The Possibility to Integrate Calculators as Tools for Student Exploration Into Mathematics Classes in Taiwan

• In Event: 67.022 - Technology Integration in Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This paper is to explore and compare Taiwanese students’ conceptual development of radical numbers through learning with the integration of calculators and with the traditional approach of connecting to side lengths and areas of squares. Field experiments were conducted on two 8th grade classes, and the data of students’ performance were collected using a questionnaire. The findings include that (1) the students went through two different learning activities performed similar on the concepts of radical numbers, e.g., they are infinite non-repeating decimals; (2) the students were confused regarding whether radical numbers are fixed numbers; and (3) the students learning with calculators learned when the radical numbers existed better while the other class could better apply radical numbers to unit systems.

Authors

• Ting-Ying Wang, National Taiwan Normal University

• Feng-Jui Hsieh, National Taiwan Normal University