Date of Award/Publication

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education

Abstract

The use of technology in the classroom is a growing trend among many schools. Scientific calculators are appearing more frequently in middle school classrooms. The purpose of this study was to determine if calculators have a positive or negative effect on student performance. Fifty-one students completed two, thirty multiple-choice question assessments, the first without a calculator and the second with a calculator available if they chose to use it. The majority of students did increase their score when a calculator was available, however a small percent of the students saw a decrease in their performance. The benefits of calculators in the classroom are dependent on the students' ability to know when to use the calculator, what it can be used for, and how to actually perform the calculator functions.

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