Enhancing meaningful teaching and learning of mathematics through the use of graphics calculator

Technology pervades current life and has influenced our educational institutions including the manner of instruction and the design of curricula. Such change needs to be evaluated in terms of the impact upon both teaching and learning. For example, the low cost, highly portable graphics calculator has become a feature of secondary school classrooms, yet are they being used mainly by teachers? How does the graphics calculator affect the student’s comprehension and understanding of concepts? Is the use of graphics calculators more effective compared to the traditional chalk-and-talk methods? This paper discusses how the use of the graphics calculator changes the teaching and learning of quadratic functions in the secondary classroom. Firstly, the paper compares teaching with the graphics calculator to the traditional chalk-and-talk method. The second part presents and analyzes the perception of students to the graphics calculator in their learning of mathematical concepts. It further discusses the findings based on data including students’ interviews that reveals how the use of graphics calculator enhanced their learning. Finally, the paper advances several recommendations for pedagogical strategies when using graphics calculators