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Conclusion: Effective teaching with graphing calculators is shown to help students develop a better understanding of mathematical concepts, use higher-level approaches to solving math problems, and score higher on performance measures.
Virginia Commonwealth University
A peer-reviewed meta-analysis of 54 studies with the strongest form of evidence, high-quality experimental and quasi-experimental studies concluded: |
| • | Students with graphing technology had better understanding of functions, variables, solving algebra problems in applied contexts and interpreting graphs. |
| • | "Students' operational skills and problem-solving skills improved." |
 Reference:(Ellington 2003)
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SRI International
A discussion of current research "best evidence" concluded that students who have been taught effectively with graphing calculators:
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| • | Use graphs |
| • | Engage in problem solving |
| • | Are more flexible in choosing solution, making conjectures, moving among algebraic, numeric, and graphical approaches, and working with real data. |
| Reference: Center for Technology in Learning (2007), "Why should a teacher use technology in his or her classroom?" Research Note 8, Menlo Park, CA
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University of York
A UK review of 33 papers on ICT (including graphing calculators) in mathematics teaching found:
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| • | Gains in understanding of particular aspects of functions. |
| • | Pupils reached higher levels of thinking and could explain their thinking better. |
| • | Learning gains from small group work and interaction with the teacher. |
| Reference: (Goulding 2008)
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INRP
A review of 10 qualitative studies in France on the integration of graphing calculators in mathematics teaching concluded:
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| • | Graphing calculator environments tend to promote assimilation between a function and its graphical representations to a greater degree than symbolic calculator environments. |
| Reference: (Sabra 2008)
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Conclusion: Students' use of graphing calculators is reported to build a deeper conceptual understanding of math.
San Jose State University
In an ethnographic study of TI-89 use in a Precalculus class, the device played an important, mediating role in the progressive evolution of mathematical thought, from the concrete to the abstract, or from material to theoretical knowledge. This study provides a detailed account of how deep conceptual understanding can build through use of a graphing calculator.
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| Reference: (Rivera 2007)
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