Information Technology in the Mathematics National Curriculum: Policy Begets Practice?

185 secondary teachers of mathematics responded to a questionnaire asking them to rate their competence with and classroom use of databases, spreadsheets, Logo and Basic. In addition they were invited to offer curricular justifications for each of the four pieces of software. Overall there was a wide spread of competence with, and classroom use of, all four pieces of software. Databases were perceived to have limited curricular value with justifications focusing on narrow aspects of data handling. Logo was viewed positively with justifications addressing issues such as motivation and covering a range of geometrical topics. Spreadsheets were seen as the most versatile software with justifications being spread across a range of curriculum areas. With few exceptions Basic was dismissed as being of little use. Competent teachers who used software regularly tended to have shorter lengths of service, better qualifications and were more likely to be male than female. The converse was also found to be true.