Helpwithmaths.com: Students' use of online mathematical resources

A recent Google search for ‘Help with maths’ produced 57 600 000 results, indicating that there are literally millions of online resources claiming to provide assistance with mathematics. As mathematics educators, however, we remain largely uninformed about students’ use of such resources, particularly when they are self-initiated and often accessed in an out of classroom environment. This paper reports on a study that investigated the resources Grade 8 and 9 students accessed when requiring support with understanding mathematical concepts. The study found that while friends and teachers were often students’ preferred options, they did access online sites, particularly in the later years of schooling. The study has implications for students and teachers including the potential for online resources to both complement and challenge the traditional role of the teacher and contemporary classroom practices.