Comparison of Technological Tool Utilization Methods in Teaching and Learning the ‘Data and Chance’ strand in Middle School: Focusing on Tong-Gramy and GeoGebra

Objectives In order for teachers to effectively apply technological tool to teaching and learning situations, they must select appropriate tools according to the content strand and decide how to utilize them; however many teachers find this challenging. This study aims to compare and analyze the teaching and learning applications of technological tools—Tong-Gramy and GeoGebra—that can be utilized in the ‘Data and Chance’ strand of the 2022 revised mathematics curriculum for middle schools. Additionally, it seeks to provide practical guidelines for teachers to appropriately select and effectively utilize technological tools in teaching and learning situations. Methods A training program on the use of Tong-Gramy and GeoGebra was conducted for seven secondary school mathematics teachers, and an open-ended survey was administered to assess the ease of use of each tool and its effectiveness in teaching and learning(visual manipulation and statistical concept guidance). The survey responses were compared and analyzed across five categories: data input methods, creating tables and graphs, calculating basic statistical measures, comparing two data sets using scatter plots, and observing changes in graphs based on data changes. Results Teachers reported that Tong-Gramy is easy to manipulate at the middle school level and is well-suited for use with textbook-based examples. And GeoGebra was evaluated as being more effective for teaching statistical concepts due to its rich visual representations and real-time responsiveness to data changes. In particular, GeoGebra was found to be a more effective tool for developing students’ statistical reasoning skills through contextual interpretation, owing to its dynamic interconnectivity between data, tables, and graphs. Conclusions Teachers considered the relationships between tables and graphs, and between two graphs, to be more important elements in statistical education teaching and learning situations than individual tables or data values derived from data. In teaching and learning situations, GeoGebra may be more effective in explaining statistical concepts through changes in graphs resulting from changes in data and in developing statistical inference skills through contextual interpretation. This study provides practical comparative data on the use of technological tools, offering meaningful insights for teachers in designing their teaching and learning activities.