Technology v. Tradition in Algebra Education

The topic of this capstone is the effect that calculator usage has on the learner proficiency of 15 9th grade algebra students Throughout this research, pre- and post-assessments were used to gather data which was then analyzed using quantitative research methods such as descriptive statistics. The problem that this research sought to address was that some algebra students were struggling to complete the basic arithmetic portion of the algebra content. The research question was, “How will incorporating calculator use into an algebra curriculum affect learner proficiency in algebra?” This research was an action research which resulted in an instructional intervention being developed based on the conclusion from the research that implementing calculator use into the algebra classroom positively affected learner proficiency.