Presented by: Mo Pak Melinda Ramos

What is traditional teaching? A traditional, or behaviorist, approach to teaching has been described as one in which computation is the driving mathematical force. Students often do not understand many concepts or why procedures work, but they only focus on how to perform mathematical computations

Traditional is Obsolete “The system of traditional education can be a threat that inhibits higher levels of learning.” (Renate Nummela Caine, Prof of Edu at California State University) When computation is emphasized in a mathematics classroom, students turn away from it because it causes math anxiety in many of them. (Keith Devlin, Prof of Math at St. Mary’s College of California)

A Call For Reform Many researchers & educators, including the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) have called for a move away from the traditional methods of teaching. We need to throw out the “mathematics-as- computation” driven curriculum & replace it with one in which students obtain a good understanding of mathematical concepts & are able to think through problems.

Constructivist Model Students are actively engaged in learning. They create, interpret, & reorganize knowledge in their own ways. Student centered In this classroom, there never ceases to exist questioning & analysis, & both students & teachers constantly seek to discover answers to their questions, resulting in students & teachers learning together.

What’s Necessary For Change Teach teachers math in the reformed method, so they become familiar with it Give teachers better understanding of math concepts Teachers must believe in the reformed method of teaching math

Reform at UTEP Math & Education Prof at UTEP are trying to implement some aspects of this constructivist teaching, in particular, Team Teaching

Team Teaching Method

Purpose of Team Teaching Majority of pre-service teachers come into math courses with low self-esteem, negative attitudes, & the fear of the subject This results in low confidence in their ability to do math The fear & low self esteem they have towards math negatively affects their abilities to learn & think mathematically

Goals of Team Teaching Enhance pre-service teachers’ math knowledge by making positive changes on students’ attitude towards & perception of math Positive attitudes towards math will result in an increase in motivation & confidence to learn & think mathematically Pre-service teachers with enhanced content knowledge & higher confidence will portray this in their future classrooms, resulting in a positive attitude in math in their students, which may increase the # of students majoring in math

Purpose of Our Research Investigate the effects of a team-teaching approach on pre- service teachers’ perception of math & their performance in math. The study involves answering the following questions: 1. What kinds of changes does a team-teaching approach to learning math have on students’ (pre-service teachers) perception of math? 2. If there are changes in students’ perception of math, do these changes reflect on students’ ability to think mathematically? 3. Which aspects of team-teaching are affecting students’ perception of math?

Subjects Pre-Service teachers – education majors at UTEP in their last year or coursework enrolled in math & education courses under a team-teaching approach

Methods Examining students’ coursework as well as surveys, tests, & video clips of the classroom So far we have just analyzed surveys (given at the beginning & end of the semester) that reflect students’ opinions of math These surveys have helped us examine whether or not students’ thinking has changed throughout the year

Sample Surveys Insert Surveys

Organizing/Analyzing Data (See Excel Sheets – How we organize the data)