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2004 NSF K-12 Math, Science, and Technology Curriculum Developers Conference

Math Trailblazers Research and Revision Study

Stacy Brown,
Catherine Kelso,
Philip Wagreich

The Math Trailblazers Research and Revision Study is an examination of the Math Trailblazers curriculum and its impact on teaching and learning. It will inform revision of the curriculum, as well as contribute to the general knowledge of the impact of comprehensive, Standards-based mathematics curricula in elementary schools. The research is composed of four investigations:

1. The Implementation Study is a systematic investigation of the implementation of the curriculum. Researchers will collect data from Grades K-2 in academic year 2003-2004 and Grades 3-5 in 2004-2005. Currently we are working with a diverse group of K-2 teachers and students from urban, suburban, and rural schools in 33 classrooms in 7 schools in 5 districts in 3 states. Teachers complete written surveys about their prior use of Math Trailblazers, fill out bi-monthly electronic surveys on their ongoing use of Math Trailblazers, respond to questions in interviews, collect written student work, and will attend a feedback meeting. Researchers will observe a sample of the classrooms during one or more math lessons.
2. The Whole Number Study focuses on students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge of whole number concepts. Researchers will collect data from K-2 classrooms in academic year 2003-2004 and 3-5 classrooms in 2004-2005. Currently we are working in 24 classrooms in 5 schools in 4 districts in 3 states. Teachers report the lessons they used or omitted and submit any supplements they used. Classroom observations of specific whole number lessons will be used to document teaching practices in Math Trailblazers classrooms as well as to evaluate the lesson implementation in terms of fidelity to the design of the lesson and to the philosophy (or beliefs) that guided the design, and to study students’ strategies and operations as they engage in these lessons. Teachers’ beliefs will be assessed through an electronic survey designed at San Diego State University and through the analysis of teachers’ responses during interviews. This data will enable us to characterize Math Trailblazers classrooms in terms of level-of-use and belief alignment. In addition to classroom observations, students’ strategies and operations will be documented in student interviews and through the analysis of work samples. We will use this data to determine how students’ development and use of arithmetic strategies and whole-number concepts varies in relation to the level of implementation and how we might revise the Math Trailblazers whole number strand to facilitate students’ development of whole number concepts and operations.
3. The Video Study will document the kinds of interactions and discussion that takes place in Math Trailblazers classrooms. Researchers will videotape and analyze first-grade lessons in place value and fourth-grade lessons on fractions in the spring of 2004. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign will conduct the study.
4. The Rational Number Study will assess students’ learning of fractions and proportionality in Grades 3-5. University of Minnesota researchers will direct this study. Data collection will take place during academic year 2004-2005.
   
   

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. ESI-0352345). Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.