Using digital and AI tools in STEAM education to develop pre-service teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching in Zimbabwe
Résumé
Introduction STEAM education is widely regarded as a promising approach for improving mathematics learning, yet there remains limited clarity on how AI tools could function in classrooms, particularly in communities where teaching resources are scarce. This study addresses this gap by examining how pre-service mathematics teachers in Zimbabwe utilised AI tools within a STEAM framework to support the reconstruction of conceptual understanding and the development of explanatory flexibility in mathematics. Methods A qualitative case study was conducted with thirty pre-service teachers enrolled in a Bachelor of Education programme. Over five structured sessions, participants engaged in collaborative STEAM-oriented activities using GeoGebra AI, ChatGPT and MathChat to explore fractions, algebraic functions, trigonometric functions and geometry. Data were generated through reflective writing, group discussion transcripts, screen recordings and researcher field notes, and analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis supported by Python-based coding. Results Participants reported that AI-supported visualisation enabled them to reconstruct conceptual understanding, confront long-standing misconceptions and move beyond rule-based reasoning. STEAM-oriented design tasks expanded explanatory flexibility by supporting culturally responsive representations while preserving mathematical integrity. Participants also developed critical digital literacy and adaptive strategies for working with AI under infrastructural constraints. Discussion The findings suggest that the value of AI lies not in the technology itself, but in how it is embedded within STEAM-aligned, pedagogically grounded environments that provoke, rather than replace, mathematical reasoning. The study offers a context-sensitive model for integrating STEAM and AI into mathematics teacher education in resource-constrained settings.
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