A Formative Analysis of the Use of Blogging in Secondary School Mathematics
Abstract: Reports worldwide indicate that students are having difficulty with mathematics, specifically with their ability to communicate and problem-solve. This study investigated the impact of blogging in grade nine classrooms on mathematical knowledge, communication and learning performance. A mixed methodology including survey data, open-ended questions, performance tests, and blog analysis was used. Twenty-seven participants (18 males, 7 females, 2 no response), 13-16 years old, participated in the study. The results indicated that students had positive attitudes toward blogging in mathematics class. However, only 30% of students rated blogging as a useful learning activity. Communication within the blog was relatively limited over six weeks, however, learning performance increased for all three units covered (slope, linear relationship, optimizations). Suggestions for improving the effectiveness of blogging are provided.