Calculator Usage at the Middle School Level: A National Survey

Abstract

The Calculators and Mathematics Project, Los Angeles (CAMP-LA) (NSF Grant #MDR-8651616)1 has produced mathematics lessons for grades K-6 that make use of the basic four-function calculator. Experiences at mathematics education conferences where these lessons were shared, indicated that there was interest among middle school mathematics teachers to develop similar lessons appropriate for that level. We decided to explore this interest by sampling from a larger and more diverse audience before expanding the project to include middle school materials. In addition, it was decided that the new materials should consider using newly developed calculators that could compute with fractions. Thus, the following questionnaire was developed to determine the most current information on the use of calculators in middle school mathematics classes. The questionnaire was designed to ascertain 1) how often and in what ways calculators are being used; 2) teachers' opinions on the impact calculators should (could) have on the mathematics curriculum; 3) how familiar teachers are with various so-called “fraction” calculators; and 4) what types of curriculum materials (if any) should be developed if students used a fraction calculator.