An Investigation Into The Implementation of Warm Ups And Their Role In Classroom

Management and Student Engagement

By: Monica Rosendahl

Grand Valley State University

03/25/18
 The events that occur in the first few minutes at the start of class can set the tone for

how the rest of the hour will progress. Having a set procedure in place that is consistently

implemented at the beginning of the hour can get students settled and ready for instruction. One

strategy that can encourage students’ focus are warm up problems. Warm ups can help

students get their minds focused on a topic or problem they have been learning or will be

learning in class. In order for warm ups to have this effect, students need to be actively thinking

and participating. Simply writing down the warm up problem, an answer, and then moving on to

the next activity will not sufficiently activate the students’ minds, in most cases. There needs to

be a balance between using warm ups for classroom management and using them to prepare

students for the upcoming lesson.

Background Information

Prior to the implementation of the action research plan, when the bell rang, there was a

warm up question displayed in the front of the room that the students were tasked with

completing. Using a specific warm up sheet, the students were required to record the day’s

date, the question, and their answer. After a few minutes, the teacher would ask for feedback

which was usually met with little to no voluntary responses. Very little student engagement

occurred and students were not more prepared for the remainder of the hour. Using these

observations, the goal of this action research plan was to figure out if different styles of warm-

ups increased student engagement and feedback.

Literature Review

The use of warm ups to begin class serves many different purposes. They serve as a

means to eliminate down time and transitions at the start of class and can help prepare

student’s mind for the lessons ahead. Incorporating pair and group collaboration during warm

ups can benefit the students in terms of their ability to solve the problems.
 To maximize the time at the beginning of class, tasking students with a warm up problem

to solve allows time for the teacher to perform administrative tasks, prepare the day’s lesson,

and to answer any questions individual students might have (Romano, 2011). Warm up

activities can discourage misbehavior and help to eliminate wasted time while the teacher takes

care of attendance and catching up students who have been absent. “The class time when the

student is not on the task should be decreased by leading him to be active, so there will not be

time for him to cause inappropriate behaviours” (Saban, 2008). Warm ups can be used to help

students refocus their attention on the material at hand after they have entered the classroom

(Velandia, 2008).

Providing students with warm up problems can also prepare them for the lesson ahead,

as well as, encourage them to retain information that they learned previously. “The continuous

reinforcement of prior material helped students retain key concepts and ready their minds for

the new day's lesson” (Romano, 2011).

Allowing pair or group collaboration during warm ups can produce further benefits.

According to Dobao, when students are able to work together on a tasks, they can use each

other strengths and weakness to scaffold each others learning processes and, in the end,

demonstrate a level of performance that exceeds individual performance.

Data Collection

The action research plan was conducted in three 9th grade biology classes of varying

enrollment numbers. These classes take place at 7:45 am, 9:59am, and 1:42 pm. The first hour

class had 24 students, the third hour class had 12 students, and the 6th hour class had 28

students. The classroom is set up so that the students desks are in rows facing the front of the

room where the instructor is situated.

The research took place over the course of 3 weeks and, each week, a different style of

warm-up was performed. The first week was partner warm-ups, the second week, the warm-up
style was switched back to individual, and the third week, students worked in groups of 3 on the

warm-up problems. For partner warm ups, partners were assigned so that students did not have

to move seats but simply turn to face their partner. Groups were selected by assigning students

numbers to make groups of 3 to 4 students. That way the selection is randomized, however, this

involved students moving around the classroom.

In terms of the warm up problems, they were all kept at the same level of complexity

throughout the 3 weeks of research. An example of a problem used in the research was, “List

the possible allele combinations for the following parental genotypes: GGbb, KkJj, EERR,

Wwtt.” Students were given about 6-8 minutes to complete the problems before going over them

as a class. When going over the problems, the teacher asked for student volunteers first and, if

no one volunteered, students were either called on or names were drawn out of a cup with

popsicles sticks.

At the end of each day for three weeks, notes on observations made by the teacher

during each hour were taken concerning student engagement during the warm up and on

student feedback in terms the amount and the accuracy.

In addition to teacher observations, at the end of each week, the warm up sheets were

collected and graded for completion and accuracy. A class average was calculated for each

hour for each week. A completed warm up included the date, the question, and an answer,

worth ¼ of a point, ¼ of a point, and 1 point respectively. To account for accuracy, and extra

point was given to students who had correct answers. Each week, students could earn up to 15

points on their warm ups.

At the end of the three weeks, a warm up survey was given out to every student (master

copy attached). This served to collect the student’s opinions on each type of warm up.
Analysis

Partner Warm Ups- Week 1

In terms of student engagement, each class had some level of student-student

engagement during the warm ups. First and third hour students did well with having productive

conversations with their partners and they did not need to be coaxed to do so. 6th hour students

did well with engaging with their partner and solving the warm up problem, however, the

productive discussion turned to socializing after about 1 minute. Although the 1st and 6th hour

classes were roughly the same size, 1st hour was much less social than 6th so perhaps the

time of the school day played a role in the amount and kind of engagement that was occuring.

When it came to giving feedback by answering the warm up problem, there were

volunteers here and there in every class but nothing notable. It was after a student pair was

called on by the teacher that the other students began volunteering.

Individual Warm Ups- Week 2

Both 1st hour and 3rd hour students were productive while working on their own during

individual warm ups. Again, because 1st hour is early in the day, time of day could be playing a

factor in the level of engagement. The 3rd hour class is small so the students are less likely to

try to talk with someone near them. It was more difficult getting the 6th hour class to do warm

ups individually. Students were constantly conversing with their neighbors or getting up to go to

the bathroom and the like.

Throughout the week, 1st hour had the lowest amount of student feedback for individual

warm ups. In the 3rd and 6th hour classes, multiple students volunteered almost every day of

the week. Whether the answers were given voluntarily or not, the answers given by each class

were accurate.
Group Warm Ups- Week 3

The 6th hour class only did one day of group warm ups. Putting the students into groups

was a challenge because students were having a hard time focusing on that task alone. To

avoid further wasted time at the beginning of the hour, individual warm ups were done for the

remainder of the week for the 6th hour class. In the 1st hour class, the students were reluctant

to get into groups everyday but, after a minute or two, most students were talking with their

group members. 3rd hour most students were quick to get into groups and were mostly

enthusiastic about doing so. There was one group that engaged very little throughout the week.

The amount of feedback increased day to day in the first hour class. On day 1, no

students volunteered but, by day 5, at least one student from each group of students

volunteered to give their answers. In the 3rd hour class, there were multiple student volunteers

each day of group warm ups. The answers given by the students in both classes were accurate.

Scores on Warm ups

Each week, the students could score up to 15 points on their warm ups. The average

class warm up scores for the 1st hour class were 13.7 for partner warm up, 13.7 for individual,

and 12.5 for group warm ups. Averages for the 3rd hour class were 10.9 for partner warm ups,

11.9 for individual warm ups, and 10.8 for the group warm ups. Finally, for the 6th hour class,

the average class score on partner warms up was 12.9 and 13 on individual warm ups (See

Figure 1 below). No average was calculated for group warm ups in 6th hour.
Figure 1

Figure 2
Figure 3

Figure 4-1
Figure 4-2

Figure 4-3
Survey Results

Out of the many questions on the survey, just a few were looked at in depth. When

students were asked “Do you like having a warm up” most students said “yes” (see Figure 2

above). The most students that replied “no” were 3 students from 3rd and 6th hour classes.

When asked about the preferred style of warm up, answers varied from class to class. In 1st

hour, the majority preferred group warm ups while, in 3rd hour, most of the class preferred

partner warm ups. The students in the 6th hour class were split between individual and group

warm ups (see Figure 3 above).

Another question on the survey asked the students to determine if each style of warm up

made the feel prepared for the rest of class. They had five response options; strongly agree,

agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree. In Figures 4-1, 4-2, and 4-3 above, answers for

strongly agree and agree were combined, as well as, strongly disagree and disagree. For

individual warm ups, a slight majority of 1st hour students responded in agreement that the

warm ups made them feel more prepared while in the 6th hour class, most students disagreed

(see Figure 4-1 above). When it came to partner warm ups, the majority of the 1st and 3rd hour

classes were neutral in terms of preparedness and the 6th hour class had a split majority

between agreement towards preparedness and being neutral (see Figure 4-2 above). For group

warm ups, only 1st and 3rd hours were surveyed on whether group warm ups helped with

preparedness. The majority of students in 1st hour were neutral while the majority in the 3rd

hour class did not believe the group warm ups made them feel prepared for class.

Action Plan

Based on the findings from this action research, some adjustments were made to the

warm ups to factor in class size and time of day. To encourage the 1st and 3rd hour students to

collaborate with their classmates, after trying warm up problems on their own, students were
given time to talk to those around them and compare answers before giving feedback. In the 6th

hour class at the end of the day, warm ups were done individually in order to get students

focused for class. Ideally, allowing some student-student collaboration was the goal because

the answers students gave after talking with peers were typically more accurate.

To maintain student engagement during warm ups, the type of problems presented to the

students were changed up a couple times a week. This helped peak student interest and helped

to combat complacency during warm up time.

Future Suggestions and Review

If further research is done, there are many factors that can be considered. The first one

would be to try a variety of warm up problems rather than doing similar problems day after day.

This could mean adding short readings, videos, and the like which could keep students

interested in the problem posed and help students think in different ways. Another

consideration would to be more precise in the type of problems given rather than basing the

problems on complexity. Doing so would add another level of control to the warm up process

and highlight student-student engagement. A further suggestion would be to increase the

complexity of the warm up problems as the level of student-student engagement increases.

Ideally, students should be supporting each other and able to complete a problem together that

they weren’t able to alone. A final suggestion would be to match warm up styles and problems

to meet the needs of each class. For example, in smaller classes, more interactive warm ups

can be implemented because the class size is easier to manage and the amount of student-

student engagement can be maximized. Or, in classes earlier in the day there can be a mix of

individual and group warm ups.

Overall, the different types of warm up styles did affect the amount of student feedback

and engagement. Allowing student-student engagement at some point in the warm up process

increased the accuracy in the answers received and the involvement in giving feedback. Warm
ups serve as an effective way to get class started and help get students focused if they are

designed in a way that most benefits the students and their level of engagement. Not every

class will benefit in the same way when doing similar warm ups so tailoring the warm up style to

each unique class is a great way to maximize student engagement, feedback, and help with

classroom management.
References

Dobao, A. F. (2012). Collaborative writing tasks in the L2 classroom: Comparing group, pair,
and individual work. Journal of Second Language Writing, 21(1), 40-58.

Romano, M. (Nov. 2011). The beauty of bellringers. The Science Teacher, 78(8), 14.

Saban, A. I. (2009). Management of teaching and class control. Procedia - Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 1(1),

Velandia, Rosalba. (2008). The Role of Warming Up Activities in Adolescent Students'

Involvement during the English Class. Profile Issues in Teachers` Professional Development,
(10), 9-26.
 Warm-up Survey

Circle the answer that best applies to you

1. Which style of warm up you liked best and briefly explain why you chose that style.
a. Individual warm up
b. Group warm up
c. Partner warm up

Explanation:

2. Which style of warm up you liked the least and briefly explain why you chose that style.
a. Individual warm up
b. Group warm up
c. Partner warm up

Explanation:

3. Which of the following is true about you.

a. I prefer working alone
b. I prefer working with one of my classmates
c. I prefer working in a group

4. Do you like having a warm up to start the day?

a. Yes
b. No (If not, explain why and add any suggestions you might have)

Circle a number for each question that best fits how you feel concerning the individual warm
ups. 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

Working individually helps

me focus on the warm up 5 4 3 2 1
 I feel that my answers to the
warm up are more accurate 5 4 3 2 1

I believe I get the warm ups

done in less time 5 4 3 2 1

Individual warm up make

me feel prepared for rest of 5 4 3 2 1
class

Individual warm ups

prepared me to answer the 5 4 3 2 1
warm up question

I felt more willing to

volunteer to give my answer
to the warm up question 5 4 3 2 1
after working individually

I did each warm up

completely 5 4 3 2 1
(date/question/answer)

Comments about individual warm ups:

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Circle a number for each question that best fits how you feel concerning the partner warm ups.
1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

Working with a partner

helped me focus on the 5 4 3 2 1
warm up

I feel that my answers to the

warm up are more accurate 5 4 3 2 1
 I believe I get the warm ups
done in less time when I 5 4 3 2 1
have a partner

Partner warm ups make me

feel prepared for rest of 5 4 3 2 1
class

Partner warm ups prepared

me to answer the warm up 5 4 3 2 1
question

I felt more willing to

volunteer to give my answer
to the warm up question 5 4 3 2 1
after working with a partner

I felt comfortable giving my

opinion when working with a 5 4 3 2 1
partner

I felt I could rely on my

partner to help with on 5 4 3 2 1
questions I wasn’t sure
about

I did each warm up

completely 5 4 3 2 1
(date/question/answer)

Comments about Partner warm ups:

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Circle a number for each question that best fits how you feel concerning the group warm ups.
1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
Working with a group helped
me focus on the warm up 5 4 3 2 1

I feel that my answers to the

warm up are more accurate 5 4 3 2 1

I believe I get the warm ups

done in less time when I 5 4 3 2 1
have a group to work with

Group warm ups make me

feel prepared for rest of 5 4 3 2 1
class

Group warm ups prepared

me to answer the warm up 5 4 3 2 1
question

I felt more willing to…

volunteer to give my answer
to the warm up question 5 4 3 2 1
after working with a group

I felt comfortable giving my

opinion when working with a 5 4 3 2 1
group

I felt I could rely on my

group to help with on 5 4 3 2 1
questions I wasn’t sure
about

I did each warm up

completely 5 4 3 2 1
(date/question/answer)

Any other comments you might have concerning each type of warm up or just comments about
warm ups in general:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________