Page 1 of 10
98
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.8
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8806.
Alshammari, Y., & Alharbi, O. (2020). Attitudes Of Mathematics Teachers Towards The Use Of Technological Tools In Intermediate
Schools In Saudi Arabia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(8) 98-107.
Attitudes Of Mathematics Teachers Towards The Use Of
Technological Tools In Intermediate Schools In Saudi Arabia
Yousef Alshammari
Faculty of Education
Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
Omran Alharbi
Glasgow University, Glasgow, UK
ABSTRACT
The study aimed to increase understanding of the attitudes of
mathematics teachers in intermediate schools towards the use of
technological tools in Saudi Arabia in the Hafr Al-Batin province. To
achieve the aims of the study, the researchers used a 19-item
questionnaire, and its reliability and validity were verified. The sample
was 73 male and female mathematics teachers; the study found that the
attitudes of mathematics teachers towards the use of technological tools
are positive. Finally, the study presented some recommendations:
having specialists in the fields of technology and the Internet to help
teachers to use technological tools was considered necessary, as well as
providing each school with appropriate technological tools, and
providing teachers with training courses regarding how to effectively
use various technological tools.
Keywords: attitudes, technological tools, mathematics teachers.
INTRODUCTION
This era is characterised by rapid changes resulting from scientific and technological progress, and
technology has penetrated into the fields of public life. In 2005, Moqbel claimed that the curricula
offered through educational institutions are not useful in public life. Saudi Arabia was one of the
countries that took a distinct step towards rebuilding curricula according to clear steps, with an
urgent need to keep pace with this accelerating technological development. These changes included
teachers, who can gain the necessary expertise by attending courses and workshops which concern
how they use technological tools in order to hone their educational talents. Al-Ghassab (2017)
indicated that teachers are required to possess the technical and educational skills that allow them
to effectively use technological tools, because teachers represent the main pillar of the educational
process, and therefore are required to exercise many roles to improve the educational process.
Moreover, Al-Dulaimi (2015) emphasised that the employment of technological tools in teaching
has become the job of teachers, and this differs from their role in the past, which was limited to
indoctrination, for this process of preparing the teacher to use technological tools in teaching has
become a scientific and professional requirement.
Page 2 of 10
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.78.8806 99
Alshammari, Y., & Alharbi, O. (2020). Attitudes Of Mathematics Teachers Towards The Use Of Technological Tools In Intermediate Schools In Saudi Arabia.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(8) 98-107.
To achieve quality in teaching, there are several things that must be assessed and examined, most
notably the attitudes of teachers towards teaching methods. Mathematics has been chosen in this
study for several reasons, including the nature of mathematics in being characterised by a variety
of features, including its cumulative structure, and its topics being related and having a logical
sequence. Therefore, specialists in mathematics curricula and methods believe that mathematics
needs to take advantage of the potential of technological advancement to support mathematics
teaching and develop mathematics teaching methods. Furthermore, many studies have indicated
that teaching mathematics using technological tools improves students' ability to achieve, provides
them with opportunities to compete with each other, increases their positivity towards the subject,
and encourages them to learn it (Al-Khatib, 2004). Consequently, this study will assess the attitudes
of mathematics teachers towards their use of technological tools in the educational process.
THE STUDY PROBLEM AND RESEARCH QUESTION
Many of our current methods and ways of life, including teaching methods, have changed due to the
technological developments of recent times. The use of technological tools in teaching is one of the
most common teaching patterns today, and it is considered the most cost-effective, giving students
a greater ability to retain the information which they acquire. Despite the advantages provided by
technological tools for the educational process, the success of this method and benefits of these
features depend on several aspects, most notably the attitudes of teachers towards the use of
technological tools in the educational process.
The Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia presented a set of technological tools in government
schools, and held a set of training workshops for teachers regarding how to use the technological
tools in teaching. Nevertheless, we have noted that the skills required to use technological tools in
the teaching process are not clear to most mathematics teachers, which may prevent students from
benefiting from technological tools. In addition, it has been observed that there is a slow pace in the
activation of this type of teaching by teachers, especially mathematics teachers. Therefore, the
problem of the study is represented by the following question:
What are the attitudes of mathematics teachers towards the use of technological tools in
intermediate schools in Saudi Arabia?
IMPORTANCE AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY
The importance of this study stems from the importance of the topic we are addressing. We
expected that this study would contribute by providing adequate information (to those in charge of
the educational process) about the attitudes of mathematics teachers towards the use of
technological tools, and, additionally, could benefit the designers of the mathematics curriculum.
Moreover, the current study aimed to identify the attitudes of mathematics teachers towards the
use of technological tools in intermediate schools in Saudi Arabia.
PROCEDURAL DEFINITIONS
Attitudes
An attitude is generally defined as a state of mental readiness that generates a dynamic effect on a
person's response and behaviour towards a subject, positive or negative, as a result of the
interaction of a group of knowledge, emotional and behavioural aspects of a person, determining
Page 3 of 10
100
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 8, August-2020
his behaviour towards the things and topics surrounding him (Hewstone, Antony & Wolfgang,
1997).
Technological tools
In the current study, technological tools refer to electronic, digital tools that can be used in teaching
by a mathematics teacher. This could include computers, smartboards, projectors, Web 2.0 tools
available through the Internet, etc.
Mathematics teachers
Mathematics teachers represent the group of people assigned by the Ministry of Education to teach
mathematics in intermediate schools in Hafr Al Batin province, for the second semester of the
academic year 2019–2020.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In this section, we present a number of studies that are related to the primary goal of the current
study. A study by Borstorff and Lowe (2016) aimed to identify attitudes towards the use of
technological tools in teaching, with the study sample consisting of 113 students. The researchers
used a questionnaire to identify students’ perceptions and convictions with regard to using
technological tools, and the results of the study showed that 88% of respondents showed moderate
positive attitudes and experiences regarding the use of technological tools, and 79% of them
advised others to use this type of teaching. The shortcomings centred on the students' point of view
that there is a weakness concerning the clarity of how to use technological tools.
In another study, conducted by Egbo, Ifeanacho, Okoyenuzu and Onwumere (2011), the researchers
aimed at understanding and measuring students' attitudes regarding the effectiveness of e-learning
and its use in the educational process. They developed a questionnaire and distributed it to 415
students from the University of Nigeria via the Internet. The results indicated that most students
have positive attitudes towards the use of technological tools in learning.
A study conducted by Al-Shannaq and Bani Dum (2010) aimed to reveal the attitudes of teachers
and students towards the use of technological tools in teaching in Jordan, with 28 male and female
teachers and 118 male and female students participating. The results of the study revealed that
there are positive attitudes among teachers towards the use of technological tools. Al-Doub,
Goodwin and Al-Hunaiyyan (2008) aimed to reveal students’ attitudes towards the use of
technological tools in higher education institutions in Kuwait. To achieve the goals of the study, the
researchers distributed a questionnaire to a sample from the College of Business Administration in
the government sector. The sample included 146 male and female students, as well as a sample of
students from the College of Science and Technology at Gulf University in the private sector, which
numbered 85 male and female students. The results indicated that all individuals of the government
and the private sector were enthusiastic about using technological tools, and their attitudes were
positive.
Shu, Hsiu and Gwo (2006) conducted a study which aimed at revealing the attitudes of teachers and
students towards the use of technological tools in education, with a sample consisting of 76 male
and female students and 111 male and female teachers. The results of the study indicated that the
majority of respondents had highly positive attitudes towards the use of technological tools in
Page 4 of 10
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.78.8806 101
Alshammari, Y., & Alharbi, O. (2020). Attitudes Of Mathematics Teachers Towards The Use Of Technological Tools In Intermediate Schools In Saudi Arabia.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(8) 98-107.
education. Furthermore, Al-Omari (2006) conducted a study aimed at identifying the reality of the
use of technological tools from the viewpoint of teachers, and the attitudes of students and teachers
towards it. Two questionnaires were prepared; the first was specific to students and measured their
attitudes, while the second questionnaire was for teachers, consisting of four areas: to measure the
availability and use of physical and information facilities, to understand the extent to which teachers
use e-learning skills, to understand the difficulties they face when using technological tools, and to
measure the attitudes of teachers towards the use of technological tools.
The sample of the study consisted of 181 male and female teachers and 400 male and female
students, distributed among eight schools in Jordan. One of the most prominent results revealed by
the study was teacher attitudes towards the use of technological tools being weak.
STUDY APPROACH AND COMMUNITY
The descriptive approach and a questionnaire were used to collect information, due to their
relevance to the nature and objectives of the study. The study population consisted of 73 male and
female teachers of mathematics in the Hafr Al Batin province from the second semester of 2019–
2020, chosen in a simple, random way.
Study Tool
We chose to use a questionnaire for the current study, and in order to prepare this questionnaire,
we reviewed theoretical literature as well as previous studies with comparable goals to the current
study. We adopted the questionnaire items from the studies of both Hamadenah and Al-Shawaheen
(2019) and Malkawy, Nawafleh and Alsaqqar (2015), and we developed the questionnaire items to
suit with objectives of the current study. As a result, the questionnaire consisted of 19 items to
measure the attitudes of mathematics teachers towards the use of technological tools in their
teaching, and a five-point Likert scale was adopted, as follows:
(1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Neutral, (4) Agree, (5) Strongly Agree.
Statistical Processing
To answer the study question, the means and standard deviations pertaining to the mathematics
teachers' attitudes (towards using technological tools in intermediate schools in Saudi Arabia) were
calculated.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
In this section, the participants' demographic data will be presented, and then the research question
will be analysed and discussed.
Demographic Information
Teachers By Gender
Table 1: Teachers by gender
Gender Response % Response N
Male 65.8 48
Female 34.2 25
Total 100% 73
Page 5 of 10
102
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 8, August-2020
Figure 1: Mathematics teachers by gender.
Table 1 and Figure 1 indicate that approximately two-thirds of the participants were male
mathematics teachers, with female mathematics teachers forming the remaining third.
Teachers By Teaching Experience
Table 2: Teachers by teaching experience
Teaching Experience Response % Response N
Less than 5 yrs 21.9 16
5–10 yrs 43.8 32
Over 10 yrs 34.2 25
Total 100% 73
Figure 2: Mathematics teachers by teaching experience.
65.8
34.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Male Female
THE PRECENTAGE
GENDER
21.9
43.8
34.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Less than 5 5_10 Over 10
THE PRECENTAGE
TEACHING EXPERIENCE