CLUE Project Sarah Stover Literature and Society Dr. Sherry 10/03/11

THE QUESTION, BACKGROUND, AND METHODS CLUE Project

The Question (kivettbednar.com) (edudemic.com)

Background Rebekah Nathan’s My Freshman Year A professor for 15 years, Dr. Nathan decided to study college life by enrolling as a student at her own university. Chapter 4 of My Freshman Year focused on international students and how they viewed American culture. Nathan asked the international students about teachers, and this is what she found: Quote: “U.S. professors were described by different international students as ‘laid-back,’ ‘helpful,’ ‘open,’ ‘tolerant’ (of scant clothing and sleeping in class), ‘casual,’ and ‘friendly,” (Nathan, 2005, pg. 78). Quote: “For other students, it was the interest in listening to student’s problems and opinions and in helping students that was refreshing,” (Nathan, 2005, pg. 78) Goal: I wanted to see if teachers could influence they way students learn or how well they do in a class through they way they interact. Maybe students are more motivated to do well if their teachers have the qualities described in these two quotes.

Methods I observed two college-level math classes. This allowed me to study how teachers interact with students in two different settings. I interviewed five college students, a high school student, and a high school math teacher. The interviews gave me different perspectives on how students learn, and I focused, in particular, on how they learn math.

FINDINGS CLUE Project

Findings: College Interviews Interview Question #1: In general, do you consider math classes to be difficult or relatively easy? Answer #1: Not too hard, but it's really easy to make stupid little mistakes. Answer #2: I've always liked them, but it depends on the teacher. The class is harder if the teacher isn't good. But once I get it, I get it. Answer #3: In the middle. I don't have too many problems. Answer #4: Depends on the class and the professor. The teacher always influences how well you do. Answer #5: Somewhere in between; it depends on the class.

Findings: College Interviews Interview Question #2: Do you depend on a calculator for math? Answer #1: Yes. Too much. It's easy to forget simple rules. Answer #2: In high school, yes. We were always taught to use a calculator. Since it's frowned upon in college, I can't use it as much. Answer #3: Yes, but only for the four basic functions (add, subtract, multiply, divide). Answer #4: Heavily. Sometimes I forget how to add. Answer #5: Yes. I can do the math otherwise, but yes.

Findings: College Interviews Interview Question #3: How do you best learn/study math? Answer #1: I'm a visual learner, so examples with pictures are great. I draw pictures for a lot of problems. Answer #2: Practice over and over. Sometimes, I rewrite notes. Answer #3: By practicing problems in class. I don't like homework problems because you can't get instant feedback. Answer #4: By listening or having visuals. I do practice problems. Answer #5: I'm a visual learner. Another thing was that in high school, I could do the work while I was in class, but once I got home, I got confused.

Findings: College Interviews Interview Question #4: Is it helpful to have homework to do after every math class? Answer #1: It's helpful once you understand how to do the problems. If you don't, it's frustrating. Answer #2: Yes, definitely. The more practice the better. It gives you more examples on the same material. Answer #3: It's necessary, and yes it helps. Answer #4: Yes, that way you can ask questions the next day. You can check to make sure you really understand the material. Answer #5: It is helpful; I just wish that there was time at the end of class to at least start your homework so you can ask questions.

Findings: High School Student Interview Question #1: Generally, do you consider math classes to be difficult or relatively easy? Easy. There’s always a definite answer, and I’ve always been good at it. Question #2: Do you depend on a calculator for math? I can do the basics, but I use one for higher level math, especially trigonometry. Question #3: How do you best learn/study math? Practice problems. Teachers shouldn’t ramble on about themselves or repeat the same thing all the time; it gets boring and is not as effective. Question #4: Is it helpful to have homework to do after every math class? Yes, especially if you are learning new material.

Findings: High School Teacher Interview Question #1: Why did you choose to become a teacher? I'm a people person, and I like the interaction I have as a teacher. Question #2: What classes do you teach? From Practical Algebra, which is the lowest level of math in high school, to Honors Pre-Calc, which is the highest math class for juniors. I also teach some senior classes, so I have a wide range of classes and students. Question #3: Do you think students depend too much on a calculator for math? Absolutely. As great as technology is, students should still learn the fundamentals of math. Unfortunately, students' fundamental skills are weaker than they were when I started teaching because technology is so readily available. Students even have calculators on their phones or watches. (thepartnership.us)

Question #4: How do you teach math? Students learn in all different ways, and you have to provide for each way. Some students see you do it, and they learn that way. Others like to do it themselves, so it's better to introduce it and give them opportunities to work on it in class while you monitor. Some students learn better from each other, so you give them time to work with another person or group in class. You can't do the same thing every day. The most effective teachers use a combination. Question #5: Do you assign homework every day? Does it help your students to have homework to do after every math class? Most days. I can't say every day. Absolutely. Practice makes permanent. Homework is about practicing the skills you learn in class. Sometimes all you need to give is five problems for them to practice it enough. When student ask why I give them homework, I ask them if they play an instrument or a sport. If they say yes, I ask them why do they practice if they already know how to play? Findings: High School Teacher Interview

Findings: Classroom Observations Calculus 2 Class The professor handed out work she had graded before the class got started. She made an announcement about the Gateway Exam for the next week. She began class by giving notes on the overhead projector. She would introduce a concept or theorem, and then give several examples for the class to do together. She made sure the material made sense before moving on to the next concept. She explained concepts by giving real world examples, which was helpful. The professor went over the material that would be on next week’s test, and several students asked questions. Since the test is scheduled outside of class time (due to the flood), she said she would work out another time for anyone who couldn’t make the test date. Then, there was a quick review session. Students asked questions about homework, how to do certain problems, and about how the test was set up. Not many students asked questions throughout the class.

Findings: Classroom Observation Discrete Math Class At the beginning of class, the professor handed out quizzes as well as a copy of the answer sheet for students to have. He asked if there were any questions on the quiz. Only one student had a question. Then, students were free to ask any homework questions. Several students had questions, and the professor showed how to do them on the whiteboard. Then he went into the notes, which he wrote on the whiteboard. He started with a concept, and then gave several examples. As he did the examples, he asked the students what he should do next in the problem to make sure they understood the concept. He asked if anyone had questions before he moved on. Few students asked any questions. He gave homework after he completed each section. (Kathleen Steinberg, 2011)

CONCLUSION CLUE Project

Conclusion A teacher’s attitude and teaching style can affect how well students do in the class. o 4 of the students I interviewed said that how well they do in the class depends on the teacher. The high school student said she is less motivated to do the work if the teacher rambles on about herself. o The high school teacher I interviewed said how the most effective teachers use a combination of teaching styles to help their students learn since each student learns differently. o This information suggests that students are more likely to take an interest in the class if the teacher is willing to take an interest in them or provide for their learning needs. * * The 3 IN’s

Conclusion Students learn in different ways, but many students find visuals and practice problems the best way to learn math. o 3 of the students I interviewed said they were visual learners and that pictures helped them with math problems. o 3 of the students I interviewed said that they learn concepts or study by doing practice problems. o In both of the classrooms I observed, the professors gave many examples in class for the students to work on. o This suggests that math is a subject in which students learn best by doing or seeing rather than listening. This is probably because math consists of a lot of processes or theorems that are then applied to math problems. Examples show students how to apply these theorems. * * The 3 IN’s

Works Cited Nathan, Rebekah. My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student. New York: Cornell University Press, Kathleen Steinberg, 2011