Challenges Faced by Long-Serving Teachers in Integrating ICT in the Teaching of Mathematics in Gwanda Urban Primary Schools

Abstract

The study sort to identify the main challenges faced by long-serving teachers in integrating ICT in the teaching of Mathematics in Gwanda Urban primary schools in Matabeleland South Province. The research tried to offer options that will assist primary school teachers on how one can integrate ICT in the teaching of Mathematics and further highlighted some possible solutions to the challenges commonly faced by the majority of long-serving teachers when teaching Mathematics integrating with ICT. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design which enabled the researcher to use questionnaires and interviews to collect data from the respondents who were mainly teachers and the school heads under study. The questionnaires were administered to seventeen teachers of which eight are long-serving teachers which comprise of three males and five females and nine newly graduated teachers made up of four males and five females. The interviews were conducted with the three school heads under study comprising of one male and two females. Random sampling technique was used to select the sample. The review of literature revealed that there are a lot of factors that hinder most teachers from being able to integrate ICT in the teaching of Mathematics among which are lack of competency skills, fear to use technology tools and shortage of ICT resources. The research recommends that practicing teachers be capacitated, counselled and encouraged to change their attitudes towards the usage of ICT tools in the teaching and learning processes. The study further recommends that the school management teams with the assistance of School Development Committees (SDCs) should provide in-service training and Staff Development Programmes (SDPs) to empower and equip the practicing long-serving teachers with basic skills and knowledge on ICT tools and their usage in the teaching of Mathematics. Finally, the research recommends that the school management teams working together with the SDCs encourage parents and guardians of the learners to provide their children with data bundles and appropriate ICT devices to use during the Mathematics lessons both in class and at home.