But If We Teach a Child to Fish….

Using Metacognitive Strategies with Remedial Mathematics Learners

Submitted by

Chinequa Taylor

as fulfillment of

Action Research Project

for Kaplan University

ED572- Action Research II

Dr. Tracey Tyree

Table of Contents

1. Abstract........................................................................................................................2
2. Literature Review.........................................................................................................3
3. Problem Statement……………………………………………………………………
4. Methodology…………………………………..............................................………
5. Data Analysis...............................................................................................................
6. Conclusions.................................................................................................................
7.  References.................................................................................................................
8. Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………
9. Appendix B…………………………………………………………………………

Abstract

This study examines whether the use of metacognitive strategies in remedial math instruction can lead to increased academic achievement in remedial mathematics learners. Thirteen teachers with various backgrounds participated in this study. These teachers completed a survey consisting of six number-scaled statements and two open-ended questions, as well as four interview questions. It is revealed that most teachers are aware that struggling math students need better study skills, but most teachers are unaware of strategies and effective parameters for proper identification of students for intervention, and are only mildly familiar with critical thinking activities. These are cornerstones for effective math intervention. The findings make it clear that there is a need for raising awareness among teachers about metacognitive techniques and identification of intervention students before it can be ascertained whether they are effective. Further research should be conducted using subjects already familiar with and using the strategies in question, or at least possessing a background at a school for teacher preparation that teaches future educators to use metacognitive strategies.

Literature Review

Problem Statement

Research Questions

Will learning metacognitive strategies in addition to mathematics intervention help struggling students catch up to and keep up with their peers?

Sub-questions

More specifically: Can streamlining evaluation and identification of intervention students better target the optimal students for intervention? Can using predictive and evaluative strategies with intervention students lead to increased student success? Can think-aloud activities help students become reflective learners and experience greater math achievement? Do critical thinking and higher-order thinking activities give students skills to enhance depth of mathematical thinking and make students better math students? Lastly, do remedial students who improve and then leave intervention services after learning metacognitive skills still experience math success one year later, and do these students say they use any of the metacognitive strategies still?

Methodology

The researcher aims to collect pilot information on the effectiveness of the use of metacognitive and critical thinking strategies to help remedial mathematics students catch up to and keep up with their peers academically. Thirteen teachers are surveyed using six number-scaled statements and two open-ended questions, as well as four interview questions from three of the thirteen of them (Appendix A). The six number-scaled statements ascertain the teachers’ level of agreement with statements on the topic, while the open-ended questions and interview seek a more in-depth look into teachers’ impression of the intervention selection process and revelation of current strategies used for math intervention. Anonymity is maintained throughout.

A qualitative analysis of all survey and interview items is conducted with careful comparison to accepted research findings. The results are used as part of Chinequa Taylor’s Capstone Project for completion of the Master Science in Education Program (emphasis: Teaching Mathematics). There is no current plan for publication.

Data Analysis

Conclusions

Findings: The guiding questions of this research ask: Will learning metacognitive strategies in addition to mathematics intervention help struggling students catch up to and keep up with their peers? More specifically: Can streamlining evaluation and identification of intervention students better target the optimal students for intervention? Can using predictive and evaluative strategies with intervention students lead to increased student success? Can think-aloud activities help students become reflective learners and experience greater math achievement? Do critical thinking and higher-order thinking activities give students skills to enhance depth of mathematical thinking and make students better math students?        

        It is clear that students who struggle with math often lack study skills as well. Most teachers find this to be true, although they are unsure if there is a connection between the two. Learning mathematics conceptually and even procedurally requires quite a bit of studying for most students, due to the often abstract nature of the cognitive tasks involved. When students do not know how to study based on their own styles of learning, strengths, and weaknesses, it is understandable that they are more likely to struggle with achieving in math. Teachers are unsure whether students who struggle with math are adept at using higher-order thinking skills. It is apparent through application of Bloom’s Taxonomy (as cited in Householter & Shock, 1997), all levels of thinking from Knowledge through Evaluation can and should be called upon in effective mathematical processing. For this reason, students should be taught to hone their higher-order thinking skills, and when this does not happen, students struggle academically.

Teachers feel overwhelmingly that the correct students are not identified for intervention services. This is due, largely, to the misconception that all students who struggle with math should be targeted intervention students. In reality, only students within one year of proficiency should be targeted, and those more than one year behind need remedial services beyond what research-based intervention services usually provide. This misconception is evident from most respondents’ incorrect response to the nature of intervention services.

Although research supports the fact that metacognitive strategies have short-term and long-term benefits for students (Garrett, Mazzocco, & Baker, 2006), most teachers in this sample group either disagree or are unaware, because most disagree. This is a problem for teachers and students alike, because it means that teachers are less likely to use metacognitive strategies, and students who already struggle are even less likely to achieve in mathematics.

In summary, it is evident that most teachers are unfamiliar with metacognitive strategies, and mildly familiar with critical-thinking activities. From the point in this process where responses to surveys were received, this presented an insurmountable obstacle to research. It is imperative that teachers are familiar with and are perhaps already using metacognitive strategies to gauge their effectiveness. This is the same predicament with critical thinking skills: how can effectiveness of activities that foster critical thinking skills be measured if participating teachers are mostly unfamiliar with implementing them, and        many even unsure if either can even help struggling math students succeed? Teachers who are unfamiliar with which research-based strategies work cannot and likely do not implement the proper interventions to struggling math students.

        Implications for Practice:

        This study has made it clear that teachers need to be familiarized with the data on effective interventions for students who struggle with mathematics. Students need to learn metacognitive strategies to guide their own learning (Hanlon & Schneider, 1999) throughout their educational careers. Students need higher-order thinking skills to succeed in mathematics and other vital fields, and students need to be properly identified for services when a deficiency is indeed detected. Teachers are vitally instrumental to ensuring students have the tools they need to succeed across the curriculum. Current obstacles of ignorance and indifference are crippling our typical students and downright endangering those who are already struggle. For the field of education, sweeping and pervasive measures must be taken sooner than later, because the United States continues to fall behind in producing the masterminds of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields.

        Future Research:

In the future, it is my hope that the same or similar research can be conducted with a sample group that has completed a teacher preparatory program with intervention, metacognition, and higher-order thinking at its core. If these teachers are familiar with, and already use metacognitive strategies, it is more instrumental to ascertain their effectiveness. If this same sample group is adept at teaching and demanding critical thinking of their students, and proper identification of struggling students, then the effectiveness of these strategies can be measured as well. Initially, I hoped to find out whether there are long-term benefits to metacognitive strategies after a struggling student has caught up by surveying students one year later. I hope that this can be fulfilled with the right sample group to gauge an accurate measure. In the field of mathematics education, information should be more available and research should be more ongoing and cyclical, as it is so vital that teaching and intervening occur with the prescribed use of research-based, proven strategies for the benefit of all students.

References

Beyersdorfer, J., MarcoPolo Education, F., National Council of Teachers of English, U., &

International Reading Association, N. (2003). QARs + Tables = Successful Comprehension of Math Word Problems. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Garrett, A., Mazzocco, M., & Baker, L. (2006). Development of the Metacognitive Skills of

Prediction and Evaluation in Children With or Without Math Disability. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 21(2), 77-88.

Hanlon, E., & Schneider, Y. (1999). Improving Math Proficiency through Self Efficacy Training.

        Retrieved from ERIC database.

Householter, I., & Schrock, G. (1997, May 1). Improving Higher Order Thinking Skills of

        Students. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Kjos, R., & Long, K. (1994, May 1). Improving Critical Thinking and Problem Solving in Fifth

        Grade Mathematics. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Ohio Department of Education (2009        ). Ohio academic content standards for mathematics.

Retrieved on October 1, 2010, from http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=1704&Content=86689

Appendix A

Data Collection Tools

SURVEY:

Directions:  Please rank each statement according to the following scale-        

1:  strongly agree   2:  agree  3:  undecided  4:  disagree  5:  strongly disagree

1.  Students who struggle with math lack study skills.

                1        2        3        4        5

2.  Struggling math students do not use higher-order thinking skills.

                1        2        3        4        5

3.  The correct students are usually identified for math intervention services.        

                1        2        3        4        5

4.  Intervention students are within one grade level of proficiency.

                1        2        3        4        5

5.  Metacognitive strategies are beneficial to students in the short-term.

                1        2        3        4        5

6. Metacognitive strategies are beneficial to students in the long-term.

                1        2        3        4        5

Directions:  Please answer the following open-ended questions.

1. How do you identify math students for intervention services?

2. How do you promote higher order thinking skills in math students?

INTERVIEW:

Directions:  Please answer the following more in-depth questions.

1. What types of assessments do you use to help identify students for math intervention? Describe them , including how often they are administered.

2.  Once identified, what kinds of intervention services are offered to students? By whom and with what expertise? Please list services.

3.  What activities reinforce higher-order thinking skills in your classroom? Please list and describe.

4.  Do you use predictive and evaluative strategies in math lessons? If not, would you be willing to try? If so, please list and describe.