| The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of graphing calculator use on students' understanding of functions and graphing when both the experimental and control groups are taught using a combination of lecture and active learning strategies.;The study was conducted during the fall semester of 2003 in two sections of college algebra. Students in the control group did not receive instruction with graphing calculators and were asked to refrain from using them during the study. Students in the experimental group were taught how to use the graphing calculator and were expected to use it for in-class activities and homework. The researcher instructed both groups. All of the students involved in the study used the same textbook, completed the same homework assignments, and took the same researcher-designed post-test.;Welch's test was used to compare mean scores on the post-test and on individual questions designed to measure specific concepts (no assumptions of equal variances were made). The results of these tests showed no significant differences in mean scores between the control and experimental groups in each of the five hypotheses tested. In other words, using graphing calculators did not significantly increase students' overall achievement, nor did it significantly increase their understanding of specific concepts associated with functions and graphing.;The results of a survey given at the end of the study indicated that 86% of the control group and 75% of the experimental group found the alternative style of teaching beneficial, although 78% and 72%, respectively, still say that they learn best through lecture. Also, 87% of the experimental group agreed that using graphing calculators was helpful in studying functions and graphing, whereas only 40% of the control group thought that using a graphing calculator would have been helpful. |
