Student Name: Thomas Grove

I.D. Number: 22661727

Programme: PGCE (Primary)

Calculators for all?

WILLIAMS, H.J. and THOMPSON, I (2003) Calculators for all? IN: THOMPSON, I. ed., Enhancing
Primary Mathematics Teaching, Maidenhead: Open University Press, 153-168.

Before:

I personally believe that there is a place for calculators within primary mathematics education,
however, I think this should be restricted, or at least extensively monitored until Key Stage 2, as
used responsibly calculators can be used as a invaluable teaching aid. I believe that during Key
Stage 1 the emphasise of teaching and learning should be placed on children’s numerical knowledge
and understanding, which in turn can be built upon in Key Stage 2 with the introduction of
calculators. I also believe that introduced during Key Stage 1, calculators could be a distraction, with
children becoming highly dependent on them, thus impairing the previously mentioned numerical
knowledge and understanding.

After:

‘Twenty years after the appearance of Girling’s article1 a Numeracy Task Force was
established by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, David Blunkett, ‘to
develop a national strategy to raise standards in order to reach the Government’s national
Numeracy targets by 2002’ (DfEE, 1998: 4). Included in this brief was a request to look at
the calculator issue.’
(Williams & Thompson, 2003: 153)

It seems a long passage of time passed before any official stance on the place of calculators within
primary mathematics education was released, and even then this was only a ‘request to look at the
calculator issue’ (Williams & Thompson, 2003). This less than confident stance furthers the notion
that the Government, namely the Secretary of State for Education and Employment at the time,
David Blunkett, are not completely in agreement over the issue.

After reading this article I was amazed at the amount of contradictory advice from Government
releases, such as, The Framework for Teaching Mathematics from Reception to Year 6, that suggest
that they (calculators) ‘offer a unique way of learning about numbers and the number system, place
value, properties of numbers, and fractions and decimals’ (DfEE, 1999). However, this favourable
stance towards calculators in primary mathematics education is later completely contradicted with
the statement ‘schools should not normally use the calculator as part of Key Stage 1 mathematics,
but should emphasise oral and mental calculation’ (DfEE, 1999), a position previously adopted
personally.

The research presented within this extract is extremely convincing and, after unravelling the
enormous amount of contradiction surrounding the issue, puts forward an excellent and compelling
argument for the introduction of calculators through both Key Stage 1 and 2. Any issues raised
personally, relating to calculators becoming a ‘distraction’ and ‘children becoming highly dependent
on them’, are dealt with in a clear and concise manner with relevant and appropriate research to
substantiate any claim made.

References

DfEE (DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT) (1998) Numeracy Matters: The
Preliminary Report of the Numeracy Task Force, London: DfEE.

DfEE (DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT) (1999) Framework for Teaching
Mathematics from Reception to Year 6, London: DfEE.

GIRLING, M.S. (1977) Towards a definition of basic Numeracy. Mathematics Teaching, 81, 4-5.

1
Defining basic numeracy as ‘the ability to use a four function calculator sensibly’ (Girling, 1977).

Mathematics – Directed Activity 3. 1.