Grant Closed

Enhancing the Mathematical Problem Solving Performance of Sixth Grade Students Using Schema-based Instruction

NCER
Program: Education Research Grants
Program topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
Award amount: $1,432,796
Principal investigator: Asha Jitendra
Awardee:
University of Minnesota
Year: 2006
Project type:
Development and Innovation
Award number: R305K060002

Purpose

At the time of this study, there was emerging evidence to support reform-based mathematics methods and curricula, but data regarding the impact of these reforms for students at-risk for math failure were limited. In this study, the researchers planned to develop and pilot test instructional practices using schema-based instruction to enhance the mathematical problem-solving performance of sixth grade students.

Project Activities

The researchers proposed to develop an instructional intervention that focused on critical concepts (ratios proportions) and relations (multiplication and division) needed to understand mathematics content and to solve a range of problems encountered in everyday life. Specifically, the researchers planned to develop a set of lessons to promote students' understanding of problems involving multiplicative relations using schema-based instruction. In this intervention, teacher-led discussions were used to show students how to symbolically represent problems using schematic diagrams because many students fail to see or recognize the categorizations of multiplicative problems and to understand that situations appearing as new can be understood using the categorizations offered by the schematic approach.

Structured Abstract

Setting

The research will be conducted in Pennsylvania.

Sample

Participants will be sixth graders from a middle school in a diverse, urban district. The school includes 27 sixth-grade classrooms. Within the school, 25 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 31 percent are from minority backgrounds.
Intervention
The researchers will develop an instructional intervention that focuses on critical concepts (such as ratios and proportions) and relations (multiplication and division) needed to understand mathematics content and to solve a range of problems encountered in everyday life. Specifically, the researchers will develop a set of lessons to promote students' understanding of problems involving multiplicative relations using schema-based instruction. This intervention will use teacher-led discussions to show students how to symbolically represent problems using schematic diagrams because many students fail to see or recognize the categorizations of multiplicative and to understand that situations appearing as new can be understood using the categorizations offered by the schematic approach. In addition, the project will include a manipulation of instructional intensity (ad hoc small group tutoring) that is known to moderate learning outcomes for students who are at-risk for math difficulties.

Research design and methods

The researchers will conduct experimental studies with 27 sixth grade teachers randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions to examine learning outcomes for all students and differential student effects. Specifically, the researchers will use pretest and posttest data to examine the impact of the problem-solving curriculum for levels of initial student ability status in the classrooms. In addition to randomly assigning teachers to conditions, the researchers will also match experimental and comparison classrooms on pretest data, and key demographic and variables.

Control condition

Teachers in the comparison condition will implement problem-solving instruction on the same topics (multiplication) using the district adopted sixth grade textbook.

Key measures

Key outcome measures include performance on word problem-solving tests and on the Mathematics Problem Solving and Procedures Subtests of the Stanford Achievement Test-Tenth Edition.

Data analytic strategy

This development project is intended only to obtain evidence of the potential impact of the intervention. Initial analyses will be at the level of the student.

People and institutions involved

IES program contact(s)

Christina Chhin

Education Research Analyst
NCER

Products and publications

ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.

WWC Reviews:

Jitendra, A.K., Star, J.R., Starosta, K., Leh, J.M., Sood, S., Caskie, G., Hughes, C.L., and Mack, T.R. (2009). Improving Seventh Grade Students' Learning of Ratio and Proportion: The Role of Schema-Based Instruction. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 34(3): 250-264. [WWC Review]

Jitendra, A.K., Star, J.R., Rodriguez, M., Lindell, M., and Someki, F. (2011). Improving Students' Proportional Thinking Using Schema-Based Instruction. Learning and Instruction, 21(6): 731-745. [WWC Review]

Select Publications:

Jitendra, A.K., and Star, J.R. (2011). Meeting the Needs of Students with Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Mathematics Classrooms: The Role of Schema-Based Instruction on Mathematical Problem-Solving. Theory into Practice, 50(1): 12-19.

Jitendra, A.K., and Star, J.R. (2012). An Exploratory Study Contrasting High- and Low-Achieving Students' Percent Word Problem Solving. Learning and Individual Differences, 22(1): 151-158.

Jitendra, A.K., Dupuis, D.N., Star, J.R., and Rogriguez, M.C. (2016). The Effects of Schema-Based Instruction on the Proportional Thinking of Students With Mathematics Difficulties With and Without Reading Difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(4): 354-367.

Jitendra, A.K., Lein, A.E., Star, J.R., and Dupuis, D.N. (2013). The Contribution of Domain-Specific Knowledge in Predicting Students' Proportional Word Problem-Solving Performance. Educational Research and Evaluation, 19(8): 700-716.

Jitendra, A.K., Star, J.R., Dupuis, D.N., and Rodriguez, M. (2013). Effectiveness of Schema-Based Instruction for Improving Seventh-Grade Students' Proportional Reasoning: A Randomized Experiment. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 6(2): 114-136.

Jitendra, A.K., Star, J.R., Rodriguez, M., Lindell, M., and Someki, F. (2011). Improving Students' Proportional Thinking Using Schema-Based Instruction. Learning and Instruction, 21(6): 731-745.

Jitendra, A.K., Star, J.R., Starosta, K., Leh, J.M., Sood, S., Caskie, G., Hughes, C.L., and Mack, T.R. (2009). Improving Seventh Grade Students' Learning of Ratio and Proportion: The Role of Schema-Based Instruction. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 34(3): 250-264.

Jitendra, A.K., Woodward, J., and Star, J.R. (2011). Middle School Students' Thinking About Ratios and Proportions. In R. Gersten, and R. Newman-Gonchar (Eds.), Understanding RTI in Mathematics (pp. 127-150). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Lein, A.E., Jitendra, A.K., Starosta, K., Dupuis, D.N., Hughes, C., and Star, J. (2016). Assessing the Relation between Seventh-Grade Students' Engagement and Mathematical Problem Solving Performance. Preventing School Failure, 60(2): 117-123.

Additional project information

Previous award details:

Previous award number:
R305K060075
Previous awardee:
Lehigh University

Related projects

Learning of Ratio and Proportion Problem-Solving Using Schema-Based Instruction: Efficacy and Sustainability

R305A110358

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

Questions about this project?

To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.

 

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