The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the TI-81 Graphics Calculator as an instructional tool on college algebra students' conceptual and procedural achievements involving functions and graphs and on the students' attitudes toward mathematics. The study was a posttest-only, equivalent control group design conducted with students…

Analysis of student achievement data following the introduction of graphics calculators to tertiary entrance examinations in mathematics in Western Australia suggests the possibility of an equity problem between the sexes in their usage. While males out-performed females in a number of categories, the most conclusive evidence emerged in questions…

Provides evidence of differences in students' ability to solve problems with and without a computer algebra system. Indicates that almost without exception, the TI-92 students were more successful at symbolically solving problems than comparison students. Observes improved performance on all three levels of problems: (1) directive computational;…

This study took place at Skaneateles High School in Skaneateles, New York in a grade 10 Integrated Math AB course with 52 students in 3 sections using the TI-84 Plus family graphing calculators and the TI-Navigator classroom learning system with a projector and interactive whiteboard. New York State is phasing in a new curriculum that integrates…

This paper details the motivation, background, and analysis for studying the effect that an Increasing Achievement on Algebra Assessment (IAAA) workshop for a group of Florida high school teachers had on student performance in state-wide testing. The main focus of the workshop was to provide participating teachers with both instruction and…

Compared the performance of (n=710) college students taught precalculus using a graphing calculator approach to the performance of students using the traditional approach. Students in the first group scored significantly higher than the others on a comprehensive final exam. (16 references) (Author/MKR)

Algebra students typically pay little attention to choosing appropriate domains, ranges and scales of axes for graphing functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of introducing an assignment and employing the graphing calculator to examine and alleviate students' difficulties regarding the selection of appropriate domains,…

Presents an overview and discussion of some results of research on the use of graphing calculators organized into the following categories: (1) achievement studies, (2) conceptual understanding, (3) problem solving, (4) classroom dynamics, and (5) future research needed. (29 references) (MKR)

This study investigated the relationship between instructional use of handheld graphing calculators and student achievement in Algebra 1. Three end-of-course test forms were administered (without calculators) using matrix sampling to 458 high-school students in two suburban school districts in Oregon and Kansas. Test questions on two forms were…

A study compared the performance of rural and urban Western Australian students on the college-entrance mathematics examination following introduction of graphics calculators. Although urban students scored higher than rural students in the 3 years studied, the gap remained relatively consistent, indicating that rural students were not further…

Students, parents, and sometimes even teachers often believe that complex mathematics is too difficult for certain learners. But the programs described in this article demonstrate that anyone can learn, understand, and use complex math. Lesa M. Covington-Clarkson boosted the confidence of black 6th graders by teaching them to use graphing…

Research has often found little or no significant differences in overall performance for math students using graphing calculators compared to traditional (non-calculator) classes. However, when performance is divided into procedural and conceptual levels, significant differences appear at the conceptual level. This study investigates the relation…

The article discusses the ways that less successful mathematics students used graphing software with capabilities similar to a basic graphing calculator to solve algebra problems in context. The study is based on interviewing students who learned algebra for 3 years in an environment where software tools were always present. We found differences…

A major goal of this paper is to document changes that occurred in developmental mathematics classrooms in the community college setting when the graphing calculator (GC) Texas Instruments (TI)-83 was introduced to students. The six-week intervention was conducted during the section of Intermediate Algebra in the Community College Baltimore County…

More sophisticated graphing calculators available for college students can be incorporated into college algebra classes to result a higher student achievement. For this purpose, in this study 117 college students were randomly assigned into either experimental groups where students were allowed to the use of graphing calculators or control groups…