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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.
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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