Universal Journal of Educational Research 9(6): 1214-1223, 2021 http://www.hrpub.org
DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2021.090610
Postgraduate Mathematics Education Students'
Perceptions of Technology-based Tools and Resources:
Exploring the Influences of Connectivism and the
Three Worlds of Mathematics
Jayaluxmi Naidoo
1,*
, Rajendran Govender
2
1
Mathematics and Computer Science Education Cluster, School of Education, College of Humanities, University of KwaZulu-Natal,
Durban, 4041, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
2
School of Science and Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education, University of Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, Cape Town,
South Africa
Received March 9, 2021; Revised March 29, 2021; Accepted May 23, 2021
Cite This Paper in the following Citation Styles
(a): [1] Jayaluxmi Naidoo, Rajendran Govender , "Postgraduate Mathematics Education Students’ Perceptions of
Technology-based Tools and Resources: Exploring the Influences of Connectivism and the Three Worlds of
Mathematics," Universal Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 1214-1223, 2021. DOI:
10.13189/ujer.2021.090610.
(b): Jayaluxmi Naidoo, Rajendran Govender (2021). Postgraduate Mathematics Education Students’ Perceptions of
Technology-based Tools and Resources: Exploring the Influences of Connectivism and the Three Worlds of
Mathematics. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 9(6), 1214-1223. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2021.090610.
Copyright©2021 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License
Abstract As we embrace the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, transformations in education necessitate the
use of technology-based pedagogy. This study explored
postgraduate mathematics education students’ perceptions
of using technology-based tools and resources. This
qualitative and interpretive study was conducted at a
university in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study was
framed utilizing the theory of connectivism and the three
worlds of mathematics theory. Connectivism is a learning
theory that is considered to be strengthened by existing
technology-based tools and is founded on the notion that
ubiquitous Information Communication Technology
impacts teaching and learning. The three worlds of
mathematics theory support the view that the development
of mathematical thinking is founded on perception,
operation and reasoning. Postgraduate mathematics
education students engaged in interactive workshops using
different online platforms. Subsequently, a sample of
participants was interviewed using a semi-structured
interview schedule. The interviews were conducted via
various online platforms. Data that were generated were
analyzed thematically. The results revealed two main
themes. These themes focused on the strengths and
challenges of using technology-based tools and resources
to learn mathematics as perceived by the participants. The
results of this study provide evidence that
technology-based tools and resources may also be
considered by lecturers when teaching mathematics topics
that involve drawing complex mathematical diagrams and
solving problems based on these complex mathematics
diagrams. Also, the results support the view that to
alleviate challenges associated with using
technology-based tools and resources, lecturers need to
ensure that the technology-based tools and resources being
used are user-friendly, inexpensive, readily available and
data-efficient. Moreover, this study support the view that
lecturers need to consider attending professional
development workshops and seminars that focus on
integrating technology effectively in educational
environments. This study has relevance globally and
nationally when considering the implications of using
technology-based tools and resources for learning
mathematics.
Keywords Fourth Industrial Revolution, Mathematics,
Microsoft Teams, MOODLE, Postgraduate Student,