Calculator Use In Developmental Mathematics in a Community College

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine instructor and student usage of calculators in basic mathematics and prealgebra courses at a community college. Researcher-created surveys were given to 54 instructors and 198 students. The results showed instructors were fairly evenly divided about policies regarding the use of calculators. The major reason for not allowing calculators was that students needed to develop basic skills, and the major reason for allowing calculators was to concentrate on learning concepts. Students used calculators mainly for computation and seldom reported instructors using calculators in class for any other reason. Students were more likely to see calculators as learning tools than were teachers, who saw calculators mainly as computation machines. The results also indicated that instructors were confused about department calculator policies, and students were confused about classroom calculator use policies.