Technology in Mathematics Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis of the Recent Literature

Vol. 3 No. 4

Year: 2008

Issue: Mar-May

Title: Technology in Mathematics Classrooms: A Meta-Analysis of the Recent Literature 

Author Name: Qing Li, Xin Ma 

Synopsis:

The increasingly use of technology in education does set off a flurry of research studies that focus on the successfulness and effectiveness of technology in elementary and secondary education. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of research literature on technology in relation to mathematics teaching and learning. Particularly, the following main research questions were addressed in our meta-analysis:

1. What is the magnitude of the effects of technology on schooling outcomes concerning mathematics education?

2. How does the magnitude of the effects of technology fluctuate in response to various study features (e.g., gender, age, race) and design features (e.g., randomization, sample size, instruments)?

Based on a total of 81independent findings extracted from 39studies involving a total of 59,147 learners, the results of the series of meta-analyses conducted in this review indicate that technology can affect mathematics teaching and learning.