Banks, Sarah A. M.Ed., Education Department, Cedarville University, 2011. A Historical Analysis of Attitudes Toward the Use of Calculators in Junior High and High School Math Classrooms in the United States Since 1975. This thesis explored the history of calculator usage in mathematics classrooms in the United States since 1975 with a focus on the attitudes of parents, educators, and national organizations. The influence of historical events, people, organizations, research, and trends was explored in depth. Studying the changes that calculators have brought to mathematics curriculum and how educators have reacted in the past will help to explain why math curriculum and school systems have adopted the attitudes and policies about calculators that they currently hold. This study found similar attitudes and reactions by parents and educators toward calculator usage in contrast to the opinions and mandates of organizations such as the NCTM, the College Board, and local school board administrations. Parents and educators were strikingly more hesitant and concerned regarding the effects of calculators than educational institutions. The results will be useful for future curriculum decisions in mathematics classrooms.

background or methods

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Calculator Teacher Attitudes Improved through Inservice Education.

A Historical Analysis of Attitudes toward the Use of Calculators in Junior High and High School Math Classrooms in the United States since 1975.

The problem this study addresses is the relationship among the constructs content knowledge, beliefs, and previous experiences of prospective elementary teachers. The 36 participants in the study, 35 females and one male, were recent graduates from a five-year Elementary Education licensure program at a major university located in the MidAtlantic region. A correlational research design was used to investigate the relationships that might exist among the three constructs using Praxis I Pre-professional Math test scores, Beliefs Survey scores, and Previous Mathematics Experience Questionnaire [PMEQ] scores. Scores from the Praxis I Pre-professional Math test were self-reported and verified by the Licensure Coordinator in the Center for Teacher Education [CTE]. Scores for the Beliefs Survey and Previous Mathematics Experience Questionnaire [PMEQ] were collected from the survey and questionnaire completed by each participant and the data were analyzed using SPSS software. A frequency distribution was constructed for the Praxis I Math Test scores, the Beliefs Survey scores, and the PMEQ scores. A Pearson correlation was constructed to analyze the relationship among the following variables: Praxis I Math Test, beliefs, and previous mathematics experiences (feelings, teaching tools, and quantity of math courses taken). An alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical tests. A significant positive correlation was found to exist between Praxis I Math Test scores and feelings about mathematics using a two-tailed test indicating that prospective elementary math teachers who have higher Praxis I math test scores tend to report having more positive feelings about mathematics. A significant negative correlation was found to exist between beliefs and teaching tools using a two-tailed test. This indicates a tendency by prospective teachers to favor more relational beliefs when their previous experiences included the use of a wide variety of teaching tools. The prospective teachers’ responses to the essay question and interview questions support their stated beliefs about the importance of teachers emphasizing relational understanding. On their essay responses, all 36 participants indicated a desire to provide a relational oriented learning-environment in their future classrooms. The findings in the study support the notion that the prospective teachers in this group with stronger content knowledge tended to report more positive feelings about mathematics. They also tended to favor a relational teaching/learning environment if they had experiences using a wide variety of teaching tools. No significant correlation was found to exist between any of the other variables that were tested.

background

Relationships Among Prospective Elementary Teachers' Beliefs About Mathematics, Mathematics Content Knowledge, and Previous Mathematics Course Experiences

The purpose o f this study was to examine the effects o f calculator usage on the mathematics achievement of seventh and eighth grade students as measured by the Mathematics Concepts and Applications sections of the California Achievement Test. The study also investigated the attitudes o f students and teachers toward calculator usage. Student attitudes were measured through responses to the Student Calculator Survey. Teacher attitudes were measured through responses to the Attitude Instrument for Mathematics and Applied Technology-Version II. Intact classes from two north central Louisiana school systems were assigned randomly to treatment and control groups. The sample consisted of 1070 students and 33 teachers from nine schools. Data analyses were conducted through l-tests and ANOVA routines of the SPSS-X program. Significant differences (p < .05) were found which favored the calculator group for both the number of correct responses and number of problems attempted. Significant differences for the variables o f gender, race, grade, and level were reported for both the number correct and number attempted. Mean scores favored the calculator group for the variables o f gender, race, grade, and level. Responses on the student survey indicated a positive attitude toward calculator usage for both instructional and assessment purposes. Students reported calculator availability during class time in the categories of “some of the time” at 49.5% and “rarely or never” at 36.1%.

background or methods or result

/pdf/a-study-of-calculator-usage-on-the-mathematics-achievement-26jr2djbpo.pdf

Calculator Teacher Attitudes Improved through Inservice Education.

Citations

A Historical Analysis of Attitudes toward the Use of Calculators in Junior High and High School Math Classrooms in the United States since 1975.

Relationships Among Prospective Elementary Teachers' Beliefs About Mathematics, Mathematics Content Knowledge, and Previous Mathematics Course Experiences

A study of calculator usage on the mathematics achievement of seventh- and eighth-grade students and on attitudes of students and teachers

References

The Calculator and the Curriculum.

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Teacher Education: Techniques for Developing Positive Attitudes in Preservice Teachers.