Abstract
The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in mathematics education has significantly transformed teaching methods and increased student engagement, particularly at Dimasalang Central School in Masbate, Philippines. This study employed a descriptive-survey approach involving 30 mathematics teachers who provided insights via a validated questionnaire addressing demographics, ICT’s effects on teaching and learning, and obstacles encountered during integration. Findings revealed that ICT enhanced lesson preparation, teaching strategies, assessment accuracy, and classroom management, making instruction more organized and student-focused. Additionally, ICT positively influenced learners’ attention, participation, collaboration, task completion, confidence, and motivation in mathematics classes. Nonetheless, teachers faced challenges such as insufficient ICT resources, technical problems, and lack of adequate training, which hindered optimal implementation. A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between teachers’ effective ICT use and learners’ participation, underscoring the interdependence of instructional practices and student engagement. The study recommends continuous professional development to upgrade teacher ICT skills, increased investment in ICT infrastructure and resources, curriculum alignment with technological tools, and active involvement from stakeholders to sustain and enhance ICT integration in mathematics education. These efforts can help leverage ICT’s full potential to improve educational outcomes in similar rural school settings.
Keywords: ICT integration, mathematics education, teacher practices, learner participation
INTRODUCTION
In the contemporary era of digital transformation, the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has emerged as a pivotal approach to enhancing both teaching and learning experiences, particularly in mathematics education. Mathematics as a discipline often poses cognitive challenges to learners due to its abstract concepts and complex problem-solving requirements. The infusion of ICT enables educators to deliver mathematical content through innovative, interactive, and learner-centered pedagogies (Arhin, Boateng, Akosah, & Gyimah, 2024). Digital tools such as dynamic visualization software, online educational platforms, and real-time assessment applications provide avenues for enriching classroom interactions, fostering active participation, and catering to diverse learner needs.
The theoretical framework underpinning this study aligns with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model, which emphasizes the symbiotic interplay of technology, pedagogy, and content expertise for effective teaching (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). This model supports the premise that successful integration requires teachers not only to adopt digital tools but to reconceptualize their instructional strategies to align with technological affordances. Concurrently, constructivist learning theories advocate for knowledge construction through active engagement, collaboration, and meaningful contextualization—dimensions ICT uniquely facilitates (Piaget, 1954; Vygotsky, 1978).
Globally, ICT integration in mathematics has demonstrated substantial benefits including increased learner motivation, deeper concept comprehension, and improved problem-solving skills (Haleem, Javaid, Qadri, & Suman, 2022). Alqahtani and Mohammad (2020) found that Saudi Arabian secondary students exposed to ICT-enhanced mathematics instruction exhibited higher academic performance and engagement compared to traditional methods. However, the successful adoption of ICT depends on teachers’ perceptions, competencies, and institutional support (Agyei, Darko Agyei, & Benning, 2022). In many contexts, challenges such as limited resources, insufficient training, and infrastructural deficiencies hinder optimal integration (Asare et al., 2023).
This reality underscores the relevance of studying ICT integration in the Philippine elementary education setting, especially in rural schools like Dimasalang Central School, Masbate, where resource constraints co-exist with a growing digital imperative. This study aims to illuminate how ICT affects teachers’ instructional practices and students’ participatory behavior in mathematics learning, identify prevailing challenges, and explore the relationship between instructional innovations and learner engagement. The insights generated are poised to inform policymakers, school leaders, and educators in designing effective strategies to harness ICT’s transformative potential within Filipino classrooms.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The effective integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in mathematics education has gained increasing attention as a vital strategy to enhance teaching quality and student outcomes. Despite the recognized benefits, many educators, particularly in rural or resource-constrained settings such as Dimasalang Central School in Masbate, face significant challenges related to ICT adoption. Existing literature indicates that while ICT can improve lesson preparation, teaching methodologies, assessment techniques, and classroom management, the extent of its practical use and impact varies significantly depending on factors such as teacher competence, resource availability, and institutional support (Arhin et al., 2024; Agyei et al., 2022). Moreover, ICT has been shown to heighten learner engagement, motivation, collaboration, and confidence in mathematics, yet these benefits are often hindered by infrastructural limitations and inadequate professional development (Haleem et al., 2022; Asare et al., 2023).
This study aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the current state of ICT integration in mathematics education at Dimasalang Central School by addressing the following questions: What are the demographic and professional profiles of mathematics teachers in relation to their ICT competency? How does ICT integration influence various dimensions of teachers’ instructional practices—specifically lesson preparation and delivery, teaching strategies, assessment, and classroom management? What is the impact of ICT on learner participation, focusing on attention, collaboration, task performance, and confidence? What are the prevailing challenges faced by teachers in integrating ICT tools within mathematics instruction? Lastly, is there a significant relationship between the extent of ICT integration in teaching practices and learners’ active participation in mathematics?
METHODOLOGY
Research Design This study adopted a descriptive-survey research design to systematically investigate the effects of ICT integration on teaching practices and learner participation in mathematics education. The descriptive-survey approach is appropriate for capturing detailed, quantitative measures of teachers’ perceptions, behaviors, and challenges regarding ICT use within their instructional contexts, thereby facilitating a broad understanding of trends and correlations without experimental manipulation.
Participants and Sampling The study population consisted of all mathematics teachers at Dimasalang Central School, totaling 30 respondents for this investigation. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique, chosen based on their availability and active involvement in mathematics instruction during the current school year. This non-probability sampling method allows efficient data collection while ensuring respondents possess relevant firsthand experience with ICT integration in their classrooms.
Instrumentation Data collection employed a specially developed, researcher-made questionnaire structured into two principal sections. The first section gathered demographic and professional information, including age, sex, highest educational attainment, years of teaching experience, and level of ICT competency to provide context for analyzing ICT use patterns. The second section comprised 30 carefully formulated Likert-scale items (rated from 1-Strongly Disagree to 4-Strongly Agree) divided into subcategories evaluating the effects of ICT on (1) teachers’ instructional approaches—lesson preparation and delivery, teaching strategies and methodologies, assessment and evaluation, and classroom management; (2) learners’ participation—attention and engagement, collaboration and interaction, task performance and completion, confidence and motivation; and (3) challenges encountered in ICT integration.
Validation of the Instrument To ensure content validity, the questionnaire was subjected to expert review by administrators and experienced educators from neighboring schools not included in the study. Their feedback guided refinement of wording, relevance, and clarity of items, enhancing the instrument’s appropriateness for the target population. Pilot testing ensured reliability and comprehension before full deployment.
Data Collection Procedures After receiving institutional permissions from the Schools Division Superintendent, school principal, and district supervisors, the researcher personally administered the questionnaires to ensure clear communication of instructions and confidentiality assurances. Efforts were made to maximize response rates, resulting in full participation. Data collection occurred over a designated period to accommodate school schedules and activities.
Data Analysis Quantitative data from the demographic section were analyzed using frequency distributions and percentages to present clear profiles of respondents. Responses from Likert-scale items were processed through weighted mean calculations to measure the central tendency of perceptions regarding ICT effects and challenges. Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was calculated to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between teachers’ ICT integration in instructional approaches and learners’ participation in mathematics classes, with significance evaluated at p < 0.05.
Ethical Considerations The study rigorously adhered to ethical standards by ensuring voluntary participation, protecting respondent anonymity, and limiting the use of collected data to educational research purposes. Informed consent was obtained, highlighting data confidentiality and the right to withdraw without consequence.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Demographic Profile of Teachers The study included 30 teachers, with 47% aged 41–50 years and 33% aged 51 and above, alongside 83.3% being female. Most participants (76.7%) possessed 16 or more years of teaching experience. Among the 34 school heads surveyed, 52.9% had earned units in master's programs and 14.7% held doctorate degrees. Teachers' ICT competency levels showed 46.7% at intermediate, 36.7% at basic, 10% at advanced, and 6.7% at beginner levels, with none classified as experts.
Effects of ICT Integration on Teachers’ Instructional Approaches ICT strongly improved lesson preparation, teaching strategies, assessment, and classroom management with overall ratings between 3.69 and 3.86 (“strongly agree”).
Effects of ICT on Learners’ Participation in Mathematics ICT enhanced students’ attention, engagement, collaboration, task completion, confidence, and motivation, with weighted means from 3.58 to 3.78 (“strongly agree”).
Challenges in ICT Integration Major challenges in ICT integration included limited resources and technical difficulties, both with a weighted mean of 3.73, followed by lack of training at 3.60, and student skill gaps with distractions at 3.53, all interpreted as "strongly agree". Time constraints in lesson preparation and difficulties aligning ICT with curriculum competencies were less critical, each scoring 3.40. These issues align with common barriers in Philippine schools, such as infrastructure deficits and inadequate professional development.
Relationship Between ICT Integration and Learners’ Participation A moderate, statistically significant positive correlation exists between ICT use in teaching and student participation in math (r = 0.465 > critical r = ±0.361, p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The study concludes that ICT integration positively transforms teachers’ instructional approaches and fosters active learner participation in mathematics education at Dimasalang Central School. Teachers become more organized, use innovative strategies, improve assessment accuracy, and manage classrooms effectively through ICT. Students show increased attention, collaboration, task completion, confidence, and motivation. However, challenges such as limited resources, technical issues, insufficient training, and curriculum misalignment remain significant barriers.
To harness ICT’s full potential, this study recommends:
Implement continuous professional development programs focusing on advancing teacher ICT skills from basic to expert levels.
Encourage innovative pedagogical approaches using ICT to promote student-centered learning beyond lesson preparation.
Develop ICT-based activities that nurture collaboration, engagement, confidence, and motivation among learners.
Provide adequate ICT infrastructure—computers, projectors, stable internet—and ongoing technical support.
Align ICT tools and lesson plans with curriculum standards for coherent instructional delivery.
Involve school leaders, parents, and community stakeholders in policy formulation and resource mobilization to sustain ICT initiatives.
Initiate peer mentoring and professional learning communities to share best practices and collective growth in ICT use.
Further research should extend to multiple schools and grade levels, employ longitudinal designs, and explore students’ direct perspectives on ICT integration.
This study underscores the transformative role of ICT in enhancing mathematics education when combined with teacher preparedness and systemic support, contributing valuable empirical evidence for guiding education innovation in rural Philippine settings and beyond.
References
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
Arhin, J., Boateng, F. O., Akosah, E. F., & Gyimah, K. (2024). Perceptions and readiness of high school mathematics teachers for integration of ICT tools in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Pedagogical Research, 9(1), em0179.
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M. A., & Suman, R. (2022). Understanding the role of digital technologies in education: A review. Sustainable Operations and Computers, 3, 275-285.
Alqahtani, M., & Mohammad, N. (2020). The Impact of Using ICTs on Mathematics Learning in Saudi Arabian Secondary Schools. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 10(1), 83-89.
Viberg, O., Grönlund, Å., & Andersson, A. (2020). Integrating digital technology in mathematics education: a Swedish case study. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(1), 232-243.
Asare, S., Agyeman, K. D., Nyarko, J., Opoku-Mensah, N., Fokuo, M. O., Owusu-Mintah, C., & Asamoah, R. (2023). The role of ICT in teaching and learning mathematics at College of Education: A systematic review. Journal of Education and Practice, 14(12), 70-77.
Piaget, J. (1954). The construction of reality in the child. Basic Books.
https://doi.org/10.65494/pinagpalapublishing.28
