How teachers think about the role of digital technologies in student assessment in mathematics

This study concerns teachers’ use of digital technologies in student assessment, and how the learning that is developed through the use of technology in mathematics can be evaluated. Nowadays math teachers use digital technologies in their teaching, but not in student assessment. The activities carried out with technology are seen as ‘extra-curricular’ (by both teachers and students), thus students do not learn what they can do in mathematics with digital technologies. I was interested in knowing the reasons teachers do not use digital technology to assess students’ competencies, and what they would need to be able to design innovative and appropriate tasks to assess students’ learning through digital technology. This dissertation is built on two main components: teachers and task design. I analyze teachers’ practices involving digital technologies with Ruthven’s Structuring Features of Classroom Practice, and what relation these practices have to the types of assessment they use. I study the kinds of assessment tasks teachers design with a DGE (Dynamic Geometry Environment), using Laborde’s categorization of DGE tasks. I consider the competencies teachers aim to assess with these tasks, and how their goals relate to the learning outcomes of the curriculum. This study also develops new directions in finding how to design suitable tasks for student mathematical assessment in a DGE, and it is driven by the desire to know what kinds of questions teachers might be more interested in using. I investigate the kinds of technology-based assessment tasks teachers value, and the type of feedback they give to students. Finally, I point out that the curriculum should include a range of mathematical and technological competencies that involve the use of digital technologies in mathematics, and I evaluate the possibility to take advantage of technology feedback to allow students to continue learning while they are taking a test.

The role of technology at school: new perspectives on distance education and cyberbullying

The integration of digital technology in school is a complex phenomenon that affects both teaching and peer relationships. Accordingly, the main aim of this dissertation was to investigate the implementation of distance education among Italian teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyze peer relationships concerning cyberbullying and bullying. While the theoretical section provided an overview of the phenomena, four empirical studies were presented. The first one tested a moderated moderation model among 178 secondary teachers on the interactions among perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use of technology and online teaching self-efficacy. Findings showed that each variable significantly predicted the intention to use technology. In addition, a moderation effect of online teaching self-efficacy on perceived usefulness was found. The second study analyzed the differences in factors promoting the integration of digital technology among 357 teachers of different levels and subjects and their positive and negative experiences with distance education. Results revealed several differences in the function of the grade and subjects taught. Moreover, four main themes emerged from the content analysis. The third study investigated the dyadic perception of bullying and cyberbullying among 50 students using the eye-tracker. Findings showed that, despite differences among different kinds of bullying and cyberbullying, the victim and bully were the most observed roles. Finally, the last study tested two multiple mediation models among 563 students on the association between bullying, cyberbullying, and well-being, considering three different variables related to the school context (peer network, teacher support and school connectedness). The results highlighted the importance of peer networks and school connectedness in mediating the association between victimization, cybervictimzation and well-being. Taken together, the findings provided a rich overview of digital technology integration in schools, highlighting positive and negative aspects and its implications for future research and school policies.