BROWN EDS PROJECT Resubmitted REV DRL 01511

The Mathematics I curriculum was designed to prepare students for the End of Course Test Georgia Department of Education, 2010.. Further evidence showed that there is a need to put more

Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is myown or was done in collaboration with my Advisor This thesis does not include propriety or

THE EFFECTS OF WRITING TO WIN STRATEGIES IN MATHEMATICS

A project submitted

byBrenice L Brown

toLaGrange College

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of SPECIALIST IN EDUCATION

in Curriculum and InstructionLaGrange, GeorgiaJuly 4, 2011

2

Abstract:

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract iii

Table of Contents iv

List of Tables and Figures v

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

Statement of the Problem #

Significance of the Problem #

Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks #

Focus Questions #

Overview of Methodology #

Human as Researcher #

Chapter 2: Review of Literature 7

Chapter 3: Methodology 16

Research Design #

Setting #

Sample / Subjects / Participants #

Procedures and Data Collection Methods #

Validity and Reliability Measures #

Analysis of Data #

Chapter 4: Results 22

Chapter 5: Analysis and Discussion of Results 26

Analysis 26

Discussion 31

Implications 33

Impact on Student Learning 33

Recommendations for Future Research 34

References 35

Appendixes 38

Appendix A

Appendix B

4

List of Tables and/or FiguresTables

Table 3.1 Data Shell 19

Figures

Figure 4.1 Title of Figure 23

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem

In response to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and in an effort to increase studentachievement, educators are implementing various measures to increase test scores and promote academics success (Brown, 2010) Recent reports, The National Research Council (2001) and The National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008), both call attention to student achievement in mathematics In recent years, concerns about low student achievement scores have prompted calls for tougher standards In 2004, the State Board of Education adopted the Georgia

Performance Standards (GPS) Most recently, the Mathematics I curriculum was developed to address student achievmentachievement in Georgia

Mathematics I curriculum is organized into four content strands: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Statistics The mathematics curriculum stresses rigorous concept development, presents realistic and relevant tasks, and keeps a strong emphasis on computational skills

(Georgia Department of Education, 2010) The Georgia Mathematics Curriculum focuses on actively engaging the students in the development of mathematical understanding by using manipulative and a variety of representations, working independently and cooperatively to solve problems, estimating and computing efficiently, and conducting investigations and recording findings There is a shift towards applying mathematical concepts and skills in the context of authentic problems and for the student to understand concepts rather than merely follow a sequence of procedures (Georgia Department of Education, 2010)

There are many ways to evaluate student achievement Standardized tests are often chosen because of the reliability and means of providing an objective assessment of student

performance (Brown, 2010) The State Board of Education is required by Georgia law to adopt the End of Course Test (EOCT) in core subjects in grade nine through twelve The EOCT is designed to improve student achievement by assessing student performance on the curriculum standards specific to each course tested The Mathematics I curriculum was designed to prepare students for the End of Course Test (Georgia Department of Education, 2010)

According to the 2009-2010 Mathematics I EOCT’s report card of this study’s school, fifty percent passed, five percent pass plus, and forty-five percent failed These results show progress from previous years in Mathematics I However, there is still a large percent of studentswho that are failing Further evidence showed that there is a need to put more focus on high school student achievement and math education (Georgia Department of Education, 2010) The purpose of this study is to determine if the Writing to Win strategies have any impact on the ninthgrade Mathematics I End of Course Test

Significance of the Problem

Student achievement continues as a focal concern in the United States Although schools can and do make a significant difference, research has identified numerous factors which affect student success (Barton, 2005) The graduation rates are below 70 percent, schools fail to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP), struggle to narrow the achievement gap between high and low performing students, parent involvement, and the concern that even students who do complete high school are not adequately prepared for higher education or work success (Barton, 2005) Student achievement also plays a vital role on educators and the society (National Center for Education Statistics, 2004) Many educators believe that there has been a failure to adopt new instructional practices which have shown to improve student learning The key to

helplinghelping students succeed is focusing on the best opportunities for students to master learning objectives (Bottoms, 2003).

Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks

The conceptual framework of this research is aligned with Tenet 2: Exemplary

Professional Teaching Practices in the Lagrange College Education Department’s Conceptual Framework (2005) The study focused on the Competency Cluster 2.2: Instructional Skills

which states:

• Candidates use effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills

• Candidates understand and implement effective and appropriate classroom management techniques that promote democratic classroom communities

This tenet also aligns with several other state and national standards such as domain 3(learning

environments) and Domain 5 (planning and instruction) of the Six Domains of the Georgia Framework for Teaching, Element 1c (professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills for

teacher candidates) of the Five Elements of NCATE 2000 Standard 1 for Initial Programs, Principle 4 (multiple instructional strategies), principle 5 (learner motivation and behavior) and Principle 6 (inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction) of the Ten INTASC Principles for Beginning Teachers, and Proposition 2 (teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students) of the Five NBPTS Core Propositions for Experience Teachers (Lagrange College, 2005)

The Lagrange College Education Department (2005) explained how educators should develop instructional skills that are based on “constructivist teaching principles that emphasize the need to teach for conceptual understanding, before content information is presented to

learners” (p 7) In this research, teachers will be able to develop these skills through the use of the constructivist theory Bruner (1996), states that constructivism is “an active process in whichlearners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current or past knowledge” (p 30) The constructivist theory is a general framework for instruction based upon the study of

cognition Bruner (1996) also explains that the theory of instruction should address three major principles: (1) Instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the student willing and able to learn (readiness), (2) Instruction must be structured so that it can be easily grasped by the student (spiral organization), and (3) Instruction should be designed to facilitate extrapolation and fill in the gaps (going beyond the information given) Bruner’s theory is linked to the child development research of Piaget

Jean Piaget has contributed to our understanding of the development of learning in students He suggested many comprehensive developmental theories According to Piaget, each student has thoughts and feelings of their own A student brings those feelings and thoughts into the classroom where they will form their own opinions about what and now they learn (Phillips, 1995) Writing in mathematics will provide opportunities for students to develop their thoughts and critical thinking skills This study will investigate the relationship between writing in

mathematics and students’ achievement levels through the constructivist theory and the

development of teachers’ instructional skills

Focus Questions

In mathematics, it is important that educators provide all students access to an engaging, stimulating, and enriched learning environment Therefore, the research question asks “How can

educators use Writing to Win strategies to prompt critical thinking in mathematics?” This study

focused on three specific areas: advanced content knowledge, affective assesssment and school

improvement The first focus question asks “How do Writing to Win strategies in mathematics affect student achievement levels”? The second focus question asks “How do Writing to Win

strategies affect students’ attitudes towards mathematics The third focus question asks “How will writing in mathematics affect the attitudes of educators”? This will provide opportunities to change the remedial instruction and stress students’ strengths as a means to improving student learning and closing the achievement gap

Overview of Methodology

The pilot study is an action research study which is undertaken in a local county high school setting located in southwestern Georgia Action research is used to search for solutions toeveryday real problems experienced in schools, or looking for ways to improve instructions and increase student achievement The process of action research assists educators in assessing needs, documenting the steps of inquiry, analyzing data, and making informed decisions that can lead to desired outcomes (Charles & Mertler, 2002) The subjects are ninth grade students Three Math I classes were used in the study The first focus question (How does Writing to Win strategies in mathematics affect student achievement levels?) will be measured by using

assessments A comparison between last year and this year’s End of Course Test will be analyzedusing an independent t-test to measure the significance of the data Student attitudinal pre and

post surveys will be used to measure the second focus question (How does Writing to Win

strategies affect students’ attitudes towards mathematics?) The survey consists of ten questions

using the Likert scale They were examined using a dependent t test, the chi square test, the Cronbach Alpha test, and look for categorical and repeating data Finally, the third focus question (How does Writing to Win strategies impact the overall school improvement plan?) will

be determined by an interview by the principal and a focus group of seven math teachers The

interview and focus group will be coded for themes on the attitudes and opinions about Writing

to Win strategies in mathematics.

Human as a Researcher

I am a graduate of Tuskegee University and have an undergraduate degree in

mathematics I recently received my Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction at LaGrange College I have been teaching for two years as a 9th-10th grade math teacher in the Troup County School System Prior to this position, I taught two years in Peach County School System

as a 9th-12th grade math teacher

In this pilot study, the goal is to find that writing in the mathematics classroom improved students’ achievement and understanding I wanted to able to see a significant difference in the last years and this year’s End of Course Test scores I feel that writing in math is an effective learning technique Through surveys, I hoped to find that students enjoyed writing in math class and felt it was an effective learning tool Through teacher interviews, I hoped to find that

teachers believed that writing in the mathematics classroom was effective and beneficial to students Hopefully, they will begin to implement some strategies of writing in their own

classrooms

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Improving student achievement in mathematics

Since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed in 2001, the focus on theachievement gap has intensified specifically among culturally, linguistically, ethnically and economically diverse groups (Beecher & Sweeny, 2008) This posed a great concern to

educators and policy makers One major symptom of the problem involves the adoption of stakes testing to measure achievement and evaluate school effectiveness Beecher and Sweeny (2008), explains that the educational literature is replete with recommendations for improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap; however, research suggest that the gap remains Factors that affect overall student achievement include the rigor of the curriculum, the experience, quality and commitment of the teachers, the learning environment, including safety and expectations of students and class size (Beecher & Sweeny, 2008)

high-Reshaping School Mathematics, the framework for curricular revision by the

Mathematical Sciences Education Board, states that to know mathematics is to investigate and express relationships among patterns (Countryman, 1992) The Georgia K–12 performance standards in mathematics support a strong, cohesive, and coherent curriculum that provides a clear path to higher mathematics and intelligent citizenship The curriculum encourages students

to reason mathematically, to evaluate mathematical arguments both formally and informally, to use the language of mathematics to communicate ideas and information precisely, and to make connections among mathematical topics and to other disciplines (Combs, 2005) Additionally, this curriculum requires that mathematics classrooms at every grade be student-focused rather than teacher-focused using a balanced approach to instruction, working individually or

collaboratively, and actively engaged in inquiry related to real phenomena (Georgia Department

of Education, 2010) Mathematics teaching must reflect an active, constructive view of learning Through the constructivist approach, writing can provide opportunities for students to construct their own knowledge of mathematics (Countryman, 1992) In mathematics classrooms, students will learn to think critically in a mathematical way with an understanding that there are many different ways to a solution and sometimes more than one right answer in applied mathematics (Georgia Department of Education, 2010) According to Burns (1995), teaching mathematics effectively is too complex for a one-dimensional approach Mathematics is seen as a subject thatcommunicates through the manipulation of symbols in orderly ways Through traditional

instruction, students learn to compute without understanding and why the computation

procedures make sense Missing from this approach has been attention to students explaining theprocedures they use, justifying their reasoning, judging the reasonableness of their solutions and reflecting on their thinking (Burns, 1995)

Research has consistently shown that an emphasis on teaching for meaning has positive effects on student learning and achievement (Kilpatrick, 1992) An important factor in teaching for meaning is connecting the new ideas and skills to students’ past knowledge and experience (Hiebert, 1997) According to Burns (1995), teaching mathematics effectively is too complex for

a one-dimensional approach Mathematics is seen as a subject that communicates through the manipulation of symbols in orderly ways Through traditional instruction, students learn to compute without understanding and why the computation procedures make sense Missing from this approach has been attention to students explaining the procedures they use, justifying their reasoning, judging the reasonableness of their solutions and reflecting on their thinking (Burns, 1995) However, a balance is needed between the time students spend practicing routine