Graphing calculators 1
Interdisciplinary uses of graphing calculators in mathematics and social studies
Clara Nosegbe Okoka
John K. Lee
Georgia State University
Georgia State University
## email not listed ##
## email not listed ##
Purpose
Recent reports on the use of technology in public schools suggest that tremendous gains
are being made regarding the development of technology infrastructure and general uses of
technology in schools. Significant sums of money are being spent to develop a national public
technological infrastructure to support technology integration in schools. Given the
overwhelming sums of money being spent and the public attention that recent technological
innovations have received, mathematics and social studies researchers expect technology to
invigorate many aspects of education (Berson, Mason, Diem, Hicks, Lee, and Dralle, 2001;
Garofalo, Drier, Harper, Timmerman, and Shockey, 2001).
One area that has greatly benefited from the development of educational technologies is
the interdisciplinary study of mathematics and social studies. The graphing calculator, which in
recent years has become virtually ubiquitous in mathematics classrooms, has served as a bridge in
helping mathematics and social studies teachers find common instructional ground. Despite the
emerging importance of the graphing calculator as an interdisciplinary resource for mathematics
and social studies, very little research has been conducted on problem solving using calculators in
social studies classrooms. This proposed scholarly inquiry would help to fill that void.
The broad goal of this project is to develop a general understanding of how graphing
calculators can be used in social studies classrooms. Specifically, we investigated teachers’
ability to teach using graphing calculators in interdisciplinary contexts, with emphasis being
placed on the impact this type of instruction had on students’ performance. The specific research
questions included:
•
How can graphing calculators be used to teach mathematics and social studies content,
particularly in economics classrooms?
•
What resources help teachers and students engage in meaningful mathematics and social
studies instruction?
•
What are the implications for student learning when using graphing calculators?
•
Can integrated instruction using graphing calculators promote collaboration between
social studies and mathematics teachers?
•
What are the implications for teachers’ instructional planning when graphing calculators
are used in social studies classes?
•
Can the interdisciplinary teaching approach to mathematics and social studies satisfy the
state and national standards for each discipline?
Perspectives
A recent meta-study of 43 research reports in mathematics education indicates that
students who used handheld graphing calculator technology with curriculum materials supporting
its use had a better understanding of how to solve problems and interpreting graphs in applied
contexts than those who did not use the technology (Burrill, 2002). The use of graphing
calculators in social studies helps teachers empower students to construct more personal
understandings of the social problems and issues that frame the content of social studies (Drier
and Lee, 1999). The instructional use of graphing calculators represents a unique opportunity to
enhance the quality of mathematics and social studies instruction.
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Convention