How to use Excel to teach fractions?

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effect of using Excel in teaching fractions in a 6th grade mathematics course on students' academic achievement and attitudes. To achieve this, a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was implemented. The research involved 62 students from a public secondary school in a central province of eastern Turkey over a period of 12 class hours (3 weeks). Prior to the study, experimental and control groups were randomly assigned, and efforts were made to balance the groups based on various factors (e.g., pass marks, pretest scores). A mathematics achievement test (MAT) comprising 18 multiple-choice questions, and a 20-item mathematics attitude scale (MAS) were employed to collect data. The experimental group was taught using the Excel program, while the control group received instruction via traditional teaching methods outlined in the curriculum. Data collected after the intervention were analyzed using t-tests in the SPSS program. The results revealed a significant improvement in the academic achievement of the experimental group compared to the control group, indicating the effectiveness of using Excel-based teaching materials. Additionally, both groups showed positive changes in their attitudes towards mathematics; however, no significant difference was found between the groups in terms of the impact of the teaching method on students' attitudes.