Online Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Higher Education: Post-Covid 19 Lecturer Perspectives
Neliswa Gqoli 
and Israel Kariyana
Issue: Vol.4 No.12 Special Issue Article 10 pp.116 – 125
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202341211 | Published online 5th December, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Online learning offers excellent chances for both students and teachers because it is flexible, affordable, and convenient in terms of time and space. This paper examined the perspectives of lectures on online teaching and learning mathematics in higher education after COVID-19. This paper adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical framework. The theory was used in the study to understand the lecturers’ viewpoints on how they embrace the use of technology in their teaching of mathematics. This was a qualitative study that used a case study as a design. The study’s participants were ten (10) mathematics lecturers at the Mathematics Department in one rural university in the Eastern Cape Province purposefully selected as information-rich participants. Data was collected using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews which were analysed through thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that lecturers saw the importance of teaching mathematics using technology to close the resource gap as universities steadily shift to 21st-century learning environments. At the same time, lecturers in rural universities are impacted by the challenges they face, which include a lack of technology skills, teaching practical work online, classroom control during online teaching, shortage of resources such as poor internet connections and electricity load shedding in the country which had strained the smooth running of online mathematics classes especially while teaching mathematics online. Based on the findings the study recommended that lecturers should be provided with technology professional development in mathematics, strengthening of internet access points, and methods for monitoring and controlling mathematics classes.
Keywords: Higher Education, Learning, Mathematics, Online, Teaching.
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Dr. Neliswa Gqoli is a Senior Lecturer at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in the Department of Adult and Educational Foundations where she teaches Psychology of Learning and Mathematics Teaching. She obtained her Master’s Degree at Walter Sisulu University and PhD (Early Childhood Development) at the University of Free State. Her research focus is on Mathematics Education. As the Senior Researcher in the Faculty, she has published articles and book chapters nationally and internationally. She taught mathematics for 25 years in Eastern Cape Primary Schools. She is a Faculty Board Member and a coordinator for the Post Graduate Certificate in Education at WSU. She is also the chairperson of the Faculty Social Committee. She is a member of the South African Research Association for Early Childhood Education (SARAECE).
Prof. Israel Kariyana is an Associate Professor in the Department of Continuing Professional Teacher Development, Faculty of Education, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha Campus, South Africa. His research focuses on Educational Management, Mathematics education and Sustainable Education.
Gqoli, Neliswa and Kariyana, Israel. “Online Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Higher Education: Post- Covid 19 Lecturer Perspectives.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.12 Special Issue (2023): 116 – 125. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202341211
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
