So after considering switching more focus onto how calculators are used in the classroom, I've done some more research and found a few studies specifically about Algebra I and calculators from the 2000s that have kind of peaked my interest. These studies looked at how are calculators used in the classroom, if that use is related to student achievement based on EOC scores, and also teacher's knowledge and background in calculators as well as teacher's ideas of learning algebra. These studies focused on survey use which doesn't exactly follow the qualitative section of the text we are going into in class, but it got me thinking on a more specific focus for a research question.
I want to study how Algebra I teachers use calculators in their classroom (using similar surveys to these studies), is there any relation to those teachers background or knowledge of calculators and use, and also use of calculators to student achievement. In this case achievement is based on EOC scores or a possible examination of a short calculator based exam. Knowledge and background would be related to teacher experience in using calculators and also any workshops they might have learned calculator use.
While most of this i can see being done by surveys obviously, i think i would be interested in interviewing a certain number of teachers to gauge a more personal and deeper answers to how they are implementing calculators in the classroom as an additional source of information possibly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Matt, all Algebra I teachers in NC use calculators because it is a part of the EOC. I think you won't find a lot of variation in this. Other states don't mandate it (and test it) so other studies you read could compare.
I think it would be interesting to survey (or interview)Algebra I teachers to see how they use calculators. I know that some teachers have told me that they teach some topics ONLY on the calculator and don't ever do things by hand (like matrices), and this suggests to me that they never address concepts. It might be interesting to ask them how the EOC impacts their instructional decisions and how the calculator plays into that.
Post a Comment