AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF GRAPHICS CALCULATORS IN MATHEMATICS AT KEY STAGE 3

This study has explored the use that mathematics teachers make of graphics calculators within their teaching, with the main focus being on mathematics teaching at Key Stage 3 (years 7 to 9, ages 11 to 14). The research began in the summer term of 2001, just as the National Key Stage 3 Strategy was being introduced and the Framework for Teaching Mathematics (DfEE 2001) was published. The investigation involved an exploration of teachers' use of graphics calculators within their mathematics teaching and their views and attitudes towards their use. As the Key Stage 3 Strategy became embedded in the secondary curriculum the research followed its development and involved a study of the effect of the Strategy on the teachers' views, attitudes, teaching styles and their use of graphics calculators. The research methods involved a teacher questionnaire which was completed by 55 mathematics teachers in the Summer term of 2001, and a brief follow-up teacher questionnaire two years later. Teacher interviews were conducted with 8 teachers in 2002, a year after the Key Stage 3 Strategy had been in place, and in 2003 a pupil questionnaire was completed by 183 pupils in Key Stage 3 who had made some use of graphics calculators in their mathematics lessons. The research identified a number of factors which influence mathematics teachers in their decision whether to use graphics calculators in their teaching. Among the main factors to emerge were appropriate and ongoing training, and a positive supportive atmosphere within the mathematics department. The research also revealed that the main impact of the Key Stage 3 Strategy on teachers' classroom practice is on lesson structure, with greater emphasis on the three-part-lesson and on delivering the "starter" and "plenary" sections of the lesson. Little use is made of the Framework document by classroom teachers and very few teachers refer to the exemplar material within it. My main conclusion, therefore, is that despite the encouragement that is given in the Framework document to teachers to use graphics calculators within their teaching at Key Stage 3, very few teachers have been influenced to do so by the Strategy. Their use or non-use of graphic calculators is influenced by a number of other factors identified in the research, the main factors being both the ethos and physical environment within the school and within the mathematics department, access to appropriate good quality training and teaching resources and access to the graphics calculators themselves