Session Information
99 ERC SES 04 G, Mathematics Education Research
Paper Session
Contribution
How to develop skills and motivation to learn mathematics?
I speak from the perspective of Polish experiences in developing maths education. I refer to transmissive teaching in accordance with the curriculum culture. I do this with hope this might be interesting for an international audience as the beyond Polish specificity this case pertains to a more universal validity. The results my research show the importance of individualization of teaching and the role of building a sense of self-competence and mathematical self-confidence. At school, mathematics education is often based only on providing students with knowledge and implementing the core curriculum. According to Małgorzata Żytko (2013), the National Survey of Third-Grade Skills [Ogólnopolskie Badanie Umiejętności Trzecioklasistów, OBUT] suggested that the main aim of education is the implementation of the core curriculum, not the development of children and meeting their individual educational needs. Anna Brzezińska (1986) similarly stated that the teaching and communication style in the teaching-learning process should be "child-oriented" and not "core curriculum-oriented". She said that you should talk to the child and organize situations in which the student actively participates, investigates and tries to solve problems on his own. In turn, Edyta Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska (2011) proved that primary school reduces mathematical abilities. She showed that more than 50% preschoolers have mathematical abilities such as ease of learning mathematics, great cognitive curiosity, creativity, accuracy and independence in solving mathematical tasks. In the group of first-graders, only 12,5% students has outstanding talents. Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska noticed that after eight months of school, children are less creative, less courageous and have a lower sense of meaning in learning than in kindergarten. Therefore, the priority of my research was to focus on the developing the skills and motivation to learn mathematics of students with different levels of competence and meeting individual educational needs of each student. The basic questions that guided the research were: how to work on individualised strategies of teaching mathematics being a schoolteacher, so that each student makes progress in learning mathematics? What is the importance of strengthening a child's self-confidence and motivation in learning mathematics? What teaching methods and forms of work will be best for each student? I did the research among eight-grade primary school students. There were 21 students in this group. The research lasted from September 2022 to February 2023. The study group were students from Ukraine, students with dyslexia, selective auditory processing disorders and hyperactivity. I created an original program. It considered the individualization of teaching mathematics. I used a scaffolding strategy and various methods and forms of work (e.g. tutoring, project method, problem-based learning, using tasks with different levels of difficulty) and adapted the subject matter to the cognitive capacity of each student.
Method
In my study, I used both qualitative (action research) and quantitative (survey) methods of collecting data for triangulation. I considered that this methods would complement each other and thus provide a comprehensive answer to the research questions. I wanted to triangulate diagnostic data from the survey with the quantitative data gathered during action research. The former allowed to obtain a lot of information of interest about the each student in a short period of time. I used survey to identify the specific mathematical areas where students have the most problems. I learned about both mathematical skills and approach to learning and learning-related problems, as well as individual differences of students (e.g. learning style, gender, emotional intelligence). While action research allowed the teacher to contribute to educational and didactic changes and benefit all participants involved. The analysis of the data collected has made it possible to specify areas for further action research. Based on the survey, I developed specific teaching strategies to help develop each pupil's mathematical skills. I created the original program and used various methods and forms of work and adapted the subject matter to the cognitive capacity of each student. The combination of diagnostic surveys and action research allowed for an individual approach to developing learning abilities in mathematics, taking into account the needs of each student. I used techniques such as a questionnaire, interview, document analysis and participant observation.
Expected Outcomes
The research results confirmed the effectiveness of individualizing teaching and students' motivation, as well as strengthening the child's faith in their own abilities. The best methods of motivating students to learn mathematics were: using tasks with different levels of difficulty playing "hook for the teacher", tutoring and problem-based learning. The research showed qualitative and quantitative progress in the work of most eighth-graders. Students improved their results on the eighth-grade trial exam in December compared to the September national diagnostic test. The January nationwide project „Sesja z plusem” [Session with Plus] also saw improvement. The average result in this class is 51% and is 13 percentage points higher than the average nationwide result. It's worth asking yourself: if the majority of students in this class made progress in their mathematics learning skills within a few months, then what progress would there be if the teacher used such methods in the earlier years of primary school? Would the school then reduce students' mathematics abilities, as proved by Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska? I agree with Małgorzata Żytko (2013) that the main aim of teaching should not only be the implementation of the core curriculum, but primarily focusing on the development of each child's mathematics learning skills. I believe that if this is our priority in mathematics education, students' results on national tests will also be satisfactory.
References
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