Action Research Study: Showing Your Work in Mathematical Problem Solving Linda Randall Azusa Pacific University: San

Diego Master of Arts in Educational Technology in Teaching and Learning EDUC 526 Joanne Gilbreath February 2014

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Abstract In this action research study of my 5th grade, I focus on how students organize their thoughts and show their work when solving mathematical story problems. Currently, more than half my students have been scoring below grade level. I am trying to figure out if organizing and writing down the process will increase the outcome of a solution. This is an ongoing research study that started in October and will last until the end of the school year. For this project, the study will last four months.

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EDUC 526 Growth Assessment Spring 2014

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Section 1 Introduction:

After entering several topic tests that showed below grade level, I was curious to know why my students were struggling. I reviewed tests and homework journals and made the connection that students were only showing partial or no problem solving skills. When students were asked about how they solved a particular problem, students would respond with I dont need to write it down, I did it in my head or I did that in my head and wrote this part down. This made me realize I needed to support my students when solving mathematical story problems. There were several areas of need that my students struggled with. Students were confused at how to approach the problem. Students were unclear with what was being asked. Students often mixed up the operation that needed to be performed in order to solve the problem correctly. Students didnt comprehend the relevant information especially in a multistep problem. And lastly, students seldom checked their answer for correctness or reasonableness. I am worried that my students in 5th grade will struggle in the years to follow if they dont fully understand how to take written language and translate it into mathematical language. My goal is to have them express math concepts on paper as a tool for communicating their thinking. I also want to be able to follow their train of thought in an organized way. Research Question: Will having my students show their work in an organized way increase the number of correct answers?

Section 2 Implementation I will give students a mathematical story problem as a baseline test I will review the vocabulary used in a story problem so students can understand what operation needs to be used when solving the problem To help students how to approach a story problem, I will give students a graphic organizer to manage their thoughts I will ask students to read the story problem independently I will read the story problem to the class EDUC 526 Growth Assessment Spring 2014 Page 3 February 2014

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I will ask students to partner talk about what the story is asking you to find, students will write this on their graphic organizer We will list what we know in the story problem, students will write this in their graphic organizer We will brainstorm ways to solve the problem (algorithm, bar diagram, chart, line graph, etc) We will try out our ways We will check our answer for correctness and reasonableness

Section 3 Results: There were 25 students in this study. The story problems were chosen at random and didnt focus on any one topic. In the graph below, an X means passing and an O means did not pass. The graphic organizer used had several criteria on it: What is the problem asking you to find? What information is relevant? Show your thinking? Write your thinking in words. Write a number sentence. Write your answer in a complete sentence and check your answer for reasonableness. This study focused on organization and how students show their work when solving a problem. At the beginning of this study (October), I gave a baseline assessment. Students were given a graphic organizer to manage their thoughts and show their work when solving a problem. The results showed what I expected. Students struggled with how to approach the problem, with comprehending the relevant information given, and what operation to use to solve the problem. We practiced one story problem everyday up (October to November) until assessment 1. Assessment 1 was a simple division problem. Students showed an incredible increase in score. Most students used either an algorithm or drew a bar graph to show their understanding (19 out 25 passed). Assessment 2 was a multi-step problem that required students to multiply two sets of numbers and then add them together. Students showed a drastic decline (9 out of 25 passed). Some work was attempted by adding and multiplying random numbers. There was a lot of confusion with this problem. Assessment 3 required students to provide three different answers. Students had to divide and use logical reasoning in Linda Randall Azusa Campus EDUC 526 Growth Assessment Spring 2014 Page 4 February 2014

order to subtract. There was a lot of confusion with this story problem also. Students did show increase (11 out of 25) from previous score but I think students still struggled with the multi-step problem and having to give more than one answer. Assessment 4 was a multiplication/division problem using fractions. There was an increase from previous assessment (18 out of 25).
Assessment 1 Students Baseline October Aaron Abby Aketazali Brevin Darren David Dj Emily Erika Evelin Kaitlyn Kayla Keanna Jazmime Jeffrey Jose Julian Justess Melody Paulina Raymond Ruben Torri Xavier Yamil O O X X O O O O O X X X X X O O O X O X O O O O O 9/25 November O X X X X X X O X X X X X X X O X X O X X X O O X 19/25 December O O X X X O O O X X O O X X O O X X O O O O O O O 9/25 January O X X X X O X O O O O X O X O O X X O O O X X O O 11/25 February X X X X X O O O X X X X X X O O X X O X X X X O X 18/25 Assessment 2 Assessment 3 Assessment 4

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This chart clearly shows that at the beginning of the study, students lacked understanding of story problems with a score of 36%. After 4 months of using the graphic organizer and showing their work, student understanding has increased to 72%. This is an ongoing study that will continue until the end of school year.

Sample Data Collected: The following students were picked at random. I chose a student who passed and a student who did not pass. Some samples show (assessment 1 Jose) that he did not understand the question. Same situation (assessment 2 Emily) where this student was writing down numbers but had no idea what to do with them.

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Section 4 Conclusions: This is an ongoing study and Im looking forward to the results at the end of the year. The main reason for solving story problems is to become better problem solvers. My students have come so far and have worked really hard in organizing their thoughts and showing their work. It was apparent that some students lacked the comprehension skills required to tackle a multi-step problem. Some students were challenged by the mathematical language used and having to translate them into operations and numbers. I will continue to read and reread story problems with my students on a daily basis. Problem solving requires much practice! I think results will be positive, we just have to keep reviewing word expression, language, and our showing work. There were several instances where students monitored their own learning by going back through their thinking they put on paper. These students received a passing score due to this. One drawback that I encountered was time management. Some students worked on one problem for an hour. These students have become my small group students when we work on story problems. I will continue to use the graphic organizer as a means to manage thought and show work. Section 5 General Comments: The action research study has been a great ongoing tool in my instruction. The baseline assessment helped measure how my students are solving story problems. Implementing my study has allowed me to identify where students are confused. It has shown me and my students where mistakes are being made and saves time from rethinking through the whole problem. The action research has also given my students insight to be thoughtful and aware of their own learning. It has given me the opportunity to improve my own practice, like, what skills do I need to refine to be more effective in teaching students.

Linda Randall Azusa Campus

EDUC 526 Growth Assessment Spring 2014

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