| NSF Org: |
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 7, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | March 20, 2024 |
| Award Number: | 1850372 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Rabiah Mayas
rmayas@nsf.gov (703)292-7134 DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | May 15, 2019 |
| End Date: | October 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $586,193.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $586,193.00 |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1801 E COTATI AVE ROHNERT PARK CA US 94928-3613 (707)664-3972 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1801 E. Cotati Ave., Department Rohnert Park CA US 94928-3609 |
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Performance Congressional District: |
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| NSF Program(s): | ITEST-Inov Tech Exp Stu & Teac |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase student motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by developing and testing four Maker Learning Cycle (MLC) curriculum units for English language learners (ELLs) in each of grades 4 and 5. Each Maker challenge engages students in hands-on creation of solutions to authentic problems in a social context, and each challenge is followed by one to three mathematics lessons related to the challenge. Explicit connections to STEM career possibilities are also featured, linking mathematics concept development to potential career interests. Published collections of mathematics MLCs, together with research on their effective use, will enable teachers and schools to incorporate Maker education in targeted ways to promote both learning in mathematics and broader interest among students in STEM related activities and careers. The project will also develop video resources and examples of student work that can be incorporated into teacher professional learning modules for schools and districts implementing MLCs.
This design and development project is guided by the hypothesis that authentic Maker experiences promote deeper engagement with mathematics concepts among ELLs; promote STEM activation in the dimensions of fascination, competency beliefs, and innovation solutions enhance; and enhance teacher perceptions of ELL capacities. Each MLC includes three components: (1) A maker challenge for teams of students to complete in a regular classroom during a single lesson; (2) Two to three follow-up mathematics lessons focusing on conceptual understanding of the mathematics embedded in or exposed by the challenge and students' language, culture, and prior experiences; and (3) Revisiting the Maker challenge to foster connections among Maker mathematics concepts, and language development. Each MLC includes three components: (1) A maker challenge for teams of students to complete in a regular classroom during a single lesson; (2) Two to three follow-up mathematics lessons focusing on conceptual understanding of the mathematics embedded in or exposed by the challenge and students' language, culture, and prior experiences; and (3) Revisiting the Maker challenge to foster connections among Maker mathematics concepts, and language development. The research plan for this project includes two studies that each explore two research questions. Study 1 examines the impact of MLCs on opportunities to learn, and the research is guided by two questions: (1) What aspects of mathematics MLCs provide opportunities for English learners to equitably access mathematics learning? And (2) How do MLCs enable participating teachers to recognize capacities in English learners that support engagement in mathematics learning? Study 2 examines the impact of MLCs on STEM learning activation and mathematics learning. The research is guided by two questions: (1) Do features of MLCs impact English learners' growth in the dimensions of STEM learning activation, and their deeper mathematics learning? And (2) Do features of MLCs impact all students' growth in the dimensions of STEM learning activation, and their deeper mathematics learning? An array of standard measures will be used to collect data for these studies, and a background survey will be used to gauge resources and supports for learning available to students in their homes. For data analysis, three analytical models will be used to explore outcomes: (1) How well the MLC experiences influence the dimensions of STEM learning activation, (2) How well MLCs position all students, especially English learners, for future mathematics learning, and (3) Mathematics learning.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Maker Challenges to Promote Math Learning among English Language Learners (NSF award number 1850367) aimed to address key challenges facing mathematics educators: making mathematics engaging, meaningful, and relevant for learners across diverse prior experiences and linguistic backgrounds. Creating math learning environments that draw authentic connections between students’ assets and a variety of mathematical thinking is essential to making mathematics education more accessible and engaging. One potential avenue for making these connections is through “making,” defined broadly as hands-on creation of solutions to authentic problems in a social context. The project’s conceptualization was based on the premise that maker learning experiences provide rich opportunities for learners to engage in authentic problem solving that will both support mathematical understanding and allow them to see a greater relevance of mathematics to situations they wonder about. The project further posited that maker learning experiences would also provide more equitable opportunities for emergent multilingual learners to engage in mathematics.
Through partnerships with classroom-based teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area, the project team produced six maker learning cycles (MLCs)—three for grade four and three for grade five. Each MLC is a four- to five-lesson curricular mini-unit that develops important mathematical ideas in the context of authentic maker challenges for students. All MLCs are intended to reflect design principles in three key areas: maker learning/authenticity; supports for emerging multilingual learners; and additional dimensions of powerful mathematics classrooms.
In the first phase of the project, the design leads worked in teams with 12 co-developer teachers to identify core grade-level mathematics content for each MLC and to build the broad outline for the maker challenge and content lessons. These teacher/designer teams then created pilot test versions of the MLCs and piloted them in their classrooms. Their suggestions and feedback (including classroom video and student work samples) fed into a round of revisions to prepare for field testing. A new group of 15 teachers field tested the MLCs and provided feedback. These field test teachers all teach in schools with large percentages (39–99%) of emergent multilingual students, and were equally split by grade (fourth or fifth) and school setting (urban or suburban). The field test teachers engaged in professional learning experiences to introduce them to the MLCs (approximately 1.5 days), and then enacted two MLCs in their grade level during the year. Their feedback on the MLC learning design and support materials provided valuable information for the final revision and publication of the MLCs. These are now publicly available on the project website, www.makemathreal.org.
The corresponding research study was based on the hypothesis that the design principles underlying the MLCs would have a positive impact on all students’ engagement and learning, and provide particular support for emerging multilingual learners. To investigate the potential value of maker learning experiences, this study investigated the following research questions: (1) To what extent and in what ways can maker learning cycles support higher engagement in mathematics learning experiences? (2) To what extent do maker learning cycles support content learning in mathematics? And (3) in what ways can maker learning cycles provide opportunities for emergent multilingual learners to more equitably access mathematics learning experiences? A total of 502 students across 17 classes (16 teachers) participated in the study. Data sources included student engagement surveys, teacher feedback surveys, content assessments, teacher and student interviews, and classroom observations. Our findings lead us to conclude that the MLCs created excitement; supported student choice and agency; allowed students to engage in solving real, relevant problems; and promoted collaboration and conversation–all key features of learning experiences that have been shown to support engagement and learning both in and out of school. These short interventions showed promise in helping students gain mathematical proficiency, while also promoting their use of language.
Last Modified: 02/27/2025
Modified by: Benjamin J Ford
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