What International Studies Say about the Importance and Limitations of Using Computers to Teach Mathematics in Secondary Schools

Abstract

The use of technology in schools has been one of the most debated topics around mathematics education. In some countries there is a huge investment, in others there is a downscaling. Malaysia decided in 2013 to put its 10 million students to use Google laptops and Google apps, while Australia in the same year decided it would not continue funding their own high school laptop program. Who is right from the educational point of view? The last major curriculum document written in the world to date, the Common Core State Standards-CCSS in the United States, whose mathematics part is coordinated by the well known mathematician William McCallum, sets as one of its standards for mathematical practice: “Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem. These tools might include pencil and paper, concrete models, a ruler, a protractor, a calculator, a spreadsheet, a computer algebra system, a statistical package, or dynamic geometry software.” Strong moves need substantiation from research, including the analysis of the existing situation in different countries. What does research say about the use of computers in schools in present time and the use of different pieces of software from spreadsheets to computer algebra systems?