Engaging preservice primary and preprimary school teachers in digital storytelling for the teaching and learning of mathematics
Abstract
A significant criticism made of preservice teacher education is that it fails to prepare
teachers in such a way that they would feel confident in the use of information and
communication technology (ICT) in teaching, despite the assumed digital literacy of
student-teachers and the children they will eventually teach. New technologies have
enabled multimodal design and digital storytelling in meaning-making and communication
and are now often instrumental and influential in shaping students’ social practices
and identities. The purpose of this study was to explore an integrative approach in
applying ICT in learning with specific reference to the formation of mathematics teaching
capability in preservice teachers. It takes into consideration student-teachers’ lived
experiences when introducing ICT supported learning into their classrooms as well as
their exposure to related university courses such as educational technology, special
didactics of mathematics and mathematics. This paper describes the instructional
design framework and assessment criteria for mathematical problem solving and digital
storytelling introduced to an ICT course for student-teachers. Based on the analysis of
pre- and posttesting of the subjects’ capabilities and reports of their perceptions, it is
suggested that preservice teachers can efficiently develop their content knowledge in
mathematics problem solving and that an integrative approach such as that described
here may facilitate both mathematical problem-solving competences and pedagogical
competences for applying digital storytelling in solving mathematical problems.
The cohort of preservice teachers had no prior experiences of digital storytelling or
multimodal design and perceived them as new practices. Their conceptions changed
during the course from the passive recipients to active producers of media content. They
demonstrated reflection relative to learning-by-design and representation modelling.
They perceived digital storytelling as a strategy and means for empowering the “studentvoice”
and the active construction of knowledge. The findings of the study contribute to preservice
teacher education indicating that an integrated approach of instruction that
deploys digital storytelling andmultimodal design can help facilitate preservice teachers’
pedagogical competencies and mathematical content knowledge.
Reference
Starcic, A. I., Cotic, M., Solomonides, I., & Volk, M. (2016). Engaging preservice primary and preprimary school teachers in digital storytelling for the teaching and learning of mathematics. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(1), 29-50. DOI: 10.1111/bjet.12253.
Journal
British Journal of Educational Technology
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
- Qualitiative
- Quantitative
- Quasi-experimental
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
- Preprimary
- Primary (UK term)
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Integrated Mathematics and Literacy Course
- University
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
115
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- digital products
- mathematics problem solving assessment
- Written reflections
Data Analysis Tools
- coding (non-specific)
- SPSS
- t-test
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
- Inside (studying their own practices)
Research Questions
As a consequence of engaging in multimodal design in digital storytelling for solving mathematical problems, do preservice teachers show progress in their development of competences in solving mathematical problems?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
Will preservice teachers who have higher grades in multimodal design for mathematical problems in digital storytelling will, compared with those that have lower grades, achieve higher marks in a mathematics test?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination