The Effects of Graphing Utility Desmos on Students' Conceptual Understanding and Attitudes in Mathematics

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Technology is an essential component in teaching mathematics. It influences the way mathematics is taught and learned. Appropriate use of technology associated with appropriate pedagogy will lead students to think and reason more mathematically. Desmos is an online graphing utility that is free to use and offers opportunities for facilitating students' understanding of mathematical concepts beyond those possible with a handheld graphing calculator. It is an instructional tool that could lead to significant gains in student achievement and understanding, as well as improving student engagement and attitudes toward mathematics. Thus, the researcher studied the effects of the use of graphing utility Desmos on students' conceptual understanding and attitude in mathematics.

METHODS

The study used the Pretest -Posttest control group design. It sought to determine the effect of graphing utility Desmos on students' conceptual understanding and attitude of the grade 10 students in mathematics. This study involved an experimental group and a control group. During the study, the experimental group was given activities using graphing utility Desmos. Both the experimental and the control group was given pretest, underwent different treatments and then given posttest at the end of the experimental period.

RESULTS

The Mathematics Performance Test was used as the pretest-posttest to determine the performance of the students' in mathematics. The results of the study are as follows: 1) the control and experimental groups are comparable, 2) there is a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest mean scores of the experimental and control group in the performance test when exposed to different treatments, and 3) there is a significant difference in the posttest mean scores on the performance test of the two groups.

DISCUSSIONS

The results show that the performance of the students improved significantly in the pretest and posttest given. The increase in their performance suggests that the use of graphing utility Desmos can be used as one of the strategies in mathematics. Accompanied by pedagogy and assessment that is geared toward developing conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills, integrating Desmos into the classroom has the potential to significantly impact student learning. The students also possess a favorable attitude towards mathematics as revealed by their behavior and confidence in solving problems.