Student surveys were used to collect data at the beginning of the study. The pre-survey consisted of 20 questions that were answered on a Likert Scale with possible responses of strongly agree, agree, undecided/neither, disagree, or strongly disagree. The survey was to discover students’ attitudes toward math and group activities versus individual assignments. There were questions to determine how they viewed themselves as far as skill level and ability to learn mathematics. There were also questions to gauge the students’ personality as far as if they viewed themselves as outgoing and social or reserved and shy. The survey included questions to determine the learning styles of the students using the multiple intelligences such as visual,
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The students’ grades, personalities, and learning modalities were considered when creating the groups for the activities. Males and females were distributed throughout each group. High level students were split among the groups as well as the lower achieving students. I separated very quiet, shy students as well as very outspoken students. This kept all groups as equal as possible and included different personalities and learning styles. One lesson during the research was over polynomials and the second lesson was over multiplying binomials and factoring. The first cooperative learning activity was the Round Table strategy and the second activity was the group investigation method. The cooperative learning exercises will be called the performance tasks. Throughout the experience I guided and facilitated rather than deliver direct information of the material. The students used individual thinking skills, interaction between peers, collaboration among group members, and individual accountability while working together to solve problems in order to better understand the concepts being taught. These activities included projects, hands-on activities, written reports, the use or construction of diagrams and graphs to name a few. Throughout the activity, I monitored progress to assure the students are staying on task, assist where needed, redirect student thinking if necessary, and ask questions to deepen thinking or spark a new thought process and discussion among the students in each
The students’ grades, personalities, and learning modalities were considered when creating the groups for the activities. Males and females were distributed throughout each group. High level students were split among the groups as well as the lower achieving students. I separated very quiet, shy students as well as very outspoken students. This kept all groups as equal as possible and included different personalities and learning styles. One lesson during the research was over polynomials and the second lesson was over multiplying binomials and factoring. The first cooperative learning activity was the Round Table strategy and the second activity was the group investigation method. The cooperative learning exercises will be called the performance tasks. Throughout the experience I guided and facilitated rather than deliver direct information of the material. The students used individual thinking skills, interaction between peers, collaboration among group members, and individual accountability while working together to solve problems in order to better understand the concepts being taught. These activities included projects, hands-on activities, written reports, the use or construction of diagrams and graphs to name a few. Throughout the activity, I monitored progress to assure the students are staying on task, assist where needed, redirect student thinking if necessary, and ask questions to deepen thinking or spark a new thought process and discussion among the students in each