Teaching and Learning Mathematics Using Technology in Rwanda Basic Education Schools Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, many countries are investing in integrating technology into education, and Rwanda is not an exception. This chapter explores students' and teachers' self-efficacy, perceptions, and experiences on using technology in learning and teaching mathematics during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, the study sought to reveal differences in technology use according to the participants' backgrounds. To collect quantitative data, the study administered an online self-reported questionnaire to students and teachers in Rwanda in primary and secondary schools. The independent t-test and One-Way ANOVA enabled us to examine differences in technology use according to participants' backgrounds. The findings revealed that most Rwandan primary and secondary mathematics teachers were not equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills to use technology during the covid-19 pandemic, causing them to find e-learning technologies inconvenient. In terms of technology use, using the t-test, it was observed that there were no significant differences at p > 0.05 between male and female students and teachers. Additionally, the study found that teachers with different educational qualifications and teaching experiences used technology similarly when teaching mathematics. In contrast, the t-test showed that there were substantial differences at p > 0.05 between rural and urban students' and teachers' use of technology in mathematics. This study recommends that mathematics teachers be continually trained to embrace new technologies that will equip learners with twenty-first-century skills. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.