CALCULATOR FOR CRITICALTHINKING IN MATHEMATICSLESSON: EXPERIENCE WITH
4TH GRADE STUDENTS
Sumardyono
SEAMEO QITEP in Mathematics

CONS

INTRODUCTION
Widespread apprehensionthat continuous use ofcalculator will hinder thestudents’ understanding ofbasic mathematical.
procedures and their skills
acquisition, especially inlower grades

Research finding suggestthat calculator impact thestudents’ problem solving
skills and attitude towardmathematics in positive way
Calculator is widely available
and affordable means tostart with technology.

PROS

INTRODUCTION
There is a need tochange teachers’
perspective towardcalculators

More research isneededHow calculator
impact thestudents’ criticalthinking

Research question:
how does the use ofcalculator support 4th
grade students criticalthinking inmathematics
classroom?

METHOD• DESIGN RESEARCHDESIGN PHASE
Based on the current knowledge (K), which
comprises literature review, curriculum
documents, and school textbook, theresearcher design (D) learning activities.
TEACHING EXPERIMENT PHASE
The activities are put into practice inteaching experiment (E).
RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS PHASEthe researcher reflect on the result ofteaching experiment, which contribute tonew knowledge. The new knowledge thenstarts a new cycle.

METHOD• LESSON DESIGN
Four ways to use calculator in theclassroom (to avoid its being used merely
as computing aid)
• computation implementation/calculation• result checking/affirmation• trial improving/exploration• structure modelling/representation
The task we design use the last one,which is using calculator to demonstratenumerical structure or concept.

METHOD• LESSON DESIGN
Learning objectives:- Understanding mixedfraction- Changing regular fraction tomixed fraction, and viceversa

METHOD• RESEARCH SETTING AND DATA COLLECTION
The study consist of four cycles; this presentation report the first cycle.
Location: primary school in Yogyakarta.
Participants: Twenty 4th grade students participated in the first cycle. Rarely use calculator inschool. Prior knowledge: regular fraction.
Classroom setting: During the lesson, the students were split into groups of four. The teacher who
normally teach the class, taught the lesson.
Data is collected through video recording.

METHOD• DATA ANALYSISRESULT• The result suggest that the majority of instances related to critical thinking in
the video recording fall under Interpretation (I1) and Analysis (A). Minimal
evidence on Explanation (E2) was available, as the students had a hard time
formulating their thoughts, either in written or spoken words. On the otherhand, no evidence is identified on Evaluation (E1), Inference (I2), and Selfregulation (S)• The types of critical thinking appear during
calculator-enhanced task is Analysis, which isduring question no. 3, where the students
have to identify the meaning of whole numberand numerator in mixed fraction.

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION• The use of calculator in primary school can support the students’ criticalthinking, specifically Analysis skills, through its Structure Modelling orRepresentation purpose.
• Open-ended problems and associating activities are confirmed strategies indeveloping critical thinking of young learners• Suggestion: future research to venture into other purposes of calculatorsand other cognitive skills in critical thinking, as well as the connectionbetween the two.
• Limitation: small sample and the limited timeframe.