Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-2000

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education

Major Professor

Donald J. Dessart

Committee Members

E. Dale Doak, Stephanie O. Robinson, Carl G. Wagner

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of hand-held calculators on students in precollege mathematics classes. Achievement and attitude were the educational constructs under consideration. The findings of fifty-three calculator-based research studies were integrated through meta-analysis. The methods of data analysis were based on Hembree's model, featuring fundamental meta-analytic procedures developed by Glass. Meta-analytic methods advocated by Hedges were also incorporated. Hembree conducted a similar meta-analysis in 1984. This study was an update to his work.

Data collection from all locatable studies from 1984 through June 2000 resulted in 307 effect magnitudes. Meta-analytical evaluation of mean effect sizes and their corresponding confidence intervals was conducted. Where appropriate, the validity of the mean effect sizes was assessed with fail-safe N values. With respect to skills acquisition, students using calculators either maintained or improved their operational and problem solving skills. Due to the minimal amount of available data, results regarding skills retention were not statistically significant. Analysis of the calculator's role in skills transfer was not possible due to insufficient data.

The following results were based on the inclusion of calculators in traditional mathematics instruction.

  1. When calculators were used during testing, operational and problem solving skills of students in all grades and all ability levels realized significant improvement.
  2. When calculators were not used during testing, paper-and-pencil skills of low ability students in all grades and average high school students improved. The operational skills of average students in grades K-8 and high ability students in all grades were neither helped nor hindered by calculator use. The problem solving skills of students in all grades improved after calculator involvement in mathematics instruction.
  3. Students using calculators possessed better attitudes toward mathematics than their non-calculator counterparts.

The results of this study reveal students' operational and problem solving skills may improve and will not be hindered by calculator use in mathematics classes. Also, students may realize a significant improvement in their attitudes toward mathematics after using calculators. The benefits of calculator use should be most significant when students have access to calculators during testing as well as instruction.

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