Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool
In this paper, we describe how we came to use timed fluency activities, along with personal learner reflections on those activities, in our after-school maths club as a complementary research and developmental tool for assessing the changing levels of learners’ mathematical proficiency over time. W...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2013-10-01
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| Series: | Perspectives in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1819 |
| _version_ | 1827315006548475904 |
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| author | Debbie Stott Mellony Graven |
| author_facet | Debbie Stott Mellony Graven |
| author_sort | Debbie Stott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
In this paper, we describe how we came to use timed fluency activities, along with personal learner reflections on those activities, in our after-school maths club as a complementary research and developmental tool for assessing the changing levels of learners’ mathematical proficiency over time. We use data from one case-study after-school maths club. Not only did the activities provide us as researchers, and mentors, with a quick way of tracking, evaluating, encouraging and valuing learner progress, but also with a mechanism for the learners to practise the fluency they were developing through other activities of the club. More importantly, the use of learner reflections assisted learner buy-in and reduced the stress related to such timed assessments. This alleviated, to some extent, our ethical unease with the use of such instruments. We have subsequently extended this research and development tool in all clubs that we run and continue to research their affect and effect in order to gain deeper understanding of the research and development opportunities enabled by such activities.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:46:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-363634fb584a4476b22119e5f1aca112 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0258-2236 2519-593X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:46:37Z |
| publishDate | 2013-10-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-363634fb584a4476b22119e5f1aca1122024-03-18T11:11:36ZengUniversity of the Free StatePerspectives in Education0258-22362519-593X2013-10-0131310.38140/pie.v31i3.1819Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research toolDebbie Stott0Mellony Graven1Rhodes UniversityRhodes University In this paper, we describe how we came to use timed fluency activities, along with personal learner reflections on those activities, in our after-school maths club as a complementary research and developmental tool for assessing the changing levels of learners’ mathematical proficiency over time. We use data from one case-study after-school maths club. Not only did the activities provide us as researchers, and mentors, with a quick way of tracking, evaluating, encouraging and valuing learner progress, but also with a mechanism for the learners to practise the fluency they were developing through other activities of the club. More importantly, the use of learner reflections assisted learner buy-in and reduced the stress related to such timed assessments. This alleviated, to some extent, our ethical unease with the use of such instruments. We have subsequently extended this research and development tool in all clubs that we run and continue to research their affect and effect in order to gain deeper understanding of the research and development opportunities enabled by such activities. http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1819Fluencyelements of fluencytimed assessmentsafter-school maths clubslearner reflectionsresearch tool |
| spellingShingle | Debbie Stott Mellony Graven Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool Perspectives in Education Fluency elements of fluency timed assessments after-school maths clubs learner reflections research tool |
| title | Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool |
| title_full | Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool |
| title_fullStr | Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool |
| title_full_unstemmed | Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool |
| title_short | Research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool |
| title_sort | research tensions with the use of timed numeracy fluency assessments as a research tool |
| topic | Fluency elements of fluency timed assessments after-school maths clubs learner reflections research tool |
| url | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/1819 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT debbiestott researchtensionswiththeuseoftimednumeracyfluencyassessmentsasaresearchtool AT mellonygraven researchtensionswiththeuseoftimednumeracyfluencyassessmentsasaresearchtool |