To Engage or Not Engage - How is the Question!
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To Engage or Not Engage: How is the question! Pamela Anne Hagen [email protected] STEM – UBC July 2014
Transcript of To Engage or Not Engage - How is the Question!
Claims and a Question
That what is presented for mathematics is as applicable to
any STEM subject (or indeed any curriculum).
That too many students are ”lost” from STEM subjects
before they truly get to know the subject.
? Imagine, what would happen if students got a strong
grounding in STEM subjects to in the early years of their formal learning?
With thanks to Dr. Stephen Petrina, Mark Sanders and Ken Volk
G12
G9
G6
G3
Kindergarten
Upward “movement” in K – G12 STEM Education
Argument for the Study - General
Widely held beliefs Importance of mathematics
Many students do not like Significance of mathematics mathematics, therefore to society. Becoming difficulties getting students numerate is important to engaged. functioning in society. (Nardi & Steward 2003) (Pickover, 2009; du Satoy, 2010)
Narrow understanding Large part of elementary of what constitutes curriculum. mathematics. (BC Min. of Education, 2007)
Argument for the Study – Mathematics EducationWhat is known
Much is known within mathematics education aboutaffect.- Affect is a vital part of student
engagement with math.(Mcleod 1992, 1994; Hannula 2002, 2006; Malmivuori 2001, 2006).
Negative attitudes toward math increase over time. (Boaler & Greeno, 2000; Nardi & Steward 2003; National Survey of Student Engagement 2007)
A lot about engagement with mathematics is found from studies of disengagement from mathematics.
- Downward trend appears to start between G3 and G6. (Boaler 2000; EQAU 2010; Mullis, Martin & Foy, 2008)
Research Question What does the use of the theory of Imaginative Education (IE) and Imaginative Lesson Planning Frameworks (ILPF’s) mean to children and for their engagement in elementary mathematics?
Imaginative EducationImaginative Education (Egan 1997, 2005) is based on five increasingly sophisticated kinds of understanding that enable people to make sense of the world in different ways. Somatic Understanding – Pre-linguistic Mythic Understanding – Oral language Romantic Understanding – Written language Philosophic Understanding – Theoretic use of language Ironic Understanding – Reflexive use of language
Imagination To think of things as possibly being so, intentional act of mind source of invention, novelty and generativity. A capacity that greatly enriches rational thinking. (Egan 1992)
Emotions
“Emotions persist and develop as the most basic orientors and organizers of our cognition throughout our lives.” (Egan 2008, p.46)
Mythic Understanding
Romantic Understanding
Story Sense of realityMetaphor Extremes & limits of
realityBinary opposites Association with heroesRhyme, metre & pattern WonderJoking & humour Humanizing of meaningForming of images Collections and hobbiesSense of mystery Revolt and idealismGames, drama, & play Context change & role
play
IE Cognitive Tools
Thinking tools/mental devices that children use for making sense of the world and acting more effectively in that world. (Egan, 1997, 2005)
Research MethodsQualitative Instrumental Case Study – Bounded by the number of students and a particular unit of curriculum.
Purposeful representative sample of six G4/5 students of both genders from the two grade levels.
Unit was G4/5 Shape and SpaceThe unit was framed using binary opposites (Mythic) of Vision and Blindness from IE theory.
Guiding question for the UnitHow does a blind person learn about shape and space?
Research Methods (continued)
Teacher/Researcher roleDuring research design and in analysis I was the researcher, but during the research period I had the role of the teacher
Research ContextG4/5 classroom in a lower mainland elementary school.
Critical FriendProvided a point of critical reflection and regular observations of students.
Research Context
Research Methods (continued)
Unit of study had 15 designed lessons with first four lessons focused towards unit introduction.
Four activities selected for detailed coding and analysis
1) Vision Walk - First activity
2) Angle Activities
3) Design a Tessellation
4) Concluding activity - Design a quilt that would help a blind person learn about mathematics.
Research Methods (continued)Data Collection Student Data – Semi-structured individual interviews
Semi-structured group interview Mathematics journals & activity
pagesTeacher Data – Research Diary
Detailed unit overview plan & ILPF Critical Friend observations and
reflections
Research Methods (continued)
Data Analysis Transcription of interviews - Audio and DVD - three times Participatory affective engagement (PAE) descriptors Cognitive tools – Coding for occurrence in data Interrater - Coded a portion of the data. Forty six units identified in sample with 95.6% agreement. Emergent theme analysis
Findings Participatory affective engagement descriptors. Evidence of engagement.1) Active positive engagement Freddie, Grace and Jason 2) Passive positive engagement Courtney, Kee3) Passive negative engagement4) Active negative engagement
Findings
Emergent Themes
Courtney Kee Freddie Grace Jason
Making connections
Developing self-confidence
Cultivating mathawareness
Demonstrating a sense of wonder
Drawing on emotions
Drawing on imagination
Findings – Student Comments
Courtney - Theme Emotions – Interview
“I felt connected with this sort of math; like I was saying earlier, you can bring emotions and feelings and your description of math and stuff.”
Freddie - Theme Wonder – Math Journal
“But can you amagine just close your eyes and try to walk around somewhere, try to amagine [sic] that you are like Helen Keller, can’t see, can’t hear, can’t talk. So I felt like wow! How can she survive but what if you can’t hear or talk?
Grace Courtney
Conclusions
Children expanded their mathematical awareness through making connections. Historical, families and individuals, and personally relevant topics such as astronomy, optical illusions, environment.
Children developed self-confidence from using emotions and imagination. Individual ways they could address the content and express their solutions (non-mathematical features of mathematical experiences).
Children used cognitive tools to engage with mathematics. Cognitive tools resonated with ways in which children come to know the world, especially wonder.
Recommendations for STEM
1) Listening to what the students have to say about their learning provides insight into their engagement (with mathematics).
2) Inclusion and expansion of students’ perspectives in classroom practice (including their “voice”), allows students to demonstrate greater conceptual understanding and learning in a variety of ways.
3) Implementation of IE (affect and imagination) infused learning can engage students in STEM subjects
G12
G9
G6
G3
Kindergarten
Upward “movement” in K – G12 STEM Education
Upward “movement” in K – G12 STEM Education – The Future?!!
G12
G9
G6
G3
Kindergarten
G12
G9
G6
G3
Kindergarten
“By enquiring into children’s experience we will come to know more about how they interpret and negotiate
their worlds” Greene & Hogan (2005)
“Assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters
affecting the child…The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds.”
(UNCRC 1989)
