improving student engagement and mathematical understanding

Improving Student Engagement and Mathematical Understanding

Suzette NielsonAmanda Tame

ECU 521

Target Question

Can we improve student engagement and mathematical understanding through the use of varied instructional strategies and student reflection?

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Research

• Instructional Strategies:– Complex Instruction

• Structured groups• Group-worthy tasks• Assigned roles• Student responsibility• Group empathy• Teacher as facilitator instead of expert

• Student Reflection– Meta-cognition of learning process– Creating learning goals– Recognition of growth over time– Personal accountability

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Pre-Intervention Data

• Previous chapter test score• Overall grade• Student checklist of classroom

behavior• Teacher observations• Other Algebra 1 teachers’ comments• Current teaching practices

– Lack of group-worthy tasks– Lack of student reflection

Examples of pre-intervention data

Teacher observation list of “Student C”

Examples of pre-intervention data

Classroom behavior and attitude reflections

Examples of pre-intervention data

Other teachers’ comments on shared students behavior and attitudes

• Student B:“Last year, even in the midst of a chaotic class, he

would sit up straight in his chair and tell me that he was listening.”

• Student C:“Last year, he couldn’t sit still in his seat and was

always disrupting other students.”“This year, after 2 months, he was kicked out of the

math support class.”

Action Plan• Create:

– Group-worthy task – Rubric– Student self-assessment of group participation– Classroom behavior/attitude reflection– Task reflection of mathematical understanding

• Intervention Implementation:– Assign task– Timeline:

• 2 days: work on problem• 1 day: make poster• 1 day: presentations• 1 day: self-assessment and reflections• 1 day: summative assessment (chapter test)

Post-Intervention Data

• Task grade by teacher• Self-assessment of group

participation• Classroom behavior/attitude

reflection• Task reflection of mathematical

understanding• Teacher observation• Chapter test• Cumulative grade

Examples of post-intervention data

Poster – Student C

Examples of post-intervention data

Poster – Student B

Examples of post-intervention data

Poster – Student A

Examples of post-intervention data

Classroom behavior and attitude reflections

Examples of post-intervention data

Table of pre and post scores

Item Student A Student B Student C

PRE

Chapter 6 Test 88% 76% 57%

Overall Grade A (99%) B (85%) D (61%)

POST

Task score (teacher)

100% 92% 100%

Task participation (student)

100% 94% 81%

Chapter 7 Test 104% 93% 46% (DNF)

Overall Grade A (102%) B (88%) D+ (67%)

Summary

• Question: Can we improve student engagement and mathematical understanding through the use of varied instructional strategies and student reflection?

• Answer: Yes.

Next Steps…

• Further definition of roles within groups

• Clearer questions in checklist and task reflection

• Separation of pre and post assessments

• Student involvement in rubrics• Clearer expectations with regards to

poster presentation