Teaching Mathematics Finding the most effective way to teach middle school students mathematics.

Outline of Research Proposal Numeracy is a crucial part of any curriculum but many students find it difficult How can educators plan and teach mathematics lessons that are engaging and authentic, while connecting ideas and concepts from the curriculum? Proposed study will compare math classes and specific teaching strategies and methods to try to understand the most effective way to approach math as an educator.

The Old Ways: Behaviourist Approach Not organic - Explain step by step procedures Assign questions to be completed independently Textbook is viewed as curriculum Rote memory work Written tests and quizzes used for assessment of learning at end of chapter or unit The New Ways: Constructivist Approach Make connections to material prior to experience – provoke curiosity – ACTIVE & COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Discovery and inquiry based learning – higher level thinking Assessment FOR, AS, OF learning 3 part lessons, BANSHO “Board Writing”, critical reflection

What Did the Literature Say? 8 scholarly peer reviewed articles spanning from 1998 to 2008. Use of various qualitative analysis including observations, self reports, surveys, interviews Complex topic with many factors to consider including: - teaching with a constructivist approach - the use of authentic problem-solving skills - integrating technology within the math lessons - the impact of cultural and socio-economic status - general approaches to motivate the 21st century learner

Research Question What is the most effective way to create authentic lessons for middle school students to teach the Ontario mathematics curriculum? Difficult to answer since there are multiple ways and strategies that have been previously identified and proven to be useful. Proposed study would be conducted comparing specific tools and approaches to teaching a mathematic lesson to show a clear evaluation and explore the effects of modern teaching strategies

Proposed Research Study Compare classrooms of grade 5 and 6 students who are being taught the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum over a 2 year time period. Control classroom taught using a traditional approach to mathematics compared to a treatment group of the same grade taught using a constructivist method that incorporated the Bansho and 3-part lesson framework. Ideally the schools would be comparable – in the same school board where the demographics and skill level of the average student Qualitative study using surveys, observations, interviews but could extend to mixed methods and examine test scores and other assessments to understand the impact on the student’s academics