Thesis Abstract

Abstract
This research project focuses on the development of a comprehensive package aimed at integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into the primary school mathematics teacher education programme. The integration of ICT in education has become increasingly important in modern teaching practices, as it offers numerous benefits in enhancing teaching and learning outcomes. However, the effective integration of ICT into teacher education programmes requires careful planning and structured approaches to ensure that teachers are well-equipped to leverage technology in their classrooms. The primary objective of this project is to create a package that will provide pre-service teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively integrate ICT into their mathematics teaching practices. The package will cover various aspects of ICT integration, including theoretical foundations, practical applications, and pedagogical considerations. By equipping future teachers with these competencies, the package aims to enhance their confidence and proficiency in using ICT tools to support mathematics instruction. The development of the package will be guided by established frameworks for integrating ICT in education, as well as best practices in teacher education. The package will be designed to be flexible and adaptable to different contexts, allowing teacher educators to customize the materials to suit their specific needs and requirements. Additionally, the package will incorporate interactive elements and hands-on activities to engage pre-service teachers and facilitate active learning experiences. The effectiveness of the package will be evaluated through a series of pilot studies involving pre-service teachers enrolled in mathematics teacher education programmes. Feedback from participants will be collected to assess the usability, relevance, and impact of the package on their ICT integration practices. Based on the findings from these pilot studies, the package will be refined and revised to ensure its effectiveness and applicability in diverse educational settings. Overall, this research project aims to contribute to the improvement of primary school mathematics teacher education by developing a comprehensive package for integrating ICT into teacher education programmes. By empowering pre-service teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively use ICT in their teaching, the package has the potential to enhance mathematics instruction and improve learning outcomes for students.

Thesis Overview

Mathematics, the science of space and number, plays a great role in the development of an individual, society and nation. To Sidhu (1995) a common man can get on sometimes ‘very’ well without learning how to read and write, but he can never pull on without learning how to count and calculate. Any person ignorant of mathematics will be at the mercy of others and will be easily cheated. A person may belong either to the lowest or highest class of society, but he utilizes knowledge of mathematics in one form or the other. Going beyond speaking of an engineer, a business man, an industrialist or a banker whose use of mathematics is glaring, a laborer has to calculate his wages, make purchases from the market, and adjust the expenditure of his income. Most individuals’ and group projects in life fail for want of sense of calculation. A person who can calculate, estimate and approximate properly can anticipate all the possible handicaps to be faced in a project and thus can adopt precautionary measures to avoid possible failures and loses. According to Osafehinti (1990) the influence of mathematics to the individual in his daily undertaking is so enormous that the knowledge of mathematics is indispensible tool for a successful and balanced human existence on this planet. This is in agreement with the views of UNESCO in Odili (2006) on the importance of mathematics. UNESCO maintained that “lack of arithmetical literacy, that is, skill and understanding of the fundamental operations with whole and rational numbers in decimal notations, on the part of millions of inhabitants of our planet shows either a lack of school or failure in instruction at elementary level. Because of the importance of this knowledge in every facet of life, it goes without question that the acquisition of skill and understanding of arithmetical computation and its application to the solution of everyday problems is still the primary objective of elementary school mathematics”.