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ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 1
Initial Findings from Research on the TIAN Project
A New Professional Learning Model for Adult Education Math Teachers
Mary Jane Schmitt TERC, Cambridge, MA
Beth Bingman & Center for Literacy Studies,
Donna Curry University of Tennessee
contact:[email protected]
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 2
• Project overview
• The PD component
• The research componentmethodology
early findings
• Discussion
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 3
Project Overview
• 4-year collaboration (2005-2009)– Center for Literacy Studies, University of
Tennessee– TERC, Cambridge, MA
• Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Teacher Professional Continuum initiative
• Final Product: A sustainable staff development model for adult math and numeracy teachers, available nationally
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 4
Assumptions
•Math is more than procedures
•Quality PD has some essential features
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 5
Math is more than procedures•Conceptual Understanding
•Adaptive Reasoning
•Strategic Competence
•Procedural Fluency
•Productive Disposition
Source: “Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics”,
http://newton.nap.edu/catalog/9822.html
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 6
Quality PD has some essential features
•occurs over time
•helps instructors advance their own conceptual understanding of mathematics and the way adults learn
•helps instructors connect content and materials to authentic, real-world numeracy/mathematics situation
Source: “An Environmental Scan Of Adult Numeracy Professional Development Initiatives And Practices,” American Institutes For Research®
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 7
Quality PD has some essential features
•reflects the research on how adults learn
•reflects national (e.g., NCTM, AMATYC, EFF) or state standards
•accommodates dissimilar mathematical backgrounds of participants
Source: “An Environmental Scan Of Adult Numeracy Professional Development Initiatives And Practices,” American Institutes For Research®
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 8
Our Overarching Question
What does it take to help the adult education workforce move closer in belief and practice to mathematics instruction that addresses fluency
with procedures, conceptual understanding, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and
a productive disposition?
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 9
Project goals focused on impact regarding
•Teachers’ content knowledge
•Teachers’ classroom practice
•Teachers’ connection with state standards
•State’s capacity to support high quality mathematics instruction (leadership development)
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 10
Effective Processes for Teacher Change
•Teachers do mathematics themselves, with an emphasis on learning with understanding
•Close examination and discussion of student work
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 11
The PD model
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 12
TIAN Pilot to Final
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 13
Six teacher cohorts
• Pilot (2005 >)• MA & OH• n = 40
• Field Test (2006 >)• AZ, KS, LA & RI• n = 80
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 14
Pilot cohort
• 3/4 teach in open-entry, open exit programs• work for school districts,city, community
college, community based organizations• Their students spend 3.6 hrs/week on
average “doing math”• 90% teach other subjects as well• small math class size (4-18, mean = 9)
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 15
The First Intensive Year’s Objectives
• Increase your own understanding of data and algebra-related math content
• Experience, reflect upon, and plan lessons for your students (Using EMPower materials)
• Read and critically respond to relevant mathematics research
• Connect assessment and instruction with state frameworks
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 16
Pedagogical Objectives
• Work collaboratively on open-ended investigations
• Share strategies and understandings orally and in writing
• Justify answers in multiple ways
• Use meaningful contexts as entry points
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 17
TIAN Intensive Year Timelinepre TIAN classroom observations
Fall Institute 1 (2 days)
November - February Classroom tryout of EMPower Data and Graphs lessons
Two regional (within state) meetings
Work Sample 1
Winter Institute 2 (2 days)
February - May Classroom tryout of EMPower Algebraic Thinking lessons
Two regional (within state) meetings
Work sample 2
Spring Institute 3 (2 days)
Post-TIAN classroom observations
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 18
Institute 1 Goals for You and Your Students
• Collect, organize, and represent data.• Make accurate statements about data using percents
and fractions.• Create and interpret frequency graphs, bar graphs,
circle graphs, and line graphs.• Use scale to change the story a graph tells.• Interpret graphs with different scales.• Use mean and median to describe a data set.Teacher Knowledge Goals Include:• Compare two or more data sets.• Use and interpret scatter plots.
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 19
Institute 2 Goals for Your and Your Students
• Identify patterns and predict outcomes of a variety of situations.
• Describe patterns and relationships using diagrams, words, tables, graphs, and/or equations.
• Understand how different representations are related.• Recognize the characteristics of linear patterns.• Use basic algebraic notation.
Two Teacher Knowledge Goals Include:• Determine the line of best fit for scatter plots.• Develop mathematical models from situations.
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 20
A Modeling Approach to Algebra Keeps the Situation Central
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 21
The research(early indications)
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 22
Data collection instruments
Pre-Post Questionnaires
Pre-Post Classroom Observations
Pre-Post Content Assessments
Open-ended writing prompts
Work samples (2)
Meeting notes, reflections
Interviews (one and two years later)
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 23
TIAN Project Goal 2
Enhanced teacher knowledge of research-based adult education mathematics standards
Data sources:Pre/post assessmentPhone interviews (one year later)
(questionnaires,work samples, observations, interviews)
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 24
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 25
Use of standards
Pre-assessment– 50% of the field test teachers said they did
not use the standards – 16% described using the standards to plan
and assess instruction.
Post-assessment– 11% said they did not use the standards– 62% reported using them to frame
instruction.
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 26
One Year Later…Only two of the 20 interviewees who were still teaching adults
reported that they rarely or never used their state mathematics
standards; all the others reported using the math standards to
varying degrees.
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 27
TIAN Project Goal 3
Increased and deepened mathematics content knowledge of teacher participants in the areas of data analysis and algebraic reasoning
Data sources:• Pre/post content assessment(questionnaires, work samples, interviews)
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 28
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 29
• While almost all teachers (95% pre,
100% post) could calculate the mean by finding the sum of the numbers, then dividing by 5, a greater proportion could show at least one other strategy in the post test (85% post vs 61% pre), and more could use a third strategy (33% post vs 20% pre). This ability to determine the mean through a visual approach, or by an alternative arithmetic strategy was evidence of a deeper understanding of the concept of average.
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 30
One Year Later…75% of the twenty teachers interviewed reported some positive change in their understanding of mathematics.
Changes in math understanding named:
•Deepened, improved 6
•Specific math knowledge 3
•Confidence 3
•New ways of thinking 2
• Multiple approaches to solving problems 3
•No change 5
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 31
TIAN Project Goal 4
Increased repertoire of instructional strategies of teachers who work with adults in pre-GED (levels 3 and 4 of six levels) classes.
Data sources:• Pre/post questionnaire(classroom observations, work samples,
interviews)
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 32
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 33
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 34
One Year Later…Most (17/20) reported using at least one instructional approach presented and modeled by TIAN including: – Using activities and materials from TIAN – Using hands-on materials – Using real-life contexts for math instruction – Small group work – Increased focus on concepts and problem solving– More examination of students’ thinking – Using and accepting multiple approaches to solving
problems
ALM15/July2008/Schmitt 35
Discussion•What other questions could we have asked in the questionnaire?
•How could we get at teacher content knowledge (without a test)?
•If we need to streamline, how do we decide which elements of the TIAN pd model are most essential? Or, what should we add to the model?