ICT Integration in Mathematics Teaching and Learning: Insights from East Africa

Abstract

In order to prepare young people for participation in the technological and knowledge driven society, policy makers in the East African countries are emphasizing the use of ICT to transform the economy from subsistence agriculture to a knowledge-based economy. With this perspective, teacher training in ICTs should not just be about using new technologies but also about why and when to use them in transforming teaching and learning practices. For example, objectives of the Rwandan ICT in Education Policy Statement include developing teachers' capacity and capability in and through ICT at all school levels. It is against this objective, the present chapter aims at analyzing what level of use of ICT is currently support-ing the teaching and learning of mathematics in basic education in Eastern Africa region with illustrating examples from Rwanda. Whilst ICT helps teachers for dem-onstrations and presentations of their material, group work enhances the learning collaboration; thus breaking away from the practice of talk and chalk that is mostly teacher-centred to a more learner-centred teaching approach. The case study of Rwanda raises important questions for harmonization of mathematics education in the East Africa region. Introductory Background The last few decades have seen huge developments in technology. Whereas only 50 years ago computers filled entire rooms, there are now laptops, tablets, smart phones and many other devices with increasingly sophisticated software, becom-ing ever more powerful, cheaper, smaller and better connected, more and more visible in many walks of life including education.