Student teachers and Microsoft Word's Equation Editor

Abstract

Mathematics teachers need an uncomplicated yet effective programme that they can use to type documents that contain mathematical symbols and notation. Many such programmes exist on the market, but are costly and in most cases, difficult to use. Microsoft Word's Equation Editor provides a solution to this problem in that it is easy to use and readily available in the Microsoft package. An investigation into how third-year education students respond to the presentation and use of this programme was made. The research was executed in the form of a case study, as only third-year mathematics students from the School of Teacher Education at the Central University of Technology, Free State, participated. It was found that these students grasped the concepts needed to use the Equation Editor quite easily, although the level of application by the academically stronger group of students was much higher than the level reached by the weaker academic group.