The impact of using technology on student achievement : teaching functions with the TI-Nspire to 9th grade algebra students.

Abstract

DEDICATIONThis dissertation is dedicated:• To my Great-grandmother, Barbara Bradshaw, who always said I would be a teacher.• To my Papaw, Frank Bradshaw, who provided my earliest memories of mathematics trying to add up on paper what he calculated faster in his head.• To my Mamaw, Elizabeth Bradshaw, you were my best friend and I still mIss you so.• To my Parents, James and Rita Buckner, for moving back to Virginia to give me my rural roots and the experience of a tight-knit family.• To my Great Aunt Carol, for continual support and encouragement. I know your prayers made a difference.• To my high school mathematics teacher, Mr. James Sink, you allowed me to advance through high school mathematics in a unique way that set me up for excellent educational opportunities.• To my college professor, mentor, and friend, Dr. Cliff Schimmels, your influence on my life lives on in my classroom. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWhile it may take a village to raise a child, there is no way I could have completed this dissertation without the help, support, and guidance of my family, friends, colleagues, cohort members, and committee. I am extremely grateful for the ACCLAIM The purpose of this study was to determine the effect ofTI-Nspire graphing calculator use on student achievement and on teacher behavior variables of planning, teaching, and assessing. This study investigated the teaching of functions by teachers using the TI-Nspire graphing calculator versus teachers using a non-graphing scientific calculator.A review of the literature found that the emergence of calculators and computers has changed the way mathematics is both done and used (Ellington, 2006;Thorpe, 1989;& Kieran, 1992). Research also showed that students can effectively use a graphing calculator as an instructional tool to make and understand different types of representations (Choi-Koh, 2003;Colgan, 1993;and Drijvers & Doorman, 1996). Other The results from four teachers, each with one treatment class using the TI-Nspire and one control class using a non-graphing scientific calculator, were significant on the pre-test with the control group having a higher mean score than the treatment group and statistical significance on the post post-test with the treatment group having a higher mean score than the control group. While there was a statistically significant effect ofTeacher Zeta on the post-post test in comparisons with the other teachers, most of the teacher effect was controlled for within the design ofthe study. To control for teacher effect, all teachers taught both a treatment and a control class. For each teacher, one of their two algebra classes was randomly assigned to treatment and the other was then assigned to control. There was not enough power in the data to properly analyze the effect of socioeconomic status and special education.This study supports the use of TI -N spire graphing calculators in Algebra classrooms while studying the concept of functions. This study shows that, while using the TI-Nspire graphing calculator, the use of multiple repre...