Comparing the Effectiveness of Using Tablet Computers for Teaching Addition and Subtraction

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate if tablet computers help improve primary school students' mathematical achievements regarding addition and subtraction. This research compares the level of mathematical competence of the students taught using tablet-computer-oriented learning method which specifically takes advantage of “realistic mathematics education” (RME) for the concept of addition and subtraction, as opposed to traditional teaching methodology. The designed software consisted of several activities with and without the use of computers for addition and subtraction. It was designed following the background of the RME theory. The present study was a pilot research of quasi-experimental design with one experimental and one control groups. The research results show that the students who were taught with the educational intervention based on tablet computers and RME had a significant improvement in their total mathematical achievement, addition, and subtraction in comparison to those taught using the traditional teaching method.