The effect of graphing software on students’ conceptual understanding of quadratic functions

This study investigated the effects of graphing software in teaching mathematics at senior secondary level in Ghana. The purpose was to determine the extent to which the effective use of graphing software as an instructional technology could improve the performance of students in mathematics. It also examined the effect of gender on these outcomes. An action research design with quantitative data was used. The sample consisted of 43 Form 2 students of Adiembra Senior High School, 13 males and 30 females. The sample was taught the concept of quadratic functions in accordance with the Senior High School core mathematics teaching syllabus for two weeks using the graphing software. The students were pretested and posttested. A t-test analysis revealed a significantly high performance in the posttest than the pretest. Thus, the use of technology improved academic performance in Mathematics. However, there was no significant difference between the performance of males and females. The study has therefore provided some empirical evidence about the effectiveness of graphing software in the cognitive gains of students in Mathematics. Research with larger samples is hereby recommended before any major implementation of the intervention