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A survey of the attitudes of students from a junior college towards the use of the graphics calculator in A-level further mathematics
Author
Yen, Yeen Peng
Supervisor
Lee, P. Y. (Peng Yee)
Foong, Pui Yee
Abstract
The main aim of this study is to find out the attitudes of students in a junior college towards the use of the graphics calculator in A-level Further Mathematics.
In this study, a survey questionnaire was administered to 116 JC1 and 94 JC2 students in a junior college where the use of the graphics calculator was more actively promoted. The survey questionnaire, adapted from questionnaires used by Merriweather & Tharp (1999) and Fleener (1995), consisted of 15 items with Likert-type responses on a five-point scale. The items were divided into two main categories: items on cognitive effects and affective effects. The items on cognitive effects were further categorised into items on the supportive toolkit approach versus the black box approach; and items on the importance of the graphics calculator, its effects on achievement and its role in assessment. For feedback on how the students use the graphics calculator, data was also obtained from a school-based test. For the analysis of the survey and test data, the students were grouped into three groups: frequent users, infrequent users and non-users based on their reported frequency of use of the graphics calculator. Finally, five JC1 and five JC2 students were also interviewed to obtain some qualitative feedback on their attitudes towards the use of graphics calculator, their usage of the graphics calculator and the difficulties they encountered.
Survey results indicated that there was consensus among the further mathematics students that it was important to learn to use the graphics calculator and that it should be allowed in mathematics tests/examinations. There were also significant differences at the 0.05 level among the frequent, infrequent and non-users for the mean scores for the attitudes of the students towards the use of graphics calculator and for the different dimensions: affective, cognitive (supportive toolkit), cognitive (black box) and cognitive (importance & achievement). The use of the graphics calculator in a school-based test did not contribute to a significant difference in the mean test scores between the users and non-users but made a difference in helping the users in the sketching of the graphs as reflected in the graph scores. Finally, one of the main difficulties students faced in the use of the graphics calculator was unfamiliarity with its features because of underutilization due to the restriction of its use to Further Mathematics only and also the requirement for supporting working in high-stake examinations.
In this study, a survey questionnaire was administered to 116 JC1 and 94 JC2 students in a junior college where the use of the graphics calculator was more actively promoted. The survey questionnaire, adapted from questionnaires used by Merriweather & Tharp (1999) and Fleener (1995), consisted of 15 items with Likert-type responses on a five-point scale. The items were divided into two main categories: items on cognitive effects and affective effects. The items on cognitive effects were further categorised into items on the supportive toolkit approach versus the black box approach; and items on the importance of the graphics calculator, its effects on achievement and its role in assessment. For feedback on how the students use the graphics calculator, data was also obtained from a school-based test. For the analysis of the survey and test data, the students were grouped into three groups: frequent users, infrequent users and non-users based on their reported frequency of use of the graphics calculator. Finally, five JC1 and five JC2 students were also interviewed to obtain some qualitative feedback on their attitudes towards the use of graphics calculator, their usage of the graphics calculator and the difficulties they encountered.
Survey results indicated that there was consensus among the further mathematics students that it was important to learn to use the graphics calculator and that it should be allowed in mathematics tests/examinations. There were also significant differences at the 0.05 level among the frequent, infrequent and non-users for the mean scores for the attitudes of the students towards the use of graphics calculator and for the different dimensions: affective, cognitive (supportive toolkit), cognitive (black box) and cognitive (importance & achievement). The use of the graphics calculator in a school-based test did not contribute to a significant difference in the mean test scores between the users and non-users but made a difference in helping the users in the sketching of the graphs as reflected in the graph scores. Finally, one of the main difficulties students faced in the use of the graphics calculator was unfamiliarity with its features because of underutilization due to the restriction of its use to Further Mathematics only and also the requirement for supporting working in high-stake examinations.
Date Issued
2006
Call Number
QA14.S55 Yen
Date Submitted
2006