Impact of implementing graphing calculators on college algebra students' performance, satisfaction, and motivation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact graphing calculators had on students' performance, satisfaction, and motivation. A quasi-experiment was performed on an experimental group (n = 33) and a control group (n = 42) comprised of college algebra students from Miami Dade College, to compare their final grades. Experimental group participants were also surveyed about their satisfaction and motivation with using graphing calculators. Results of independent samples t tests revealed insignificant difference between the control and experimental groups' performance (p = .560), but a significant difference was between the two groups' motivation (p = .003) and satisfaction (p = .018). These results suggest that graphing calculators may play important roles other than simply enhancing student performance, which then opens the door for future investigations into their use in mathematical education.