Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles
This paper describes how plan-do-study-act cycles engaged a classroom mentor teacher and student teacher in a professional collaboration that resulted in two inquiry activities for high-school geometry classes. The PDSA cycles were carried out in four high school geometry classes, each with 30 to 35...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/919 |
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| author | Christopher R. Rakes Angela Wesneski Rebecca Laws |
| author_facet | Christopher R. Rakes Angela Wesneski Rebecca Laws |
| author_sort | Christopher R. Rakes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper describes how plan-do-study-act cycles engaged a classroom mentor teacher and student teacher in a professional collaboration that resulted in two inquiry activities for high-school geometry classes. The PDSA cycles were carried out in four high school geometry classes, each with 30 to 35 students, in a mid-Atlantic urban school district in the U.S. The four geometry classes were co-taught by the second and third authors of this paper. The data consisted of classroom documents (e.g., activity prompts, tasks), classroom observations, student feedback about activities, and monthly PDSA reports. The PDSA cycles had a direct effect on the professional learning of the teachers. The resultant classroom activities used a data collection approach to engaging students in inquiry to learn about trigonometry functions and density. Student learning behaviors were noticeably improved during these activities compared with traditional mathematics instruction. We concluded that the data collection sequence provided an accessible entry point for students to begin scientific inquiry in mathematics. The process opened the conceptual space for students to develop curiosity about mathematical phenomena and to explore their own research questions. The use of culturally relevant topics was especially compelling to students, and the open-ended nature of these exploratory activities allowed students to see mathematics through their own cultural lenses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:51:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dfca3967d5d643b28448a5367068572c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:51:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-dfca3967d5d643b28448a5367068572c2023-11-19T10:19:26ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022023-09-0113991910.3390/educsci13090919Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act CyclesChristopher R. Rakes0Angela Wesneski1Rebecca Laws2Department of Education, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USACurtis Bay Elementary, Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore, MD 21225, USABaltimore City College High School, Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore, MD 21218, USAThis paper describes how plan-do-study-act cycles engaged a classroom mentor teacher and student teacher in a professional collaboration that resulted in two inquiry activities for high-school geometry classes. The PDSA cycles were carried out in four high school geometry classes, each with 30 to 35 students, in a mid-Atlantic urban school district in the U.S. The four geometry classes were co-taught by the second and third authors of this paper. The data consisted of classroom documents (e.g., activity prompts, tasks), classroom observations, student feedback about activities, and monthly PDSA reports. The PDSA cycles had a direct effect on the professional learning of the teachers. The resultant classroom activities used a data collection approach to engaging students in inquiry to learn about trigonometry functions and density. Student learning behaviors were noticeably improved during these activities compared with traditional mathematics instruction. We concluded that the data collection sequence provided an accessible entry point for students to begin scientific inquiry in mathematics. The process opened the conceptual space for students to develop curiosity about mathematical phenomena and to explore their own research questions. The use of culturally relevant topics was especially compelling to students, and the open-ended nature of these exploratory activities allowed students to see mathematics through their own cultural lenses.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/919mathematics educationinquirystudent-generated dataimprovement scienceteacher classroom research |
| spellingShingle | Christopher R. Rakes Angela Wesneski Rebecca Laws Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles Education Sciences mathematics education inquiry student-generated data improvement science teacher classroom research |
| title | Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles |
| title_full | Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles |
| title_fullStr | Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles |
| title_short | Building Mathematics Learning through Inquiry Using Student-Generated Data: Lessons Learned from Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles |
| title_sort | building mathematics learning through inquiry using student generated data lessons learned from plan do study act cycles |
| topic | mathematics education inquiry student-generated data improvement science teacher classroom research |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/919 |
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