Student Choice of Mathematics Strategies

Illinois Wesleyan University Digital Commons @ IWU John Wesley Powell Student Research Apr 8th, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Student Choice of Mathematics Strategies Faith Richard Illinois W

Illinois Wesleyan University

Digital Commons @ IWU

John Wesley Powell Student Research

Apr 8th, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Student Choice of Mathematics Strategies

Faith Richard

Illinois Wesleyan University

Leah Nillas, Faculty Advisor

Illinois Wesleyan University

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Richard, Faith and Nillas, Faculty Advisor, Leah, "Student Choice of Mathematics

Strategies" (2017) John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference 7

https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/jwprc/2017/ESposters2/7

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Student Choice of Mathematics Strategies

Faith Richard and Leah Nillas*

Educational Studies, Illinois Wesleyan University

Research Question

• In what ways does providing student

choice affect students’ learning in

mathematics?

Literature Review

• Structured supplementary intervention on

addition strategies led to an increase in

test scores and general addition

knowledge (Baroody, Eiland, Purpura, &

Reid, 2013)

• According to Torbeyns, Verschaffel, and

Ghesquire (2006), students chose what

strategy to use based off of classroom

instruction and many solved problems as

modeled by their teachers

• The majority of students found visual

strategies to be the most helpful when

working independently (Maloy, Razzaq, &

Edwards, 2014)

• Solving three-digit addition problems

quickly and fluently by using mental

addition strategies assisted students in

finding the correct answer (Csískos,

2016)

• Students were unable to fluently switch

between different subtraction strategies

in a single assessment, as they chose to

only use a single strategy as

demonstrated by their teacher (Peters et

al., 2012)

Methodology

• Study involves 17 first grade students at suburban school with an 84% low income rate (Illinois Report Card, 2016)

• Students were taught how to use math manipulatives and other addition and

subtraction strategies throughout the semester

•Weekly student anecdotes, field notes, and student work were collected as data sources

• Data was coded by looking at repetition, transitions, linguistic connections, theory

related material, and missing data (Ryan &

Bernard, 2008)

Results and Data Analysis

• Students performed better by choosing to

use visual and tactile strategies to solve

• The ease and familiarity of choosing only

tactile mathematics strategies limits student growth in solving more complex equations and using other strategies

• Students learned best when choosing to

use several strategies, using any combination of visual, tactile, kinesthetic, and auditory strategies

• If students chose to not use introduced

strategies, they better demonstrated their knowledge of the material

Conclusion

• All students should be provided with

multiple tactile and visual strategies to reinforce mathematics concepts

• Administrators should provide teachers

with the training and resources needed for implementing various mathematics strategies and how to allow and

encourage student choice

• Additional studies should be conducted

on different ways student choice can be provided in lower elementary classrooms, and how students respond to these

choices

Figure 1 Students chose to use snap cubes to perform single digit addition Most students

preferred and performed better using manipulatives when practicing addition problems

They also performed better when building towers

to represent the addition sentence