EFFECTS OF COMPUTER ALGEBRA SYSTEMS ON ATTITUTES TOWARDS MATHEMATICS

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Maple software which is a Computer Algebra System, on attitudes towards mathematics. In this research; research group which consist of 47 freshmen students, are selected from Elementary Science Education Program of Kastamonu University in the spring semester of 2005-2006 academic year. The class has been divided into two groups as group-1 and group-2 by their pre-calculus knowledge and attitudes towards mathematics. There are 23 students in the group-1 and 24 students in the group-2. One of these groups took the definite integral concept only in constructivist environment. The other group took the definite integral concept in constructivist environment by using some interactive worksheets and applets developed by researcher by using Maple software. After 28 hours (7 weeks) of lectures, mathematics attitude scale post-test applied to the groups. Collected quantitative data analyzed and results of analyses are interpreted. ANCOVA results show that students which used Maple in learning environment have more positive attitudes toward mathematics than the others when mathematics attitude scale pre-test scores are used as common variable.