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Using journal writing and oral presentation as alternative assessment strategies in mathematics instruction : an empirical study in Singapore secondary schools
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Type
Thesis
Author
Yeo, Shu Mei
Supervisor
Fan, Lianghuo
Abstract
This study is intended to investigate the effects of using journal writing and oral presentation tasks as new assessment strategies as well as instructional strategies in mathematics teaching and learning in two Singapore secondary schools. More specifically, the two research questions are : (1) What are the effects of using journal writing tasks on students' learning in both cognitive and affective domains? (2) What are the effects of using oral presentation tasks on students' learning in both cognitive and affective domains? The study also discusses how journal writing and oral presentation can be effectively integrated in mathematics classrooms and hence hopes to make contributions to the improvement of the quality of mathematics teaching and learning.
In the present study, assessment is defined as "a process in which teacher uses to obtain information about students' learning including their knowledge, understanding, abilities, as well as their behaviors and attitudes towards learning and teaching, thereby drawing the information obtained to support instructional procedures and make decisions for better teaching and learning". Journal writing and oral presentation were adopted as two new assessment as well as instructional strategies in mathematics learning in this study.
A conceptual framework was also established for the types of journal writing and oral presentation tasks that can be used so as to support teaching and allow opportunity for learning in daily mathematics classrooms. Four classifications of journal writing task types were established. The journal writing tasks are classified as tasks that emphasize content and concepts, processes and strategies, self-reflection, and affective domain. The classification for oral presentation tasks is also similar to that of journal writing tasks which cover content mathematics, process or strategy of solving mathematics, and self-reflection on one's learning.
The study has employed an intervention-designed method as the main research method. Data collected from the questionnaire surveys, the marks allocated for all students' achievement in the pre- and post- 'journal writing task" tests, students' three school-based mathematics achievement tests scores, and students' PSLE mathematics grade were analyzed by using appropriate statistical tests, while data collected from the classroom observation and interviews were analyzed by using qualitative method. Classroom observation and interview data were also examined to provide useful suggestions to improve the quality of mathematics teaching.
The overall effects of integrating journal writing and oral presentation on students' learning of mathematics in both cognitive and affective domains were quite positive. This study also revealed that journal writing and oral presentation had positive influences on students' mathematics learning as measured by students' school-based mathematics test results as well as the pre- and post- "journal writing task" tests. Generally, students agreed that doing journal writing and oral presentation "helps me to learn mathematics", "helps me to be more aware of my understanding of mathematics", and "makes me think broader and deeper about mathematics".
The teachers who participated in the study generally agreed that journal writing and oral presentation could be used as assessment tasks as well as instructional activity tasks for learning and teaching of mathematics. The study also revealed the challenges and difficulties that the teachers faced and the suggestions for effectively integrating journal writing and oral presentation tasks were given.
The documentation of the events and happenings in classrooms had allowed the study to establish useful frameworks in relation to how oral presentation tasks can be carried out meaningfully and successfully. It was revealed that successfully integration of these relatively new tasks in mathematics classrooms would require teachers to approach it in a gradual and systematic way. Although these tasks were relatively new to teachers at the beginning of the study, they were able to use the tasks quite efficiently after some practices. Moreover, students were also quite adaptable to the use of the new tasks in their learning.
Finally, the study also provides some recommendations for further research in the use of journal writing and oral presentation tasks.
In the present study, assessment is defined as "a process in which teacher uses to obtain information about students' learning including their knowledge, understanding, abilities, as well as their behaviors and attitudes towards learning and teaching, thereby drawing the information obtained to support instructional procedures and make decisions for better teaching and learning". Journal writing and oral presentation were adopted as two new assessment as well as instructional strategies in mathematics learning in this study.
A conceptual framework was also established for the types of journal writing and oral presentation tasks that can be used so as to support teaching and allow opportunity for learning in daily mathematics classrooms. Four classifications of journal writing task types were established. The journal writing tasks are classified as tasks that emphasize content and concepts, processes and strategies, self-reflection, and affective domain. The classification for oral presentation tasks is also similar to that of journal writing tasks which cover content mathematics, process or strategy of solving mathematics, and self-reflection on one's learning.
The study has employed an intervention-designed method as the main research method. Data collected from the questionnaire surveys, the marks allocated for all students' achievement in the pre- and post- 'journal writing task" tests, students' three school-based mathematics achievement tests scores, and students' PSLE mathematics grade were analyzed by using appropriate statistical tests, while data collected from the classroom observation and interviews were analyzed by using qualitative method. Classroom observation and interview data were also examined to provide useful suggestions to improve the quality of mathematics teaching.
The overall effects of integrating journal writing and oral presentation on students' learning of mathematics in both cognitive and affective domains were quite positive. This study also revealed that journal writing and oral presentation had positive influences on students' mathematics learning as measured by students' school-based mathematics test results as well as the pre- and post- "journal writing task" tests. Generally, students agreed that doing journal writing and oral presentation "helps me to learn mathematics", "helps me to be more aware of my understanding of mathematics", and "makes me think broader and deeper about mathematics".
The teachers who participated in the study generally agreed that journal writing and oral presentation could be used as assessment tasks as well as instructional activity tasks for learning and teaching of mathematics. The study also revealed the challenges and difficulties that the teachers faced and the suggestions for effectively integrating journal writing and oral presentation tasks were given.
The documentation of the events and happenings in classrooms had allowed the study to establish useful frameworks in relation to how oral presentation tasks can be carried out meaningfully and successfully. It was revealed that successfully integration of these relatively new tasks in mathematics classrooms would require teachers to approach it in a gradual and systematic way. Although these tasks were relatively new to teachers at the beginning of the study, they were able to use the tasks quite efficiently after some practices. Moreover, students were also quite adaptable to the use of the new tasks in their learning.
Finally, the study also provides some recommendations for further research in the use of journal writing and oral presentation tasks.
Date Issued
2008
Call Number
QA14.S55 Yeo
Date Submitted
2008