ADD / ADHD in the Classroom: What Are the
Best Ways to Impart and Assess Math Skills?
Maria LaCava
Action Research Project
Brooklyn College
CBSE 7202T
Fall 2013
Table of Contents:
• Abstract
• Statement of the Problem
• Review of Related Literature
• Statement of the Hypothesis
• Methods: Participants, Instruments, Experimental Design,
Procedure
• Threats to Internal Validity
• Threats to External Validity
• Data Analysis: Student Pre & Post Test Results
• Data Analysis: Student Survey Results
• Discussion and Implications
• References
Statement of the Problem:
• Adhd and ADD, are on the rise due to genetics, and our use of technology. Adhd /
ADD is often prescribed to students across all social and racial fronts but, it’s often
prescribed, yet untreated in black, and latino demographics. The purpose of this
research concerns implementing techniques to best serve students with ADHD and
ADD in the urban classroom with regards to mathematics. This action research aims
to show that students respond better to shorter, task-based assignments and
activities rather than longer, more involved testing / assignments. This research
aims to show that students that struggle with ADD / ADHD and math respond better
to short tests in assessment of their skills. This research consists of a survey,
pretest, experiment, and post-test to document the efficacy of this research.
According to the testing, there is a positive correlation in test scores when students
take a battery of 5 question tests rather than a longer cumulative test consisting of 15
questions. Students scored significantly better on three sets of 5 question tests than
they did on three of 10 question tests, and students scored significantly lower when
they took a cumulative, 15 question test. This experiment is designed for use in a
very urban, poor, lower middle class demographic.
Related Literature Review
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become one of the most
widely studied childhood psychiatric disorders as its prevalence has
increased over the past two decades.
- Froelich et al., 2007; Olfson, Gameroff, Marcus, & Jensen, 2003
Children with ADHD “often” do not follow thru on instructions and fail to
finish activities, have difficulty organizing tasks and activities...”
- Langberg, J., Epstein, J. N., Becker, S. P., Vaughn, A. J., & Grillo-Herrera, E.
(2012). Predictors of
Response and Mechanisms of Change in
Organizational Skills Intervention for Students with ADHD. Journal of
Child & Family Studies, 22, 1000-1012.
Statement of the Hypothesis
Students with ADHD will be able to complete a series of short
tests opposed to a long, cumulative test. Giving students with
ADHD a multitude of shorter tests will aid in their ability to
complete the tests, and proves to be a better form of
assessment for students struggling to complete their work and
stay on task.
METHOD
Participants:
10 fifth grade students and
1 teacher at an urban
afterschool program in
Brooklyn, New York
Instruments:
 Pre-survey
 Post-survey
 Pre-test
 Post-test
 Consent form
Research Design:
Quasi-Experimental Design
OXO
A single group is pre-tested (O), exposed to a
series of tests (X) and post-tested (O) over a
period of six weeks.
10 - 5TH grade students were given:
• Consent form
• Pre-survey
• Pre-test
• Treatment
• Post-survey
Procedure:
 Survey, and pre-test
 Treatment: 3 rounds of 5 question tests, 3 rounds of 10 question tests, and a final
15 question test
 Students completed a post-survey
Internal threats to validity
• History: The experiment and research takes place over a course of six weeks and certain
threats due to the weather, fire drills, or natural disasters could occur and affect the students’
ability to complete the surveys and treatment.
• Maturation: Students could mature of the course of the experiment or receive tutoring over
the course of the experiment which would likely make their scores increase.
• Testing / pre-test sensitization: Students might not answer truthfully on their surveys for
fear of being judged, or because they are unaware of their own struggles with attention and
math. Students might become familiar with the material, and this might greatly affect their later
scores.
• Mortality: A student could be absent or out of the classroom on one of the treatment days.
Weather and time of the year could also affect students’ presence in the classroom.
• Statistical Regression: There is a great chance that this could occur since there are a battery
of tests and a number of factors could cause outliers in the scores.
• Selection / Maturation: There is a possibility that some students might have had an ADHD
diagnosis while other students have tell-tale signs but no formal diagnosis. There is also a
chance that many of the students with or without ADHD have received tutoring or outside help
that affects their scores over the period of six weeks.
External threats to validity
• Generalizable Conditions: This experiment could be conducted in a similar
setting.
• Multiple Treatment: Student could be getting outside help for math, or getting
treatment for ADHD which could affect their surveys, or scores.
• Hawthorne Effect: The Hawthorne Effect is essentially when an individual’s
behaviors is changed because they know that they are being studied. Students will
be pre and post-tested but may not change individual behaviors because they are
used to pre and post assessments.
• Compensatory Rivalry Effect: There is no control or experimental groups in
this research study, therefore there is no comparison group to compete with.
DATA ANALYSIS
5 QUESTION AVERAGE
10 QUESTION AVERAGE
15 QUESTION T
Student A
52
73
73
Student B
80
70
75
Student C
92
70
75
Student D
92
66
82
Student E
100
70
80
Student F
100
70
80
Student G
80
76
68
Student H
86
70
68
Student I
86
63
66
Student J
86
66
64
Analysis: This graph shows the scores of the students
5 question test average (the average of the three tests
combined), the three 10 question test scores combined
versus the final 15 question test scores.
The graph shows that students scored better on
the average of three 5 question tests than a final 15
question test.
Class Averages:
5 question test class avg: 85.4
10 question class avg: 69.4
15 question clas avg: 73.1
Test Averages of 5q, 10q, 15q
120
100
Class Ranges:
5 question test: 48
10 question test: 13
15 question test: 18
Scores
80
60
40
20
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Series1
52
80
92
92
100
100
80
86
86
86
Series2
73
70
70
66
70
70
76
70
63
66
Series3
73
75
75
82
80
80
68
68
66
64
student
DATA ANALYSIS
Relationship between pre-survey and post survey question of: "I
do better on multiple short tests rather than on 1 long unit math
test"
I do better on multiple short tests rather than on
1 long unit math test
post-survey
6
Student A
3
4
Student B
3
4
Student C
4
5
Student D
2
4
Student E
4
5
Student F
5
5
Student G
4
5
Student H
3
4
Student I
3
5
y = 0.4615x + 2.9846
R² = 0.5769
5
4
pre-survey
pre-survey
3
Series1
Linear (Series1)
2
1
0
Student J
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
post-survey
0.759554525
rxy = .76
The table and graph show that there is a positive correlation between the pre-survey, and post survey question of:
I do better on multiple short tests rather than on 1 long unit math test
DATA ANALYSIS
I can pay attention for longer on multiple short exams rather
than a longer unit exam in math
pre-survey
post-survey
6
3
4
3
3
2
3
5
y = 0.7222x + 1.3889
R² = 0.458
4
4
4
3
3
3
4
4
5
3
3
pre survey
Student
A
Student
B
Student
C
Student
D
Student
E
Student
F
Student
G
Student
H
Student
I
Student
J
Relationship between pre and post survey question of: I can pay attention for longer on
multiple short exams rather than a longer unit exam in math
3
Series1
Linear (Series1)
2
1
3
4
4
4
0
0
0.676752968
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
post survey
rxy = .68
The data shows that there is a positive correlation
between the pre and post survey question of: I
can pay attention for longer on multiple short
exams rather than a longer unit exam.
3
3.5
4
4.5
Sample Student Surveys
1 - Never
2 - Rarely
3 - Sometimes
4 - Often
5 - All of the time
1. I create make up stories in my imagination to escape class _____
2. I am often very tired in the classroom ________
3. I make inappropriate noises in the classroom ________
4. I do not like to follow instructions (on tests, and projects) _________
5. I have difficulty concentrating on most of my tasks in school ___________
6. I am very fidgety (like to tap my pencil, feel, move around in my chair) _____
7. I am disorganized ______
8. People sometimes tell me that I don’t pay attention ________
9. I am uninterested in school _______
10.
My handwriting is messy ________
11.
I avoid talking with other students and teachers ______
12.
I am often late to school ________
13.
I don’t like waiting for my turn ___________
14.
I have problems in math _______
15.
I have low math test scores _________
16.
I prefer multiple short tests over 1 long unit math test__________
17.
I do better on multiple short tests rather than on 1 long unit math test__________
18.
I can focus better on short math tests rather than on a long, cumulative math test_______
Discussion // Analyses
• Research shows that students in lower socioeconomic areas,
and in minority groups often get little treatment for symptoms and
diagnosis of ADHD.
• As students sometimes do not have the resources to be treated
for ADHD, educators can implement an IEP, or treatment based
on the strengths of the student.
• Most students with and without ADHD responded better to
shorter testing – proving that long and involved testing might not
be the best indicator of their knowledge and skills in math and
other subject areas.
References
•
Anderson, T. (n.d.). University of Illinois at Chicago - UIC. University of Illinois at Chicago - UIC. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://www.uic.edu/
•
Ahmann, E. (n.d.). Psych Central - Trusted mental health, depression, bipolar, ADHD and psychology information .. Psych Central - Trusted mental health,
depression, bipolar, ADHD and psychology information .. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/
•
Maddox, C. (n.d.). Penn State Graduate School Forms. Race Matters: Disparities in African-American Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://forms.gradsch.psu.edu
•
Tucker, Catherine , and Andrea L. Dixon. "Low-Income African American Male Youth with ADHD Symptoms in the United States: Recommendations for
Clinical Mental Health Counselors." Journal of Mental Health Counseling 31.4 (2009): 309-322. Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Retrieved from the web
on 12 Oct. 2013.