The Calculator Effect

Abstract

Calculators serve as general tools in mathematics classrooms; however, they also serve as a common accommodation for students with disabilities. Yet, their role as an accommodation is not without controversy. Using a single-subject design study, the researchers explored if students with disabilities solve more mathematics problems aligned to grade-level standards when they use a calculator than when they do not. The researchers also analyzed whether calculators assist students more with solving computation versus word problems. On average, students answered more questions correctly when they had access to a calculator. However, the tool was not generally an effective intervention given the low percentage of nonoverlapping data and, generally, small Tau-U for each student as well as instability and decreasing trends. The results lacked a consistent pattern of students benefiting from calculator use with regard to answering computation versus word problems.