Conference Program

Purpose: This study explores pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) professional agency and ICT use to foster critical thinking and create democratic learning spaces in the mathematics classroom. It examines the challenges PSTs encounter in integrating ICT for critical thinking and the role Communities of Practice (CoP) play in shaping PSTs pedagogical practices. Additionally, it proposes a sustainable critical pedagogy framework in ICT-integrated Mathematics Teaching for PSTs.

Study’s Main Question: How can hybrid CoPs be leveraged to develop a sustainable critical pedagogy framework in ICT-integrated Mathematics Teaching among PSTs?

Problem Statement: Mathematics education is of paramount importance, yet South African learner outcomes remain low compared to international benchmarks, as shown by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study report, National Senior Certificate results and provincial Systemic Tests. South Africa’s Department of Education has identified teachers’ limited capacity to foster critical thinking in the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4IR) classroom as a key constraint. Despite current interventions such as Initial Teacher Education programmes and Continuous Professional Development initiatives, these efforts have had limited impact.

Methodology: This study employed a qualitative, interpretive paradigm with a case study research design. The research was conducted at a University of Technology located in the Western Cape, South Africa. A purposive sample of seven (n=7) mathematics PSTs divided into two hybrid CoPs was investigated. Questionnaires, document analysis, observations and focus group interviews was used as data collection tools to gain in depth insight and understanding. The study used Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2001) multimodal discourse analysis as the main analytical tool as well as Braun and Clarke’s (2006) Thematic Analysis.

Theoretical Framework: This study is guided by combining Freire’s (1970) critical pedagogy, Wenger’s (1998) CoP and Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, providing a comprehensive and integrated approach to understand how PSTs developed their ICT-integrated Mathematics teaching practices to foster critical thinking.

Research findings: PSTs widely acknowledge the benefits of ICT integrated critical pedagogy, however, often lack the agency and capacity to implement it. PSTs encounter several challenges in integrating ICT for critical thinking. PSTs leveraged CoPs effectively to build a shared understanding and repertoire to increase and improve their agency and ICT integrated critical pedagogy practice.

Educational importance: This study proposes a sustainable critical pedagogical framework for ICT-integrated mathematics teaching among PSTs, aimed at fostering critical thinking. It contributes to policy and practice by addressing the theory–practice gap in ICT integration by leveraging CoPs and demonstrates how technology can be used pedagogically to promote critical thinking.

Connection to the conference theme: This study directly aligns with the conference theme specifically, with Panel C.04: Teachers’ Emotions, Agency and Professional Capacity for Inclusion within the Education–Democracy Nexus. This study foregrounds PSTs agency as central to democratic schooling. Rather than treating technology as neutral, the research explores how digital practices can foster dialogue, collaboration and problem-posing teaching, key principles of democratic education. The study additionally demonstrates how PSTs agency and professional capacity influence their ICT-integrated teaching practices to foster critical thinking.