Understanding Teachers’ Perceptions and Strategies Implemented in High School Mathematics Classes Using ALEKS

The Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) is an adaptive learning tool used by hundreds of thousands of high school students in the United States. This study was designed to understand how teachers in high school mathematics classrooms used the ALEKS system for instruction and to examine what their perceptions were of its ease of use and usefulness. A basic qualitative study was conducted where five Chicagoland high school mathematics teachers were interviewed three times over the course of one academic school year. This study asked teachers to share first hand experiences and perceptions of using ALEKS. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) served as the theoretical framework for examining these experiences and perceptions. The results of this study indicate a variety of teaching strategies that teachers used with ALEKS as well as many common themes. Teachers used the ALEKS tool for assessing student understanding through its quizzes and assignments, used the data analysis tools with the program to analyze student progress, and made use of ALEKS to allow students to practice and receive feedback on mathematical concepts. The findings of this study indicate that teachers found ALEKS to be easy to use and useful in their teaching. Specifically, teachers cited the assessment tools, built-in feedback, ability to personalize learning, and the accessibility of learning tools for students as useful in their teaching.