began in order to get permission and
support from them. The materials consists of lesson series aimed at assisting students or learners to explore and learn how to solve quadratic equation
using the completing perfect square method.
Name of school School M
School G School K
Average class size
46 42
38 Student’s
computer knowledge
Very few are literate
Very few are literate
Very few are literate
Duration Six days
Five days Twelve days
Number of hours spent
Nine hours Eight hours
Eighteen hours
Table 3. The summary of student’s information
The topic was chosen because it is covered in the Tanzania a basic mathematics curriculum and also the experience shows that students have
difficulty in understanding how to make quadratic equation a perfect square. In a constructivist perspective students learn best through active engagement
in their own student in an environment that encourage them to actively examine reconstruct and communicate their own knowledge and
understanding Tillya, 2003. Students were given spreadsheet that contains formula to enter the coefficients of x
2
, x and constant so as to see the rots and then discover relationship b
2
= 4ac. Hence the integration of ICT into mathematics curriculum requires restructuring of the learning environment
that will create a more efficient and meaningful learning environments. Algebra is a fundamental concept in mathematical necessary for understands
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a wide variety of phenomena of importance to mathematics, and barrier to learning is of significant value Tillya 2002. The application of algebra in
solving mathematic problem and gaining deep understanding is also fundamental part of learning and doing mathematics.
6.2 Lesson Preparation and Presentation Using
