Embracing technology in distance mathematics education: Investigating students' perceptions of the teachers' usage of the pen tablet

Abstract

The inability to directly communicate mathematical content through various representations of concepts presented a significant challenge after the shift from face-to-face teaching to distance mathematics education in Serbia. Some mathematics teachers attempted to overcome this gap by using a pen tablet during mathematics classes. The aim of this research is to determine the attitudes of upper-grade elementary and high school students about whether the meaningful use of a pen tablet by teachers contributes to the quality of distance mathematics education. The examined sample included 202 students from upper elementary and high school. The research results indicate that students are indeed aware of the benefits of teachers using a pen tablet to achieve learning outcomes. In most specific statements, there are no significant differences in the attitudes of elementary and high school students, as well as differences in attitudes in relation to gender. Specifically, girls, to a greater extent than boys, agree with the statement that the use of a pen tablet helped them better understand the teaching and learning contents, as well as that there are more benefits to using a pen tablet in classes that cover arithmetic (algebra) topics. On the other hand, high school students, to a greater extent than elementary school students, perceive the use of a pen tablet in math classes as more effective and consider it more helpful during learning in mathematics classes.