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The calculator's role in mathematics attitude.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

The results of twenty-seven studies on the effect of calculators on students' attitudes toward mathematics are summarized in this article. The statistical process of meta-analysis was used to determine the overall trend of the collection of studies. The results show that access to calculators during mathematics instruction does benefit students' attitudes toward mathematics. Also, there is statistical support for the fact that students enjoy using calculators while learning mathematics.

Introduction

Students attitudes toward mathematics are influenced by a variety of factors including family involvement (Ma, 1999) and grade level (Ma, 1997). The relationship between attitude and achievement has been established (Ma, 1997) but is, nevertheless, complex. Many factors are out of the teacher's control but instructional methods and their effect on attitude can be influenced by educators and administrators. Over the last twenty years, the topics covered and the instructional methods implemented in the mathematics classroom have changed as the role of technology, the calculator in particular, has increased in the study of mathematics. Currently, the focus is not if calculators should be used but how to make use of calculators meaningful to the learning experience. The significance of the relationship between calculators and the study of mathematics was emphasized in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards (NCTM, 1989) document where it was noted that calculators allow for exploration of different problem solving approaches and a more meaningful study of relationships between mathematics problems and real world applications.

The question raised in this study is, with the technological advances in the mathematics classroom, has access to calculators also helped students improve their attitudes toward mathematics? With research conducted during the early years of calculator use, this question was addressed by Hembree and Dessart (1986) and favorable results were reported for students' attitudes toward mathematics after instruction with calculators. The answer to the question outlined below was determined through a statistical analysis of research studies that assessed students' attitudes toward mathematics after instruction with calculators. The research studies featured in this analysis were conducted in the last two decades during which the calculator's role in the classroom has been well established.

Statistical Method

The research studies were identified through a search of education-related computer databases including the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Psych Info, and Dissertation Abstracts International. A study was selected for inclusion if it featured the use of a basic, scientific, or graphing calculator; it involved students in a mainstream K-16 classroom; and it was a quasi-experimental research project with treatment group data being compared to control group data. The search yielded two possibilities: (1) a treatment group with access to calculators and a control group who participated in the same instruction without access to calculators and (2) a treatment group with access to graphing...

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