Impact of scientific calculators in mathematics among low-achieving students in a secondary school in Kajang, Selangor

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of scientific calculators on mathematics achievement in support of problem-solving instructions. In this study, 49 low achieving mathematics students aged 14 years were selected from a secondary school in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. A pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design with two groups was employed in this action research study. The experimental group learned solid geometry and statistics topics, with the aid of a scientific calculator; while the control group did not use any technological aid to learn these topics. By controlling the pre-test score, the ANCOVA two-way test was applied to the post-test results. A positive significant difference was reported in favour of the experimental group. However, no significant interactions were noted between group and gender. The analysis results indicate that the use of a scientific calculator in the integrated teaching and learning of mathematics helped the students improved their mathematics achievements. These findings have important implications in the educational setting, particularly for educators to support and facilitate low-achieving students in mathematics.