Integrating CAS Calculators in Teaching: An Inexperienced Teacher's Approach

Abstract

The use of computer algebra system (CAS) calculators in the learning of school mathematics is still relatively in its infancy. While there is enthusiasm in many quarters for the possibilities that the technology opens up, there is still much research to do on the possible influences of CAS calculators on curriculum content, pedagogy, and student instrumentation of the tool. This research addresses one aspect of this, namely the role of the teacher, and how the CAS may influence their pedagogical approach. It involved a case study investigation of how a secondary school teacher with no previous experience of a CAS calculator, neither personally nor in their teaching, began the process of integrating it into her teaching of year 13 (students aged 18 years) algebra and calculus. During the implementation the teacher kept a diary of her lessons, we sat in on some of these and videoed her teaching, and she completed a brief questionnaire on the experience afterwards. Using the data collected we describe some of the issues that arose in terms of the didactic contract she constructed in the classroom, and the qualitative ways in which she employed the CAS as a teaching tool. We also address the variety of interactions of students with mathematical representations that her approach provided. The results show that the teacher became very comfortable with using the technology, embraced the use of the inter-representational thinking, attempting to use it to teach conceptually, and was enthusiastic to expand further her use of the CAS in her teaching. While this teacher would readily admit that she has much more to learn about implementing CAS calculators in her teaching, there is evidence that beginning the process of using CAS in a conceptual manner need not be overly daunting for teachers.