Category: Maths and Science Learning

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Educational Administration and Leadership Maths and Science Learning Secondary School Education

Can PARLO assessment enhance math education?

Educators have long advocated for integrating formative assessment alongside summative assessment to provide ongoing feedback and support student outcomes. Previously evaluated through two pilot studies, the PARLO (Proficiency-based Assessment and Re-assessment of Learning Outcomes) system is tailored for student-facing assessment in schools that may use a traditional grading system. Unlike traditional methods, PARLO doesn’t calculate final grades based on weighted averages of summative scores; instead, it assesses students’ proficiency in learning outcomes and offers personalized feedback to guide further learning. This approach empowers students to pursue additional work and seek reassessment for full credit.

A recent mixed-methods study, utilizing a cluster-randomized control trial, explored PARLO’s impact on 9th-grade students’ expectancies for success, motivation, intrinsic and utility value, and academic outcomes in math. The study included 38 teachers from 14 treatment schools and 27 teachers from 15 control schools, all volunteering to participate. With formative assessment gaining popularity, control teachers were prompted to adopt some PARLO aspects, creating a “limited treatment condition” compared to the “full treatment condition” of the experimental group. The treatment incorporated diverse professional development and a project-developed software tool. Qualitative data were gathered through 84 interviews with PARLO teachers and an open-ended survey completed by 678 students from a non-random treatment sample.

Quantitative findings revealed a significant positive impact of PARLO on ninth graders’ mathematics learning (ES=+0.33), consistently observed across various factors. Qualitative data highlighted increased student engagement, yet concerns about “contentment” and “procrastination” were noted. Investigating motivation as a potential moderator of math achievement, the analysis revealed a positive association between PARLO‘s impact on individual students’ math performance and their motivation levels: more motivated students were more likely to take advantage of PARLO’s opportunities. The PARLO system shows promise in enhancing mathematics learning outcomes and student engagement that could be further explored building on lessons learned.

 

Source: Kramer, S. L., Posner, M. A., Browman, A. S., Lawrence, N. R., Roem, J., & Krier, K. (2024). The Impacts of a standards-based grading system emphasizing formative assessment, feedback, and re-assessment: A mixed methods, cluster randomized control trial in ninth grade mathematics classrooms. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 0(0),. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2287594… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Maths and Science Learning Secondary School Education

The positive effects of higher grading standards on student math achievement

Do higher grading standards encourage better student performance, or do they discourage students instead? A study by American University’s Seth Gershenson and colleagues at SUNY and the Thomas Fordham Institute examined the effects of higher grading standards on student achievement in math. The authors applied data from the North Carolina Education Research Data Center to link report card grades to teacher-student pairings and student standardized test grades from 2006-2016, and focused on the students who took Algebra I in eighth or ninth grade between 2006-2016 (n=365,004 students; 4445 Algebra I teachers). Teachers whose students had higher standardized test scores than other teachers’ students, yet had comparable report card grades, were classified as having higher grading standards.

Results showed that students who had teachers with higher grading standards demonstrated higher student achievement in Algebra I, and subsequently in Geometry and Algebra II. Authors also examined the possibility of higher grading standards discouraging students, or causing decreased effort and engagement, as evidenced in this study through attendance data. Results showed that students of teachers with higher grading standards had slightly better attendance than those of teachers with lower grading standards. Of further note was that the positive effects of higher grading standards on both student achievement and attendance were consistent among subgroups of students, including low-performing students.

The authors concluded by observing that their study findings, when coupled with the fact that low grading standards were found more often in schools serving low-SES communities, suggest that lower grading standards might contribute to the differences in student achievement often found between high- and low-SES communities.

 

Source: Gershenson, S., Holt, S. B., & Tyner, A. (n.d.). Making the grade: The effect of teacher grading standards on student outcomes. Contemporary Economic Policy, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1111/coep.12637… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Kindergarten Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education

Six recommendations for improving elementary science teaching

Recently, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) released the “Improving Primary Science: Guidance Report”, highlighting the importance of high-quality science teaching in elementary education for fostering students’ curiosity and critical thinking. Drawing from a systematic review of international evidence and in consultation with academics and expert practitioners, this report presents six recommendations for making meaningful improvements to primary science teaching for students ages 5-11.

The six recommendations are as follows. First, develop students’ scientific vocabulary so they can participate in science learning, engage with new concepts, and communicate their understanding. Second, encourage students to explain their thinking in either verbal or written forms. This creates opportunities for students to recall, organize, and refine their understanding. Third, guide students to work scientifically by including activating prior knowledge, explicit strategy instruction, modeling of learned strategies, memorization of strategies, guided practice, independent practice, and structured reflection. Fourth, connect science learning to relevant real-world contexts. Fifth, use assessment to facilitate learning and responsive teaching. Sixth, strengthen science teaching by incorporating effective professional development into the implementation process. It is suggested by EEF that the six recommendations should be considered together, with careful reflection on how to align them with the specific school circumstances and teachers’ professional judgment.

 

Source (Open Access): Improving Primary Science. (2023, November 24). EEF. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/primary-science-ks1-ks2… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education

Teaching the concept of equivalency in math class

Research studies have shown that American children have difficulty with the concept of equivalency more than their international peers. Less than 20% of American 7-11 year olds are able to solve a math problem involving equations on either side of an equal sign (example: 3+8+4 = 3 + _) because they do not recognize that the problem is asking them about a concept (equality) rather than a calculation. Improving Children’s Understanding of Equivalence (ICUE) is a supplementary math intervention that targets this problem using four strategies: (1) introducing the equal sign before arithmetic, (2) nontraditional arithmetic practice, (3) concreteness fading exercises, and (4) comparison and explanation. It is delivered in 32 lessons over 16 weeks, twice a week for 15-20 minutes, in addition to regular math lessons.

In order to build its evidence base, ICUE conducted a cluster randomized trial in public second grade classrooms in California. 132 second grade teachers in 53 schools in 7 districts were randomly assigned to use either ICUE (n=69E) or non-traditional arithmetic practice alone (n=63C) in addition to their business as usual instruction. Non-traditional practice consisted of presenting problems in non-traditional formats (ex: __= 9+8), using “is the same as” or other phrases instead of the equal sign, and organizing problems into sets based on equivalent values (ex: 3+4= ; 5+2=). Students were tested using both researcher-made and independent measures. Because research shows that researcher-made measures inflate effect sizes, only the results for independent measures are reported in this summary. Using performance tasks from the Mathematics Assessment Resource Service (MARS), results from 2259 students (n=1131E, 1128C) showed an advantage for the ICUE students (g=+0.20). Researchers also looked at the effects of equivalency training on students’ computational skills. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on the independent ITBS, meaning that learning about equivalency did not hinder children’s learning addition/subtraction.

 

Source: Davenport, J. L., Kao, Y. S., Johannes, K. N., Hornburg, C. B., & McNeil, N. M. (2023). Improving children’s understanding of mathematical equivalence: An efficacy study. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 16(4), 615–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2022.2144787… Read the rest

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Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education Programme Evaluation

Effect of computer assisted learning on students’ math performance in rural Taiwan

Ma and colleagues conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of an in-school computer-assisted learning (CAL) intervention on the math achievement of rural students in four poor counties/municipalities in Taiwan. These counties have lower socioeconomic conditions and students who lag their urban counterparts academically.

The study included 4th and 5th grade students from 190 classes in 95 randomly selected schools. The schools were randomly assigned to the treatment group and control, with 878 students in the treatment group and 962 students in the control group. Students in the treatment group were requested to complete at least one 30-minute CAL session per week for ten weeks during the spring semester of 2019. The CAL software provided tailored remedial exercises based on the material taught in the classroom. It was a game-based learning platform that offered one-on-one tutoring and timely feedback. On the other hand, the control group students did not have access to the CAL remedial support. A standardized math test was used to assess the students’ math abilities, while information about the students and teachers was obtained through a questionnaire survey. After adjusting for standard error and controlling for county effects, students’ and teachers’ characteristics, the regression analysis did not identify a significant effect of the intervention (ES = +0.01).

The lack of effectiveness of the intervention may be attributed to a high noncompliance rate, as students in the treatment group only used the CAL software for an average of 8 minutes per week. Post-hoc analysis results indicated that the top 20% of users (an average of 20+ minutes per week), performed significantly better than the rest of the students in the treatment group (ES = +0.18). Although the top 20% of users outperformed the students in the control group (ES = +0.16), the effect was not statistically significant.

The study findings highlight the potential of CAL being a tool for supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as long as the usage rate can be increased.

 

Source: Ma, Y., Zhang, X., Abbey, C., Hu, D., Lee, O., Hung, W., Chang, C., Wu, C.-I., Friesen, D., & Rozelle, S. (2023). Computer assisted learning and academic performance in rural Taiwan. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 0(0), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2279167… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Maths and Science Learning Secondary School Education

Comparing the cost-effectiveness of algebraic technological apps for seventh graders

Despite increasing distance from the main brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, students in the United States have continued to struggle academically, particularly in mathematics. As educators and school leaders seek to address these challenges, they are confronted with the dual considerations of assessing the academic impact and managing the financial costs associated with implementing new programs. Consequently, studies on the cost-effectiveness of educational interventions have become invaluable resources for decision-making

In a recent study, Finster and colleagues build on existing research of the impact of game-based algebraic technology applications, as originally described in the work of Decker-Woodrow and colleagues. Specifically, Finster and colleagues examined the cost-effectiveness of three algebraic technological applications for seventh grade students: From Here to There (FH2T), Dragon Box 12+ (DragonBox, previously reviewed in BEiB here), and Immediate Feedback. FH2T engages students with math concepts through a discovery-based approach, emphasizing puzzles over procedural steps, with the aim of enhancing engagement, efficacy, and interest. DragonBox is designed to teach algebraic concepts also through a discovery puzzle-based approach, as well as offering different challenge levels and adaptability. Lastly, Immediate Feedback is a free, online tutoring system, and features formative assessment and timely feedback rather than game-based learning.

The study compared these three applications to an active control group that replicated traditional homework assignments using technology. The final sample included data from nine schools, 34 teachers, 127 classes, and a total of 1,850 students (comprising 753 for FH2T, 350 for DragonBox, 381 for Immediate Feedback, and 366 for the Active Control group). The researchers employed hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to assess the effects of the interventions, while the ingredients method was utilized to estimate their costs.

The analysis identified both FH2T and DragonBox as low-cost interventions that can efficiently improve algebraic performance for students. Cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated by dividing the average cost per participant by the average effectiveness for each application. In this case, DragonBox was found to cost $55 per student, with a +0.26 average ES (cost-effectiveness ratio of $206), while FH2T cost $39 per student, with an +0.14 average ES (cost-effectiveness ratio of $291). These ratios are representative of implementing interventions in person, as designed and practiced in this study.

 

Source (Open Access): Finster, M., Decker-Woodrow, L., Booker, B., Mason, C. A., Tu, S., & Lee, J.-E. (2023). Cost-effectiveness of algebraic technological applications. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 0(0), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2269918… Read the rest