Studying Effects of Team
Teaching
Presented by:
Mo Pak
Melinda Ramos
What is traditional teaching?
An approach to teaching in
which computation is the
driving mathematical force
Students often do not
understand many concepts or
why procedures work, but
they only focus on how to
perform mathematical
computations
Traditional is Obsolete
“The system of traditional education can be a
threat that inhibits higher levels of learning.”
(Renate Nummela Caine, Prof of Education at
California State University)
The traditional approach to teaching math is
“a curriculum that is seriously damaging the
mathematical health of our children.”
(Michael Battista, Prof of Math Education at
Kent State University)
When computation is emphasized in a
mathematics classroom, students turn away
from it because it causes math anxiety in many
of them. (Keith Devlin, Prof of Math at St.
Mary’s College of California)
Students Learn Best When…
…they are in a community, follow their own interests, & are
constantly challenged (Caine)
…they are actively engaged in
learning; they create, interpret,
& reorganize knowledge in their
own ways (Windschitl, Asst.
Prof of curriculum & instruction
in the College of Education,
Univ of Washington, Seattle)
…they connect math, its ideas, & its applications (NCTM goal)
Constructivist Model
Student centered;
Students are responsible
for their own learning
In this classroom, there never
ceases to exist questioning &
analysis; both students & teachers
constantly seek to discover
answers to their questions,
resulting in students & teachers
learning together.
A Call For Reform
• Many researchers & educators, including the National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) have called
for a move away from the traditional methods of teaching.
• We need to throw out the “mathematics-as-computation”
driven curriculum & replace it with one in which students
obtain a good understanding of mathematical concepts &
are able to think through problems.
What’s Necessary For Change
Teach teachers math in the reformed
method, so they become familiar with it
Give teachers better
understanding of math concepts
Teachers must believe in the reformed
method of teaching math
Reform at UTEP
• Math & Education Prof at UTEP are trying to implement
some aspects of this constructivist teaching, in particular,
Team Teaching
Team Teaching Method
Method
instructor
Math
Micro-lessons
Rehearsals
Teaching
Pedagogy
instructor
instructor
Rationale behind Team Teaching
Majority of pre-service teachers come into
math courses with low self-esteem, negative
attitudes, & the fear of the subject
This results in low confidence in
their ability to do math
The fear & low self esteem they have
towards math negatively affects their
abilities to learn & think mathematically
Goals of Team Teaching
Enhance pre-service teachers’ math knowledge
by making positive changes on students’
attitude towards & perception of math
Positive attitudes towards math will result in
an increase in motivation & confidence to
learn & think mathematically
Pre-service teachers with enhanced content
knowledge & higher confidence will portray
this in their future classrooms, resulting in a
positive attitude in math in their students,
which may increase the # of students
majoring in math
Purpose of Our Research
Investigate the effects of a team-teaching approach on preservice teachers’ perception of math & their performance
in math. The study involves answering the following
questions:
1. What kinds of changes does a team-teaching approach to
learning math have on students’ (pre-service teachers) perception
of math?
2. If there are changes in students’ perception of math, do these
changes reflect on students’ ability to think mathematically?
3. Which aspects of team-teaching are affecting students’
perception of math?
Subjects
• Pre-Service teachers – education majors at UTEP in their
last year or coursework enrolled in math & education
courses under a team-teaching approach
Methods
Examining students’ coursework as well as
surveys, tests, & video clips of the
classroom
So far we have just analyzed surveys (given
at the beginning & end of the semester) that
reflect students’ opinions of math
These surveys have helped us examine
whether or not students’ thinking has
changed throughout the year
Sample Surveys
What is Math
Samples
Picture Representation
Samples
Organizing/Analyzing Data
What is Math?
Pictures
Info Card 3
Pre-Survey (Info Card 6)
Info Card 4
Info Card 5
Info Card 6
Graphs
What is Math?
Picture
Pre-Survey
Pre-Survey
Post-Survey
Post-Survey
Combined Pre/Post
Combined Pre/Post
Mo’s Post Picture
Combined Post/Post
End of Presentation!!
Thanks for coming!!