Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Allen D. Eury
Committee Member
Dennis Triplett
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
assessment practices, classroom implementation, conceptual understanding, elementary schools, higher order thinking skills, instructional balance, job-embedded professional development, mathematical tasks, mathematical thinking, mathematics, mathematics instruction, participant outcomes, procedural fluency, professional development, qualitative methods, quantitative methods, student learning, teacher change, teacher education, teacher practices, thinking skills, worthwhile mathematical tasks
Abstract
This applied dissertation studied the effects of the participation of a small group of 4th-grade teachers in professional development involving the use of worthwhile mathematical tasks on teacher practices and student learning. The intervention was designed to improve students' mathematical thinking and to help teachers balance conceptual mathematical understanding with procedural fluency. The instructional and assessment practices used by the 4th-grade teachers at this school were driven by a view of mathematics as computation and procedures. Research has documented higher levels of student thinking and teacher change through use of worthwhile mathematics tasks and job-embedded professional development.
The researcher developed professional development sessions to give teachers opportunities to develop and learn about worthwhile mathematical tasks. The teachers reflected on classroom implementation. Qualitative methods were used to determine the interaction between the intervention and the participants. Quantitative methods were used to measure student learning. The evaluation design allowed a comparison between treated and untreated groups. The expected outcome was that supporting teachers in achieving an instructional balance between conceptual mathematical understandings and procedural fluency would increase the use of worthwhile mathematical tasks and improve the quality of student mathematical thinking and learning.
The outcomes of this intervention showed potential for the professional improvement of the participants. Teachers were able to develop quality worthwhile mathematical tasks that elicited higher order thinking skills from students when implemented in the classroom. However, effects on performance measures of student learning were of no significance. This conclusion requires further research in the relationship between professional development, teacher change, and student learning.