Using Calculators in Mathematics Education in Koran Elementary Schools

Mathematics subject of the seventh national curriculum in Korea, which has been effective since 2000, strongly encourages the use of calculators and computers to help children gain a better understanding of basic mathematical concepts and develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills without spending too much time and effort on making mechanical computations. Despite the recommendation by the national curriculum, however, only a small segment of elementary school teachers have been using calculators because of the fear that children\\`s dependence on calculators might bring about negative consequences. As a result, little research has been conducted in this area as well. This study has been conducted on the assumption that calculators have the potential for being a useful instructional tool in certain areas of elementary school mathematics education. To investigate the usefulness of calculators, a review was made of the scanty literature in the area. The literature review indicated that calculators are effective when they are used for the following purposes: understanding concepts and properties in numbers and operations, deducing mathematical rules, and solving problems. In view of the available research finding, we will give some concrete learning and teaching models of such uses of calculators. The teaching-learning models are organized around three categories: concept formation, discovery of principles and rules, and problem solving. Such organization is intended to help teachers use the models with ease.