A study of high school mathematics teachers on their attitude towards and use of calculators

The falling cost of technology, specifically calculators, has enabled schools to integrate the use of calculators into their curriculum. Therefore, teachers not only need to know how to use the technology, but also know how to integrate it into their lessons. This study investigated the effects of the Virginia Network for Technology (VANT) inservice program. VANT Leadership was a two-week intensive inservice program, and VANT Outreach was a survey course which met five times throughout the semester. The following questions were examined: (1) Did the participants who completed the VANT Leadership Institute and VANT Outreach courses use graphing calculators in their classrooms more frequently in the fall of 1997 than when they completed the course. (2) Did those who completed VANT Leadership Institute course have a more positive attitude toward calculator use than those who complete the VANT Outreach course or those teachers who have not taken either course. (3) Did the participants who completed the VANT Leadership Institute and VANT Outreach courses have a more positive attitude in the fall of 1997 than when they completed the course, and (4) How do teachers use graphing calculators in high school mathematics?; An attitude survey was administered after each VANT course and again in the fall of 1997. Differences in scores were obtained to determine if there has been an increase in calculator use. Differences in scores were also obtained to determine if teachers have a more positive attitude in the fall of 1997 than after they completed the VANT course. In addition, six teachers were observed for one week to determine how graphing calculators are used in secondary mathematics. The results indicate a trend that after attending VANT, teachers incorporate technology into the classroom and continue to use it in the years following VANT. In addition, the teachers who participated in VANT have a more positive attitude toward calculator use in the mathematics classroom than when they first completed VANT. However, there was not a significant difference in attitude between those who completed VANT Outreach, VANT Leadership Institute, and those who did not complete either course.