THE GREAT PLEBEIAN COLLEGE
ALAMINOS CITY, PANGASINAN
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
SP MATH 4 STRATEGIES IN TEACHING MATH
MODULE NO. 1
Intended Learning Outcomes:
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Identify weaknesses of students in learning mathematics.
Identify the essential strategies in teaching math.
Enhance classroom management using different teaching strategies.
Background of the topic:
WHY DO YOUR STUDENTS SAY THEY ARE BAD AT MATH?
The Short Answer: They’re scared.
I am terrified of skydiving; can I expect to ever be good at it? Of course – if you push through the fear and
practice, you can be good at most things. But “It is human nature for people to spend more time doing the things
they enjoy. People embrace things they are good at. If students “do not understand” mathematics, they will
lose confidence and avoid math whenever possible” (Piper).
This usually starts when students take their first math class. If they did not understand the way math was taught,
it causes them to do poorly and avoid it altogether. This avoidance can limit student confidence and competence
in math and their phobia gets renamed as “not being good at it.”
Why are students so negative about math?
Jumping to Conclusions
Many people jump to conclusions, but children jump to conclusions much faster. According to Michael Grose,
many children jump to conclusions when negative situations occur. This is expected of children because their
ability to self-evaluate and self-regulate at a young age isn’t very strong (Rice). If a student does poorly on a
math test, they jump to the conclusion: I am bad at math.
Math Anxiety
This attitude can develop “test anxiety” among students. “Research on test anxiety has shown…highly anxious
students are overly concerned with…possible failure” (Wigfield, Meece). This anxiety creates a lack of
confidence in students and it can be expanded to become a general “math anxiety.” Many elementary students
have trouble understanding traditional lessons and tests; this can cause depleted math confidence and
competence. Fear of poor performance in math can cause students to stay away from it all together and not
even attempt their math homework. “The negative emotional states can interfere with attentional and learning
processes so that test or task performance is impaired” (Wigfield et al). For many students with math anxiety,
“even the prospect of doing math…elicits a negative emotional response” (Ramirez et al).
What can teachers do to deflect this issue?
Help students take the focus away from themselves. If your students say, “I am bad at math,” when working on
a specific problem, say, “this problem is challenging.”
Encourage a growth mindset, avoid phrases like “I am bad at math” which can work as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
When you say you are bad at something, it can be challenging to be successful.
Since many young children are kinesthetic and/or visual learners incorporating movement-based learning can
help students jumpstart their math confident and abilities.
Develop multi-sensory teaching strategies that help anxious students and all learning types (kinesthetic, visual,
auditory).
It’s definitely easier to learn when you’re having fun.
Math & Movement keeps students excited about learning. Incorporating fun, movement-based activities can
increase the student understanding and achievement and decreases math avoidance. Take students away from
negative, unsuccessful feelings to a positive, successful, “I can do math!” confident approach to learning. It is
exciting to know there is a way to shift the paradigm and start hearing students say they are good at math!
Math & Movement works.
Math & Movement uses movement-based learning to boost students’ confidence and achievement. The bright
colors and large numbers and letters on mats and banners make learning math effective and enjoyable for
children, thus decreasing frustration levels. Adding the Math & Movement program to the existing curriculum
allows students to physically hop, walk, crawl, dance, or touch the patterns as they learn, using more learning
modalities (visual, auditory, motor and kinesthetic) when practicing.
We all want our learners to succeed in math. In most districts, standardized tests are the way understanding is
measured, yet nobody wants to teach to the test. Over-reliance on test materials and “drill and kill” worksheets
steals instructional time while also harming learning and motivation. But sound instruction and good test scores
aren’t mutually exclusive. Being intentional and using creative approaches to your instruction can get students
excited about math. These 15 essential strategies in teaching mathematics can make this your class’s best math
year ever.
15 Essential Strategies in Teaching Math
1. Raise the bar for all
As early as second grade, girls have internalized the idea that math is not for them. It can be a challenge to
overcome the socially acceptable thought I’m not good at math, says Sarah Bax, a math teacher at Hardy Middle
School in Washington, D.C. Rather than being born with or without math talent, kids need to hear from teachers
that anyone who works hard can succeed. “It’s about helping kids have a growth mindset,” says Bax. “Practice
and persistence make you good at math.” Build math equity and tell students about the power and importance
of math with enthusiasm and high expectations.
(Psst…you can snag our growth mindset posters for your math classroom here.)
2. Exorcise your own math demons.
Math anxiety isn’t relegated solely to students. Many teachers have negative attitudes toward math based on
their own school experiences. Children can pick up on that negativity. There are things you can do to prevent
transmitting any of your own math anxiety to your students. Avoid comforting and consoling when a student is
struggling and instead express confidence in their ability to solve the problem and suggest strategies for how
they might go about it.
3. Don’t wait—act now!
Look ahead to the specific concept students need to master for annual end-of-year tests and pace instruction
accordingly. Think about foundational skills they will need for future learning. “You don’t want to be caught off
guard come March thinking that students need to know X for the tests the next month,” says Skip Fennell,
project director of Elementary Mathematics Specialists and Teacher Leaders Project and professor emeritus at
McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Know the specific standards and back-map your teaching from the
fall so students are ready.
4. Create a testing pathway.
You may not even see the results of standardized tests until next school year, but you have to teach to it now.
Use formative assessments to ensure that students understand the concepts. What you learn can guide your
instruction and determine next steps, says Fennell. Testing is not something separate from your instruction. It
should be integrated into your planning. Instead of a quick exit question or card, give a five-minute quiz to
confirm students have mastered the math skill covered in the day’s lesson. A capable digital resource, designed
to monitor your students in real-time, can also be an invaluable tool, providing actionable data to inform your
instruction along the way.
5. Observe, modify, and reevaluate.
Sometimes we get stuck in a mindset of “a lesson a day” in order to get through the content, but we have to
have flexibly thought about pacing or kids will get left behind. Walk through your classroom as students work
on problems and observe the dynamics. Talk with students individually and include “hinge questions” in your
lessons plans to gauge understanding before continuing, suggests Fennell. In response, make decisions to go
faster or slower or put students in groups.
6. Connect math to other learning areas.
The more we show students how math is connected to the world around us, the more invested they become.
Read books with math connections. Talk about the ways math integrates with visual arts and music. These
conversations will help reinforce how mathematical thinking can help kids in all subject areas.
7. Personalize and offer choice.
When students are given the opportunity to choose how they learn and demonstrate their understanding of a
concept, their buy-in and motivation increase. It gives them the chance to understand how they learn best,
provides agency over their own learning, and allows for the space to practice different approaches to solving
math problems. Give students a variety of options, such as timed exercises, projects, or different materials, to
show that they’ve mastered foundational skills. As students show what they’ve learned, teachers can track
understanding, figure out where students need additional scaffolding or other assistance, and tailor lessons
accordingly.
8. Encourage math talk.
Communicating about math helps students process new learning and build on their thinking. Engage students
during conversations and have them describe why they solved a problem in a certain way. “My goal is to get
information about what students are thinking and use that to guide my instruction, as opposed to just telling
them information and asking them to parrot things back,” says Delise Andrews, who taught math (K–8) and is
now a 3–5 grade math coordinator in the Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska. Instead of seeking a specific
answer, Andrews wants to have deeper discussions to figure out what a student knows and understands. “True
learning happens a lot around talking and doing math—not just drilling,” she says.
9. Play math games.
Student engagement and participation can be a challenge, especially if you’re relying heavily on worksheets.
Games are an excellent way to make the learning more fun while simultaneously promoting strategic
mathematical thinking, computational fluency, and understanding of operations. Games also foster a homeschool connection when they’re sent home for extra practice.
10. Emphasize hands-on learning.
In math, there’s so much that’s abstract. Hands-on learning helps make the conceptual concrete. Consider
incorporating math manipulatives whenever possible. For example, you can use LEGO bricks to teach a variety
of math skill, including finding area and perimeter and understanding multiplication.
11. Seek to develop understanding.
Meaningful math education goes beyond memorizing formulas and procedures. Memorization does not foster
understanding. Set high goals, create space for exploration, and work with the students to develop a strong
foundation. “Treat the kids like mathematicians,” says Andrews. Present a broad topic, review various strategies
for solving a problem, and then elicit a formula or idea from the kids rather than starting with the formula. This
creates a stronger conceptual understanding and mental connections with the material for the student.
12. Choose meaningful tasks.
Kids get excited about math when they have to solve real-life problems. For instance, when teaching sixth
graders how to determine area, present tasks related to a house redesign, suggests Fennell. Provide them with
the dimensions of the walls and the size of the windows and have them determine how much space is left for
the wallpaper. Or ask them to consider how many tiles they would need to fill a deck.
13. Allow for productive struggle.
When giving students an authentic problem, ask a big question and let them struggle to figure out several ways
to solve it, suggests Andrews. “Your job, as a teacher, is to make it engaging by asking the right questions at the
right time. So you don’t take away their thinking, but you help them move forward to a solution,” she says.
Provide as little information as possible but enough so students can be productive. Effective math teaching
supports students as they grapple with mathematical ideas and relationships. Allow them to discover what
works and experience setbacks along the way as they adopt a growth mindset about mathematics.
14. Build excitement and reward progress.
Students—especially those who haven’t experienced success—can have negative attitudes about math.
Consider having students earn points and receive certificates, stickers, badges, or trophies as they progress.
Weekly announcements and assemblies that celebrate the top players and teams can be really inspiring for
students. “Having that recognition and moment is powerful,” says Bax. “Through repeated practice, they get
better, and they are motivated.”
15. Encourage teacher teamwork and reflection.
You can’t teach in a vacuum. Collaborate with other teachers to improve your math instruction skills. Start by
discussing the goal for the math lesson, what it will look like, and plan as a team to be most effective. “Together,
think through the tasks and possible student responses you might encounter,” says Andrews. Reflect on what
did and didn’t work to improve your practice.
20 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES
References:
https://www.weareteachers.com/strategies-in-teaching-mathematics/
https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/teaching-strategies/
https://mathandmovement.com/scared-of-math/
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/9789264265387en.pdf?expires=1597805977&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=8370457A975177E90323A3EF0633820D
I. Are you ready to become a teacher? Let’s see how you strategize! Design 10 math activities. It must be in
the form of group activity. (Note: Insert activities that involved active participation of the learners. Use
example below as your guide. Use separate sheet for your output).
Example Format:
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Name of the subject: Mathematics
Title of the lesson:
Materials for the activity (If there are any):
Objectives of the Activity:
Instructions (Step by step):
II. Many students are afraid of math, because they believe that it is a difficult subject. Suppose you are a
newly hired math teacher, how will you get the interest of your students?
Using a concept map, write your own strategies on how you will teach math so that your students will be more
active and participative in your class. (You may add smaller circles for your additional ideas).
HOW TO DEVELOP
MY STUDENTS’
INTEREST IN MATH?
III. Answer the following questions with minimum of 10 sentences. (Note: Don’t plagiarize! Don’t share your
answers. Be unique. Be original).
1. Are some mathematics teaching strategies more effective than others?
2. As a mathematics teacher, how important is the relationship I have with my students?
3. Can I help my students learn how to learn mathematics? How?
4. Do students’ backgrounds influence how they learn mathematics?
5. Should I teach my students mathematical concepts that they can apply in the real world?
6. Should I be concerned about my students’ attitudes towards mathematics?
THE GREAT PLEBEIAN COLLEGE
ALAMINOS CITY, PANGASINAN
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
MODULE NO. 1
Intended learning outcomes:
 Identify the five (5) measures of disposition.
 Solve and interpret the following:
A. Range
B. Quartile Deviation
C. Average Deviation
D. The Standard Deviation
E. Variance
Background of the study:
Statistics is a branch of mathematics that involves making sense of data. Data are quantities obtained
from some type of systematic observation. Presented as a list of numbers, data are difficult to comprehend. By
using statistical techniques, researchers work with data to organize, categorize, condense, summarize, describe,
illustrate, analyze, compare, synthesize, evaluate, and infer.
Whether you intend to employ qualitative methods or quantitative methods or mixed methods to
investigate the research questions for your dissertation, you will encounter statistics in several contexts. The
obvious application of statistics that you may encounter is the need to use statistics for data analysis in your
quantitative or mixed methods study. Perhaps you are not planning to employ quantitative methods - what is
the value of this course for qualitative researchers? If your study involves a group of participants, you may find
it helpful and informative to describe your participants' characteristics. To help your reader understand your
participants' context, you might also find it useful to describe the characteristics of the setting for your study.
These examples represent the producer role of using statistics.
Statistical techniques are used to organize and analyze data, where data are unambiguous
quantifications of observed phenomena (i.e., a regular way of assigning numbers to certain events or
characteristics). In addition to organizing and analyzing data, statistical techniques include methods for
illustrating the results of the statistical analysis. The prime example of this use of statistics involves the creation
of graphical displays of information using charts and graphs. Not only as a picture worth a thousand words, it's
worth even more numbers. Through these analyses and graphics, trends and other patterns may emerge that
help researchers and others understand and explain phenomena in nature.