Algebra Learning for All Project
Funded by Institute of Education Sciences (2003 - 2008)
The Algebra Learning for All study developed and experimentally tested a video-based professional development (PD) program designed to help 6th grade teachers teach critical mathematics concepts that are key to improving student achievement.
The Third International Mathematics and Science Video Study (TIMSS) found that U.S. mathematics teachers present problems to students just as rich in learning potential as do teachers from higher achieving countries. But once they start to work through the problems in class, U.S. teachers convert them into step-by-step procedures or simply give the answer. As a result, American students never get to learn the concepts that underlie the procedures.
Drawing from these findings, this project has three specific goals:
1. Improve teachers’ knowledge of mathematical content for its use in the classroom (i.e., pedagogical content knowledge)
2. Improve teachers’ ability to teach critical mathematics standards and maintain high conceptual levels of mathematical reasoning
3. Increase students’ mathematical achievement
During the first year of implementation, 6th grade math teachers from five Title 1 middle schools were randomly assigned to the experimental and control conditions. Teachers assigned to the experimental group participated in approximately 40 hours of video-based professional development. During the second year of implementation, teachers who were assigned to the control group also were provided with PD. The two groups of teachers participated together in a second version of the video-based PD, focused on the same key content areas of the pre-algebra curriculum but including new examples of rich problems. Analyses of the data collected are currently underway.Conference presentations on the ALFA project:
Santagata, R., Givvin, K., & Kersting, N. (June 2007). Designing Content and Video-Based Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers: What Challenges Teachers Encounter and How They Can Be Addressed. Institute of Education Sciences Conference, Washington DC.
Kersting, N., Park, G., Park, J., Givvin, K., & Santagata, R. (April 2007). Non Compliance: A Threat to the Validity of Experimental Designs in Education? American Education Research Association Conference, Chicago.
Givvin, K., Santagata, R., & Kersting N. (April 2007). Using Video to Describe Teaching and Measure PD Effectiveness. American Education Research Association Conference, Chicago.
Santagata, R., Stigler, J., Givvin, K, & Kersting N. (June, 2006). Rich problems as a lever for change: An experimental study of the effects of a PD program on students’ mathematics learning. Institute of Education Sciences Conference, Washington DC.
Givvin, K., Santagata, R., Kersting, N. (August 2005). “Do they really get it? Using video to help teachers identify students’ misunderstandings.” Annual Meeting of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Givvin, K., & Santagata, R. (April 2005). Sharing the Vision: The Challenges of Encouraging U.S. Teachers to Teach Mathematics Conceptually. American Education Research Association Conference, Montreal.