Philosophy of Teaching, Teaching Style and ICT Use: A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of High School Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

This study is a response to findings that have shown the importance of teachers’ philosophy, teaching styles and ICT use in impacting student learning outcomes. The study adopted an exploratory case design to explore the philosophical foundations, teaching styles and the levels of ICT use of six high school mathematics teachers in Ghana. Data for the study was collected using semi-structured interviews. The study found that the high school teachers used mainly the teacher-centered teaching approaches in which they dominate classroom instruction by disseminating knowledge to their learners. In spite of its perceived potentials, the study also reported low usages of ICT in instructional delivery among the teachers. Interestingly, the philosophy of teaching reported in the study by the teachers resonates with their current teaching style and ICT usage levels; the study found that the high school mathematics teachers hugely subscribed to the absolutist philosophical views of teaching mathematics which takes root in teacher-dominated teaching approaches. Consequently, the study reiterates that if teachers hold philosophical views that support the absolutist school of thought, they are likely to use delivery strategies which do not support ICT use but position the teacher to assume a central role in the instructional processes.