Influence of Secondary School Students’ Use of Calculators on their Numerical Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FS.2024.09.20.02Keywords:
education, calculators, numerical, skills, studentsAbstract
The research aimed to investigate the relationship between calculator use in secondary school education and students' numerical abilities. Three research questions and corresponding hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The survey design employed was descriptive in nature. The study population consisted of 372 senior secondary science subject teachers from the 62 public secondary schools in the Awka education zone of Anambra State. A sample size of 100 senior secondary science subject teachers was selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure for the study. Data were gathered using a questionnaire with seven items and a four-point rating system. Three research assistants aided the researchers in utilizing a direct approach to distribute the instrument to the respondents. The data was then analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the science subject instructors in the Awka education zone, regardless of their gender or degree of expertise, concur that calculators can affect students' numerical proficiency in both positive and negative ways. Teachers of science in the Awka education zone, regardless of gender, concur that calculators help students quickly and effectively solve challenging issues. Surprisingly, educators in the Awka education zone with a B.Ed. in science subjects do not believe that the use of calculators enhances students' mathematics skills. It was found that students could answer challenging issues more quickly when they used calculators. It was suggested, among other things, that teachers incorporate calculators into the science curriculum in secondary schools in an acceptable manner, and that they support students in continuing to use calculators as a learning tool for mathematics and science problemsReferences
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