Exploring the potential of the outdoors with digital technology in teacher education

Abstract

This paper refers to a study that aims to understand the perceptions of pre-service teachers about the use of digital technology in outdoor mathematics. We followed a qualitative, interpretative approach and collected data through participant observation, questionnaires and photographic records. The participants were forty-eight pre-service teachers, that were enrolled in a Didactics of Mathematics unit course, and they used the MathCityMap app to do a math trail in the city of Viana do Castelo. Results show that they valued the experience, having the possibility to solve realistic problems, developing cooperative work, critical thinking and establishing mathematical connections. They found the app to be user friendly and motivating, mentioning its contribution for students’ engagement through active learning, spatial orientation, autonomy and being more interactive than the paper version. As for limitations, the participants highlighted the possible lack of access to Wi-Fi; the fact that students of younger ages normally do not have smartphones; and, in terms of the tasks, the limitation of the answer formats to either a value or multiple choice.