Procedural mathematical knowledge and use of technology by senior high school students

Abstract

The article at hand deals with students’ procedural knowledge, the frequency of technology use (CAS, graphics calculators) during mathematics education in upper secondary level and their self-assessed technology knowledge. In this study, the participating students (representative sample of Austrian high school students in the final year, n=455) had to solve procedural, curriculum-related tasks without any aids (neither technology nor formula booklets). We examined how the frequency of technology use in the classroom affects the students’ success rate on procedural tasks. On average, GeoGebra or graphic calculators with CAS are used once a week by the teacher and the students in class, respectively, and unexpectedly, there is no significant correlation between the frequency of technology use during mathematics education in upper secondary level and the procedural knowledge acquired. Regardless of the success in solving the procedural tasks, the students rate their technology knowledge for solving the procedural tasks as rather high.