Baliwag Polytechnic College

Dalubhasaan Kong Mahal

1st Semester
A.Y. 2023 –
2024

STUDY GUIDES
Your success to finish this module lies in your hand. This module is prepared for you to learn new
concepts and invaluable skills diligently, intelligently, and independently. As a future young professional, doing
these will greatly help and prepare you to become a responsible student. Set your goals and invest for your
future. This is your first step towards your priceless investment for a brighter tomorrow. Do not waste your
time, effort and energy. Always stay motivated and inspired to make your dreams come true. The following
guides and house rules will help you further to be on track and to say at the end of the module.
1. Schedule and manage your time wisely for you to accomplish the given tasks in this module.
2. If there are things that you do not understand, go over and focus on the lesson. If this will not work, seek the
help of your family members or leave me a message so I can give assistance.
3. Before you start doing anything else, read and understand the learning tasks carefully. Always aim for the
best and do not settle with low grades.
4. Think before you write. In answering all the assessment activities, write legibly and follow the instructions as needed.
5. Do not hesitate to keep an open communication with me through any available platforms. I am more than
willing to help you to accomplish your goals.
6. Once you are done in the module, you can proceed doing other tasks in the succeeding units that are
scheduled for the finals.
7. You are expected to answer all the printed-based activities, assignments and reflection guides for you to pass
in this course.
8. Remember you are the student, hence, you are expected to accomplish and study the module on your own.
You can seek help and support from your family members and friends but the actual activities must be done by you.

Course Code TMPG – Teaching Math in Primary Grades Page 1

STUDY SCHEDULE
Module /Topics
Module 1 THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS: Foundations of Mathematics
Teaching and Learning
Lesson 1 The Nature of Mathematics and Its Implications
Lesson 2 The Goals of Mathematics Education
Lesson 3 Behaviorism and Cognitivism Approach in Mathematics
Lesson 4 Constructivism Approach in Mathematics
Module 2 THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS: Strategies in Teaching Mathematics
Lesson 1 The Two Main Methods: Deductive and Inductive
Lesson 2 Factors in Choosing a Method or Strategy
Lesson 3 Strategies in Teaching Mathematics
Module 3 THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS:
Assessment in Mathematics
Lesson 1 Mathematics Assessment, Evaluation and Testing
Lesson 2 Authentic Assessment
Lesson 3 Balanced Assessment
Lesson 4 Performance Assessment
Lesson 5 Rubric
Lesson 6 Portfolio Assessment

Module 4 THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS:

Lesson 1 15 Essential Strategies in Teaching Math
Lesson 2 7 Effective Strategies for Teaching Elementary Math
Lesson 3 Ways to Help Students Understand Math
Lesson 4 7 Classroom Math Activities That Will Make Math Engaging and Fun
Lesson 5 The Kindergarten Math and First Grade Math
Module 5 READING ARTICLE IN PHILIPPINE
MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Lesson 1 Mathematics Framework for Philippine Basic
Education: Lower Elementary Mathematics (K-3)
Lesson 2 The Case Study on Elementary Mathematics
Education Curriculum of Japan and the Philippines

Module 6 TOPICS IN ELEMENTARY

MATHEMATICS (K-3)

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 Lesson 1 Numbers and Number Sense
Lesson 2 Measurement
Lesson 3 Geometry
Lesson 4 Patterns, Functions, Algebra
Lesson 5 Data, Analysis and Probability
FINAL EXAM

Course Description:
This course equips prospective teachers with pedagogical content knowledge for the teaching of basic contents in
mathematics in the primary level. Understanding of key concepts and skills of whole numbers up to 10,000, fractions,
measurement, simple geometric figures, pre-algebra concepts and data representation and analysis are applied using
appropriate technology. Teaching strategies include problem solving, critical thinking, differentiated instruction, inquiry-
based learning with the use of manipulatives based on cultural context will be emphasized.

WEEK 1 : THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS:

What Will You Learn from This Module?
Hello, future teacher! Welcome to this module, the teaching of mathematics. This
module tries to walk you through the foundations of mathematics and the various teaching strategies
and assessment techniques that you can employ in teaching the discipline. The module is self-
instructional and allows you to learn in your own space and pace. So, relax and enjoy! To get the most out of
this module, here are a few reminders: 1. Take your time in reading the lessons. 2. Write down points for
clarification. You may discuss these points with your classmates or with your mentor. 3. Perform and answer all
activities including the Self-Check Questions (SCQs). The activities are designed to enhance your
understanding of the ideas and concepts being discussed. Review the lessons if necessary, until you have
achieved a sufficient level of proficiency. Write the answers to activity and SCQs in an activity notebook. This
shall be part of your formative evaluation.
Overview
This module is designed to provide future/beginning mathematics teachers like you with background
knowledge and understanding of some basic contemporary issues in mathematics education. It focuses on the
framework of teaching mathematics, and on instructional strategies and assessment approaches. According to
Van de Walle (2001), for teachers of mathematics to be truly effective, they should bring together these four
basic components: (1) an appreciation of the discipline of mathematics itself – what it means to “do
mathematics”, (2) an understanding of how students learn and construct ideas, (3) an ability to design and select
tasks so that students learn mathematics in a problem-solving environment, and (4) the ability to integrate
assessment with the teaching process in order to enhance learning and improve daily instruction. Basically, this
module tries to cover all four grounds. Lesson 1 sets out to help shape and define your framework for teaching

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mathematics. It discusses how mathematics has been redefined to address the current demands of society and to
accommodate breakthroughs in research and cognitive psychology as well. More importantly, it explores the
implications these changes have on the teaching and learning of mathematics in your own classrooms. Lesson 2
focuses on instructional strategies. It presents various research- based, learner-centered instructional strategies
that you can adopt in your teaching. Activities are provided to help you select and design tasks using these
strategies. Finally, Lesson 3 presents both traditional and authentic forms of assessment, and argues for the
adoption of a balanced assessment of student learning. It is hoped that the module has achieved its aim of
producing a concise self- learning kit which nevertheless considers all the significant issues in mathematics
education comprehensively and coherently enough to be useful to you.

OBJECTIVES: After going through this module, you should have:

1. obtained greater insights and understanding into the nature of mathematics and its importance;
2. resolved to move away from teacher-centered behaviorist practices towards more learner centered and
constructivist classroom practices;
3. become acquainted with some of the significant and controversial issues in mathematics education for you to
consider and reflect on;
4. acquired a repertoire of effective instructional strategies to improve your practice;
5. gained skills in assessing your students’ learning more meaningfully using both pen-and-paper tests and
authentic assessment practices such as portfolios and performance-based assessment; and,
6. developed an open and willing attitude towards change and innovation.

Module 1 FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS TEACHING AND LEARNING

Let’s Read
INTRODUCTION
Teaching is both an art and a science. Have you ever thought about what makes an effective
mathematics teacher? Try to recall the teachers who influenced your life. What made them stand out? An
effective mathematics teacher reflectively integrates theory with practice. Why? Because it is the theories about
teaching and learning that provide a framework for analyzing learning situations and improving classroom
instruction. To develop one’s philosophical framework for teaching mathematics, we begin by understanding
the nature of mathematics and the goals of mathematics education. Research has shown that the teachers’
beliefs and conceptions influence the way they teach mathematics and the way their students perceive the
discipline. Hence, this lesson aims to clarify these beliefs and conceptions, and to enrich or modify them, if
necessary.

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 OBJECTIVES: After going through this lesson, you should be able to:
1. discuss the nature of mathematics and its importance;
2. state the goals of mathematics education;
3. compare and contrast behaviorism and cognitivism;
4. reflect on the theory of constructivism and its implications to mathematics teaching and learning; and,
5. reflect, clarify and enrich your philosophy of mathematics teaching.
Let’s Try!!
ACTIVITY 1.1 Some Views about the Nature of Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching and Learning
DIRECTIONS: Read and reflect on each item carefully. State whether you agree or disagree to each of the
statements. The questionnaire asks for your opinion, hence, there is no right or wrong answer.

Statements
1. Learning mathematics means mastering a fixed set of basic skills.
2. Mathematics is a series of arbitrary rules, handed down by the teacher, who in turn got them from some very
smart source.
3. Mathematics is about getting the right answers.
4. There is only one way to solve any problem.
5. Every problem must have a predetermined solution.
6. Mathematics is boring and nothing you can do will make it interesting.
7. Mathematics never changes.
8. Only very intelligent people can understand mathematics. Others cannot do it at all.
9. Males are better in mathematics than females.
10. The harder mathematics is, the better it is – if it is too easy, it cannot be really mathematics.
11. Mathematics requires the memorization of a lot of rules and formulas.
12. There is no room for opinions in mathematics. Everything is right or wrong, true or false.
13. Mathematics is made up of a number of unrelated topics.
14. If you are good in language, you are not good in mathematics.
15. You have to be really good in math to appreciate it.
Did you agree to all or most of the questions? Set aside your responses to this questionnaire for later use. Your
responses may just reveal your views about the nature of mathematics!

The Nature of Mathematics and Its Implications

This activity will help clarify your idea of the nature of mathematics

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 Let’s Try!!
ACTIVITY 1.2 What’s in a Circle?
Do This Materials: four cans of different sizes (alaska evap 370mL, century tuna flat can 180 grams, san marino
corned tuna flat can 85 grams, mega sardines 155 grams), string, ruler
Steps:
1. Wrap the string around the can to measure the circumference of its base. Note that the base of the can is a circle.
2. Measure the diameter of the can’s base using a ruler.
3. Divide the circumference by the diameter.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 using the other cans.

Fill the table below.

CAN Circumference ( C ) Diameter ( D ) C/D
A
B
C
D

What do you observe? Do you see any pattern? If you do, can you state the relationship between the
circumference and diameter of a circle?
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 1.1
1. Did the activity ask you to recall a formula and ask you to substitute appropriate values in the formula?
2. Did the activity allow you to observe patterns and find out for yourself the relationship between the
circumference and diameter of a circle?
3. From this activity, what does it mean to do mathematics?
Your answers should lead you to the definition of the nature of mathematics that is put forth by the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the largest organization of mathematics teachers in the
world.

Let’s Read
NCTM (1989) defines the nature of mathematics as follows:
1. Mathematics is a study of patterns and relationships. Mathematical ideas are interwoven with each other.
Students must explore the recurring ideas or the patterns and discover the relationships between and among
them, like what you did in the activity.

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 2. Mathematics is a way of thinking. The problem-solving activities and various lessons in mathematics train
us to think logically, analytically, critically and systematically. In a way, mathematics provides us with the
thinking skills needed to confront everyday problems.
3. Mathematics is an art. Mathematics is characterized by order and internal consistency. Numerous patterns
can be found in numbers and geometric figures. Tessellations, weaving and tiling are a few explicit examples
of mathematics in art. By exploring the orderliness and consistency of mathematics, we learn to appreciate
its beauty.
4. Mathematics is a language. It is used to communicate complex processes and thoughts efficiently using
symbols and specific and precise terms. Mathematics has its own register, or special vocabulary, which
students have to learn to be able to communicate well about mathematics and to speak and think like
mathematicians. For instance, mathematicians would not use ‘equal’, ‘congruent’ and ‘similar’
interchangeably as these terms mean different things.
5. Mathematics is a tool. Many occupations require the knowledge of mathematics. Scientists, engineers,
businessmen, and many other professions use a great deal of mathematics to do their work.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 1.2
1. Based on the discussions on the nature of mathematics, what should you emphasize in teaching mathematics?
Why?
2. Consider your responses to Activity 1. All statements in the questionnaire are myths, meaning, they are not
held as true by most mathematics educators in the world. Did you agree to any of the statements? Justify your
answer.
If mathematics is not just about performing operations, using the right formulas, and getting the right answers,
what then should be our goals as mathematics teachers?

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Let’s Read

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The Goals of Mathematics Education
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989)
identified five broad goals required to meet the students’ mathematical needs for the 21st century. NCTM
recommends that mathematics teachers enable students to:
1. Value mathematics
Students will value mathematics if they see how it plays a role in their real lives and in society. Thus, your
task is to make mathematics learning meaningful to the students by connecting the lesson to their real life
experiences and allowing students to experience mathematics through actual measurements and explorations.
2. Reason mathematically
Mathematics trains the mind to think analytically and logically. As the teacher, your task is to provide
activities that will provide students opportunities to reason logically, make conjectures, gather evidence,
build arguments, and arrive at informed and sound decisions. The process of obtaining the correct answers
should be emphasized.
3. Communicate mathematics
To be able to communicate well in mathematics, students must be familiar with the mathematics register, or
the special vocabulary of mathematics. You must be a good model in the use of correct and precise
mathematical terms and phrases. You must also encourage students to verbalize and defend their answers.
4. Solve problems
Problem solving is the heart of mathematics. Students must be exposed to a variety of problems – problems
that vary in context, in level of difficulty and in mathematical methods required for their solutions. Students
must learn to analyze the conditions in a problem, to restate them, to plan strategies for solving it, to develop
several solutions, and to work collaboratively with others in search of the solution. Most of all, students must
develop the discipline and perseverance to solve a problem no matter how complex it is.
5. Develop confidence
Taking pride in one’s competence in mathematics is all-important. Sadly, a number of people find it
fashionable to boast of their incompetence in mathematics. To go further in mathematics, students must
develop confidence in their ability to learn and do mathematics. Such confidence is built on success in
mathematical tasks in the classroom.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 1.3
1. Do yourself as a student and future teacher value mathematics? If yes, what is it about mathematics that
they find important? If no, why not?
2. Do you ask your student in the near future to explain their solution or their reasoning on a particular task?
Do you encourage them to present and defend their answers in class? Why or why not?

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3. Is problem solving be a central to the way you teach mathematics? If yes, how do you do it? If not, what
are the emphases of your lessons?
4. For yourself, are your students in the near future become happy and confident about their ability to do
mathematics? What strategies do you believe help boost their confidence?
Let’s Try!

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ACTIVITY 1.3 What is Your Teaching Style?
DIRECTIONS: Do you want to know your teaching style in the near future? This questionnaire lists
some views, assumptions and practices of teachers about teaching and learning. Read each
statement carefully. Then state whether you agree or disagree with the statement.

STATEMENTS
1. The most practical way of teaching students is through lectures and discussions.
2. A student retains the most knowledge by memorizing definitions and facts.
3. A learner learns best through repetition, drill and practice.
4. A student gains knowledge by listening to the teachers’ explanation.
5. The teacher must answer right away all questions of students that are related to the lesson and
explain them.
6. When a pupil gives a wrong answer, the teacher must correct it right away.
7. The teacher should ask students to memorize rules, laws, theorems and formulas
8. A student’s mind is like a dry sponge that absorbs what the teacher explains or discusses.
9. The teachers teach best when they define terms, state the laws/rules, explain the lesson in detail,
and give specific examples or illustrations.
10. Students learn best when left alone to discover concepts and relationships from some given tasks.
11. Learners construct understanding by linking new information with prior knowledge.

12. Learners are creatures of will and purpose who actively make meaning as they interact with
objects and events.
13. Students learn best when left alone to discover concepts and relationships from some given tasks.
14. The teacher should provide as little guidance, explanations, and lectures as possible to encourage
learner autonomy and initiative.
15. Students should explain terms, concepts or rules/laws in their own words.
16. Group work encourages students to learn from each other and make connections.
17. The teacher should encourage learner inquiry, debate and discussion in the classroom.
18. Students learn best when the teacher uses situations and contexts that they experience in real life.
19. The teacher should emphasize novel, investigative and open-ended problems rather than drill,
practice and rote exercises.
20. The teacher should ask probing questions that require students to justify their claims, provide
evidence and uncover new ideas.
Would you like to know your teaching style?

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If you agreed to the first 10 items, it is likely you are a behaviorist teacher and you subscribe to the
philosophy of Behaviorism. If you agreed to the second half of the questionnaire, then it is likely you
are a constructivist teacher and you subscribe to the Constructivist Theory of Learning, or more
broadly, to Cognitivism. If you agreed to several points from both schools of thought, it is perhaps
because (1) you have an eclectic teaching style; or, (2) you have yet no definite or clear philosophy
about teaching and learning.

There are two predominant schools of thought when it comes to teaching and learning, and these are
behaviorism and cognitivism. Do Activity 1.4 to check how well you can differentiate one from the
other.

Let’s Try!!

ACTIVITY 1.4 Comparison of Behaviorist and Cognitive Perspectives

Directions: Complete the table that follows which compares the behaviorist and cognitive
perspectives. The pool of ideas provides the answers. For each pair of views, decide which one is
behaviorist and which is cognitive. Write each idea in the correct box, or you may simply write the
number corresponding to the idea.
BEHAVIORISM COGNITIVISM
View of Learning
View of Learner
Role of Teacher
Role of Learner
POOL OF IDEAS
View of Learning
1. Accumulation of responses through selective reinforcement
2. Development of strategies to encode and retrieve information
View of Learner
3. Creators of understanding
4. Empty receptacle
Role of Teacher
5. Partner in the process of meaning making; helps students organize and make sense of
information
6. Controller of the environment through reinforcement and cues for appropriate student
behavior

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Role of Learner
7. Passive recipient of stimuli from teacher and environment
8. Active meaning maker through strategy use

Were you able to differentiate the two correctly? Great!

Now, let us move on to a theory of learning that has taken the world by storm in the past two
decades– CONSTRUCTIVISM. Are you ready?

LET’S READ

CONSTRUCTIVISM
Constructivism is a theory about knowledge and learning that is influenced by the work of
Piaget and Vygotsky. It is anchored on the following principles from research on cognitive
psychology:
• Learners construct understanding. They do not simply mirror what they are told or what they
read.
• To understand something is to know relationships. Bits of information isolated from these
structures are forgotten or become inaccessible to memory.
• All learning depends on prior knowledge. Learners try to link new information to what they
already know in order to interpret the new material in terms of established schemata.
• Learning is enhanced by social interaction. Thoughts and ideas are enriched and clarified
when these are verbalized in the course of the learners’ interaction with each other.

Do you know how a classroom guided by constructivist ideas differs from traditional
classrooms? Some of the ideas in the table below are adapted from Brooks and brooks
(1993).

TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM CONSTRUCTIVIST CLASSROOM

Curriculum emphasizes basic skills and Curriculum emphasizes BIG concepts; proceeds
proceeds from the parts to the whole. from the whole and expanding to include the parts

Adheres strictly to fixed curriculum Values student questions and interests

Primary materials are the textbook and Materials are varied and include
workbook. manipulatives.
Learning is based on repetition. Learning is interactive, building on what the student
already knows.
Teachers disseminate information; students Teachers facilitate the students’ construction of
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 receive knowledge. knowledge.
Teacher’s role is directive, rooted in authority. Teacher’s role is interactive, rooted in negotiation.

Assessment is through pen-and- paper testing. Assessment focuses on both process and product;
emphasizes authenticity of tasks.
Knowledge is seen as inert. Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever changing with
our experiences.
Students work alone. Students work in groups.

In the constructivist classroom, teaching must give learners the opportunity for concrete,
contextually meaningful experience through which they can search for patterns, raise their own
questions, and construct their own models, concepts and strategies.
In general, contemporary learning theories in mathematics place emphasis on the following:
1. the extended use of concrete experiences and a more gradual move to abstraction;
2. the support of meaningful practical activities;
3. the use of manipulative materials;
4. the importance of integrating knowledge in a meaningful way;
5. the value of discussion; and,
6. the need to cater for individual differences.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 1.4
1. Is your classroom primarily traditional or constructivist?
2. Do you see some advantages of shifting from a traditional classroom to a constructivist one?
If yes, what are these? If no, why not?
3. Do you see some difficulties in adopting the constructivist perspective in teaching? If yes,
what are these?
4. Which teaching style would a teacher likely adopt if they see mathematics as a study of
patterns and relationships? Why do you say so?

Let’s Try!!

ACTIVITY 1.5 What the BEC Says

As a beginning teacher, you must be familiar with the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC).
Do you know what the BEC says about the teaching and learning of mathematics? Here is an

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 excerpt from the philosophy of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). Read it carefully and
answer the reflection questions that follow.
LET’S READ
Philosophy of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum
• The emphasis is on the empowerment of learners who are competent in learning how to
learn and have life skills so that they become a self-developed person who is makabayan, makatao,
makakalikasan, and makadiyos.
• Curriculum is an interactive and collaborative one. Hence, it is based on the principle that
there are two main sources of reliable and meaningful knowledge for contemporary basic education:
expert systems of knowledge (teachers, textbooks and other resources) and the learner’s experience in
their context.
• The teacher is not the authoritarian instructor but a facilitator or manager of the learning
process. Thus, the teacher helps students to learn not primarily answers but how to reflect on,
characterize and discuss problems and how, on their initiative, they can form or find valid answers.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 1.5
1. In your view, is the philosophy of the 2002 BEC inclined towards the behaviorist or the
constructivist perspective? Why do you say so?
2. What implications does the philosophy of the 2002 BEC have on your teaching?
3. Who are you as a mathematics future teacher? Write down your views about mathematics
teaching and learning.

SCQ 1.6 Answer the following questions briefly to check your understanding of the lesson.
1. Describe how a teacher who subscribes to a behaviorist perspective views the teaching and
learning of mathematics.
2. If you subscribe to constructivism, how would you teach math? Why?
3. Discuss the nature and goals of mathematics and their implications to the teaching and
learning of mathematics.

POINTS TO REMEMBER
• Mathematics is a study of patterns and relationships; a way of thinking; an art, characterized by
order and internal consistency; a language, using carefully defined terms and symbols; and, a tool
(NCTM, 1989).
• The five broad goals of mathematics education to meet students’ mathematical needs for the
21st century is: to value mathematics; to reason mathematically; to communicate mathematics; to
solve problems; and to develop confidence.

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• Behaviorism is characterized by the use of stimulus-response situations through which
connections are practiced.
• Cognitivism is characterized by the emphasis on the learners and in providing them with an
environment in which they investigate and perhaps discover and in which understandings might
be constructed through their own efforts

Constructivism is a theory about knowledge and learning that is anchored on the following
principles: (1) Learners construct understanding; (2) To understand something is to know
relationships; (3) All learning depends on prior knowledge; and, (4) Learning is enhanced by social
interaction. In general, contemporary learning theories in mathematics place emphasis on the
following: the use of concrete experiences and a more gradual move to abstraction; the support of
meaningful practical activities; the use of manipulatives; and the value of discussion and integrating
knowledge in a meaningful way.

Weeks 2-3 Module 2: STRATEGIES IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS

LET’S READ

INTRODUCTION
Now you know what mathematics is, why it is important, and what the theories say about how
students learn. But how do you teach it? As they say, good teachers understand theory, and they
translate theory into practice. There is no single best strategy or method in teaching mathematics
since the choice of teaching strategy depends on a number of factors. As near future mathematics
teachers we are expected to have a repertoire of teaching strategies and methods that cater to the
specific purposes and needs of our class. Research has shown that teaching strategies that are
interactive, integrated, experiential, varied, and that tries to connect the lesson to the students’ daily
lives are effective. This lesson will walk you through some of these instructional strategies such as
Inquiry, Problem-based Learning (PBL), Cooperative Learning, Use of Rathmell Triangle Model,
Concept Attainment, and Peer Practice. Emphasis will be placed on instructional learner-centered
strategies that promote a constructivist classroom environment.

OBJECTIVES: After going through this lesson, you should be able to:
1. compare the direct instructional approach to the interactive, learner centered-
approaches; 2. discuss various strategies in teaching mathematics with focus on the roles of the
teacher and the learners, and the procedure; 3. apply the Rathmell-Triangle Model in developing a
concept; and, 4. construct sample lessons using concept attainment
. LET’S READ

Research-Based Strategies

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 What instructional strategies best enhance student achievement? After many years of teaching,
seasoned teachers can identify some of these strategies based on their experiences.
To help answer this question, Marzano, Gaddy and Dean (2000, in Feden & Vogel, 2003)
conducted a meta-analysis of what works in the classroom. A ‘meta- analysis’ requires summarizing
a large number of research studies and combining their results. The results of their study yielded
nine (9) categories of good instructional practices. Most of them are self-explanatory and not new to
you! In fact, you may be practicing most of them. We will just go over each one briefly.

1. Identifying similarities and differences. Recall that mathematics is defined as a study of patterns
and relationships. Identifying similarities and differences is a crucial step towards identifying
patterns and relationships. The Concept Attainment Strategy is one good example of this
instructional strategy.
2. Summarizing and note taking. To summarize concepts learned, you may use tables, graphic
organizers and concept mapping.
3. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition. These are extrinsic ways of motivating learners,
which, if done well, will develop intrinsic motivation among the learners.
4. Homework and practice. These develop procedural knowledge and are best if the practice is
followed by specific feedback.
5. Nonlinguistic representations. The use of visual representations and manipulative models in
mathematics help learners understand concepts that are otherwise abstract.
6. Cooperative learning. These are effective promoters of student achievement and will be
discussed in greater detail in this lesson.
7. Setting goals and providing feedback. Setting goals provides direction to student learning and
providing feedback tells them how far they have gone in reaching their goals.
8. Generating and testing hypothesis. The discovery or inquiry approaches in teaching
mathematics, as well as the Concept Attainment Strategy and Concept Formation Strategy,
encourage learners to generate and test hypothesis.
9. Activating prior knowledge. This can be connected to our discussion of constructivism in
Lesson 1. Learners learn best when they build on previous knowledge and when they are able to
make meaningful connections between what they already know and what the new learning.
Do you think you can integrate all of these good instructional practices in your teaching? You can
start by identifying those that you can readily integrate in your teaching and working on the rest
one at a time. Good luck!
LET’S READ
The Two Main Methods: Deductive and Inductive
You often hear of emerging and innovative strategies like interactive, integrated, multi-disciplinary,
reflective or brain-based. The variety of strategies in the educational literature seems endless, but all

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these can be classified either as deductive or inductive strategies. Can you differentiate between the
two?

Deductive method begins with what is abstract, general, and unknown to the learners and proceeds
to what is concrete, specific and what is known to the learner. Teaching begins with the rule or
principle, then examples are given to explain the rule or principle.
Inductive method starts with what is specific, concrete and what is known to the learners and ends
with what is abstract, general and unknown. Teaching begins from the concrete experiences of the
learners and from there moves to the rule or principle.

SAMPLE LESSONS USING DEDUCTIVE AND INDUCTIVE METHODS

A. USING THE DEDUCTIVE METHOD

Lesson Topic: Converting Mixed Numbers to Improper Fractions and Vice- Versa
Objectives: To convert mixed numbers to improper fractions To convert improper fractions to
mixed numbers Materials: flash cards Procedure:
Starter/Motivation
Use flash cards on fractions and mixed numbers. Let the pupils identify whether the number
on the card is a proper fraction, an improper fraction, or a mixed number.
Lesson Proper
1. Discuss how a mixed number can be written as an improper fraction by stating the rule.
(Multiply the denominator of the mixed number to its whole number, then add the
numerator to the product.
This will be the numerator of the improper fraction. Use the same denominator.) 2.
Illustrate the rule by showing examples. To convert 4 1/ 2 to improper fraction:
Multiply 2 and 4 then add 1
Copy the denominator 4 Answer: 9/4
3. State how an improper fraction can be written as a mixed number.
(Divide the numerator by the denominator. The remainder becomes the numerator
of the mixed number and the partial quotient becomes the whole number of the
mixed number. Use the same denominator.)
4. Illustrate the rule by showing an example.
To convert 5/4 to mixed number: =1¼
Practice
1. Give additional exercises for the pupils to work on.
2. Call on volunteers to show the answers. Discuss the answers.
Evaluation

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 A. Convert each of the following mixed numbers to improper fractions.
a. 1 ½ b. 4 ¾ c. 7 ¼ d. 8 5/6
B. Convert each of the following improper fractions to mixed numbers.
a. 17/ 2 b. 15/4 c. 11/3 d. 9/5
C. Explain briefly.
a. How do you convert a mixed number to an improper fraction?
b. How do you convert an improper fraction to a mixed number?
Homework
Assign the page number in the workbook or give a worksheet to be answered.

B. USING THE INDUCTIVE METHOD

Lesson Topic: Converting Mixed Numbers to Improper Fractions and Vice-Versa
Objectives: To convert mixed numbers to improper fractions To convert improper fractions to
mixed numbers Materials: fraction discs, whole-part chart Procedure:
Starter/Motivation
Ask pupils to work in pairs. Each pupil should have his or her fraction discs and whole-part chart.
Mario has 2 1/4 hotcakes left. He slices the hotcakes into fourths so he can give them away to his
friends. How many fourths does he make?
Lesson Proper
1. Let the pupils show 2 1/4 on their whole-part chart. Let them identify the whole and the
part. Whole Part

WHOLE PART

2. Ask the pupils to convert the 2 wholes into fourths. How many fourths are there now?
(There are 9 one-fourths or 9 (1/4), thus 2 1/4 = 9/4 )1

3. Let them convert each of these mixed numbers to improper fractions using the same
procedure:
a) 1 ¼ b) 2 1/3 c.). 3 1/2

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 4. Ask them to find a pattern of converting mixed numbers to improper fractions (without
using the fraction discs).

5. Let the pupils show seven fourths (that is, 7/4 ).

WHOLE PART

6. Place the 7 fourths on the whole-part chart. Use a whole circle disc for the fourths that form
a whole.
WHOLE PART

7. Read the number on the chart now (Ans: 1 3/4 )

8. Let the pupils convert the following to mixed numbers using the same procedure:

a) 5/4 b) 7/3 c.) 10/4

9. Ask them to find a pattern of converting mixed numbers to improper fractions (without using the
fraction discs).

10.State the generalizations.

Practice
1. Give additional exercises for the pupils to work on.
2. Call on volunteers to show the answers. Discuss the answers.
Evaluation
A. Convert each of the following mixed numbers to improper fractions. You may
use your fraction discs and whole-part chart.
a. 1 ½ b. 4 ¾ c. 7 ¼ d. 8 5/6
B. Convert each of the following improper fractions to mixed numbers. You may
use your fraction discs and whole-part chart.
a. 17/ 2 b. 15/4 c. 11/3 d. 9/5
C. Explain briefly.
a. How do you convert a mixed number to an improper
fraction?
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 b. How do you convert an improper fraction to a mixed
number? Homework
Assign the page number in the workbook or give a worksheet to be answered.
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 2.1
1. Identify at least two advantages and two disadvantages of the inductive method.
2. Identify at least two advantages and two disadvantages of the deductive method.
How do you choose the right method or strategy for teaching a lesson? Is there a “best” method?

LET’S READ
Factors in Choosing a Method or Strategy
1. Instructional Objective. If the objective is to master multiplication facts, the strategy may be
more on drill and practice. However, if the objective is to develop the concept of fraction, the lesson
may require a more activity-oriented strategy involving lots of manipulative materials and reflective
thinking.
2. The nature of the subject matter. Generally, the inductive approach is favored over the
deductive approach, but certain topics are more efficiently and effectively taught using the deductive
method. When the topic is too difficult, the use of the inductive method may require too much time and
effort and may not be successful. On the other hand, when the topic is too easy and routinary, it is best
taught deductively to save time.
3. The learners. The learner’s readiness is a factor we cannot ignore. Complex, investigative
strategies may be more suitable for more competent students while drill and practice for mastery may
be more appropriate for the less competent students.
4. The teacher. Beginning teachers, or those who are still groping with the subject matter, are
usually more confident using the deductive method. The inductive method requires a solid and deep
understanding of the subject matter as it involves more processing of ideas and student responses.
5. School Policies. Some schools adopt a particular approach to teaching. For instance, certain
private schools claim that their schools employ learner-centered strategies while others boast of brain-
based strategies or thematic, integrated approaches to teaching. On the other hand, there are schools that
put emphasis on mastery of skills.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 2.2
1. Cite a lesson objective that is best taught using the deductive method. Justify your choice.
2. Cite a lesson objective that is best taught using the inductive method. Justify your choice.

LET’S READ

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Strategies in Teaching Mathematics
Here are some common strategies in teaching mathematics. The first one uses a deductive approach
while the rest are variations of the inductive approach.

Interactive Direct Instruction

Do you recall how your teachers taught you? Chances are it was through direct instruction.

Direct instruction is the most traditional approach in teaching. It is teacher- centered and is an
efficient means of covering content. However, while it is the most widely used by teachers, it is
criticized as the least effective in promoting real learning among the learners.
Gunter, Estes, and Schwab (1995) describe the steps in the direct instructional approach as
follows:
1. Review previously learned material.
2. State objectives for the lesson.
3. Present the new material.

4. Provide guided practice with corrective feedback.

5. Assign independent practice with corrective feedback.
6. Review periodically and provide corrective practice.

Do these steps sound too familiar? Learners will certainly be better off if you can provide variety to
this all time favorite! Can you do that?
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 2.3
1. Cite at least two advantages of the interactive direct instruction strategy.
2. Cite at least two disadvantages of the interactive direct instruction strategy.
3. Describe the lecture method that your teachers used when you were a student. Is it similar to
the interactive direct instruction strategy? In what ways?
Powerful Questions
Questioning is one of the most powerful modes of teaching. It has the potential to greatly
facilitate the learning process when used appropriately. Using questions and answers to challenge
assumptions, expose contradictions and lead to a new understanding is an undeniably powerful
teaching approach. In fact, it is widely believed that in order to teach well, one must be able to
question well.
Knowing what to ask is one fundamental tool of effective teachers. What kinds of questions do
teachers usually ask?

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 Convergent Vs Divergent Questions
Convergent questions require single responses and there is usually one correct or best response.
Examples: a) What is the value of pi? b) Find the product of 6 and 7.

Divergent questions require students to give more general or open responses to questions that may
have more than one appropriate answer.
Examples: a) What are the possible dimensions of a rectangle whose area is 100 cm2 ? b)
Show different ways of adding 28 and 67.
Questions may be categorized according to the level of thinking they are likely to stimulate
using Bloom’s taxonomy, which incidentally has been recently revised. In the new version, Bloom's
six major categories were changed from noun to verb forms. Additionally, the lowest level of the
original, knowledge was renamed and became remembering. Finally, comprehension and synthesis
were retitled to understanding and creating. In an effort to minimize the confusion, comparison
images appear below.
Old Version New Version
Knowledge Remembering
Comprehension Understanding
Application Applying
Analysis Analyzing
Synthesis Evaluating
Evaluation Creating

The new terms are defined as:

• Remembering: Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory.
Example: What is the answer in subtraction?
• Understanding: Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting,
exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining.
Example: State in your own words the steps in subtracting numbers with regrouping.
• Applying: Carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing. Example: Subtract
128 from 400.
• Analyzing: Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and
to an overall structure or purpose through differentiating, organizing, and attributing.
Example: Joy received P50 from her mother. She bought a book for P75 and still had P28 in her wallet.
How much money did she have in her wallet at the start?
• Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing.
Example: Here is Jo’s solution to a subtraction problem: 96 -58 = 48. Is her solution correct? Why or why
not?

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• Creating: Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a
new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing.
Example: How many different ways can you subtract 58 from 96? Discuss each way.

Bloom's Taxonomy
The The Cognitive Process Dimension
Knowledge Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create
Dimension
Factual List Summarize Classify Order Rank Combine
Knowledge
Conceptual Describe Interpret Experiment Explain Assess Plan
Knowledge
Procedural Tabulate Predict Calculate Differentiate Conclude Compose
Knowledge
Meta- Appropriate Execute Construct Achieve Action Actualize
Cognitive Use
Knowledge

Questions in the remembering and understanding categories are considered to be lower-order

questions as these require lower-order thinking skills only. Those in the other categories are
considered to be higherorder questions as these require higher-order thinking skills (HOTS).
For questioning to be a powerful strategy, a teacher should take note of the following (Feden and
Vegel, 2003):
1. Try to ask as many higher-order questions as lower-order questions, if possible. Sadly, teachers
tend to ask mostly lower-order questions.
2. Know how to time and pace your questions.
3. Use prompting questions (hints or clues) to help students respond to your questions.
4. Ask probing questions to seek clarification and to lead students to a more complete and
thoughtful answer.
5. Allow enough time for students to answer a question.
6. Provide verbal and non-verbal reinforcements to students’ responses such as “OK”, “Good
work!”.
LET’S TRY
ACTIVITY 2.1
A. Directions: Write L if the question is a lower–order question and H if it is a higher-order question.
1. What is the numerator of ½ ?
2. What must be added to -5 to get 4?

Course Code FIN 105 Page 24

 3. Is your answer to the problem logical?
4. Which is a better buy: a 50 g butter for P12 or a 100 g butter for P23?
5. What is a triangle with 3 equal sides?
6. What is the rule in multiplying integers?
7. State the Pythagorean theorem.
8. Jo is thrice older than Ray. If Jo’s age is c, what is Ray’s age in terms of c?
9. How is addition related to subtraction?
10. Allan bought a shirt at 25% discount. If he paid P240 for the shirt, what was its original price?
B. Directions: Do what is asked.
1. Write (1) divergent question.
2. Write (1) convergent question

LET’S READ
Rathmell Triangle Model
The Rathmell Triangle Model is a versatile framework for teaching mathematics. It states
that relationships must be discussed between and among real-life situations, materials, language and
symbols to develop strong mathematical ideas. Study the model below.
CONCEPT: Fraction as Part of a Whole

Indira sliced a pineapple pie into four equal parts. She ate one of the four pieces.
What part of the pie did she eat?
REAL-LIFE SITUATION

Concrete/pictorial
MODEL

One-fourth
LANGUAGE ¼ SYMBOL

This triangle model suggests six interactions that need to be facilitated:

Model to Language Language to Model
Model to Symbol Symbol to Model
Language to Symbol Symbol to Language

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 A strategy that is anchored on this model begins with a real-life application of the concept to
make the lesson more meaningful to the learners. It uses concrete or visual materials to illustrate the
concept before proceeding to the operation of symbols. Also, emphasis is placed on the mathematical
language used.

Here are sample activities that focus on each interaction.

Interaction Activity
Model to Language The teacher shades 3 of 10 equal parts of a circle
and asks, “What fraction is shaded?”
Language to Model The teacher asks: “Shade 1/6 of a circle.”
Model to Symbol The teacher shows 5 parts shaded out of 6 equal
parts and asks: “Write down the fraction shaded in
symbols.”
Symbol to Model The teacher directs the students to shade a
rectangle to show this fraction. She writes 3/8 on
the board.
Language to Symbol The teacher says, “Write down four-sevenths in
symbols.”
Symbol to Language The teacher shows a card with 2/5 written on it and
says: “Say this out loud.”

Can you integrate all these activities in teaching a concept?

LET’S TRY

ACTIVITY 2.2 Applying the Rathmell Triangle Model

Procedure:
1. Choose a concept or lesson that you want to develop.
2. Pose a real-life situation that requires the application of the concept.
3. Identify the concrete or pictorial model to be used to help develop the concept. 4. Complete the grid
below by describing the activity that develops each of the six relationships in the Rathmell Triangle.
Concept: __________________________________

Real-Life Situation
Concrete/pictorial Model of the Concept:
Development of the Six Relationships

Interaction Activity

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 Model to Language
Language to Model
Model to Symbol
Symbol to Model
Language to Symbol
Symbol to Language
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 2.4
1. What are the benefits of starting a lesson with a real-life situation?
2. Why should you always try to start with a model/pictorial or concrete representation of the
concept before going to abstract representations?
3. Why is there a need to emphasize the language appropriate to the concept being developed?
LET’S READ

Cooperative Learning
When performing a mathematical task, do you prefer to work alone or in groups? A lot of us feel
more confident when working in groups. When performing a mathematical task, do you prefer to work
alone or in groups? A lot of us feel more confident when working in groups.
Cooperative learning is an educational format that is useful in many strategies in teaching
mathematics. In this format, students work together in small mixed ability groups to achieve a
particular goal or to complete an academic task. It fosters social skills, positive peer relationships and
a high level of selfesteem, thus reducing competition and increasing cooperation among students.
This strategy serves the following purposes:
1. to increase achievement through group collaboration that enables students to learn from
each other;
2. to provide an alternative to the competitive structure of most classrooms today that
discourages poorer students;
3. to improve human relations in the classroom by promoting interdependent activities that
teach collaborative skills (Wilen, et al , 2000)
Cooperative Learning is appropriate to use when:
1. the task demands collaborative effort;
2. the open-ended problem-solving activity calls for clarification and a range of strategies for the
solution;
3. the resources/sources are limited.

Roles of the Teacher and Learners

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 The teacher takes on these roles:
1. Acts as facilitator by forming groups whose members work together on shared goals.
2. Plans the tasks, and explains them and the goals of each task to the students
3. Monitors the groups, provides assistance, intervenes whenever necessary, and evaluates the groups
and the students
Learners take on the following roles:
1. Give and receive assistance, feedback, reinforcement and support each other
2. Take responsibility for each group member’s learning as well as for one’s academic success
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 2.5
1. Why is it good for students to work cooperatively?
2. Do you think cooperative learning will work with your students? Why or why not?
3. Identify 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of cooperative learning.
4. Cite a lesson or a learning situation that may require cooperative learning.
LET’S READ

Five common formats used for cooperative learning are the following (Wilen, et al, 2000):
1. Student Teams-Achievement Division (STAD) – Teacher presents content or skill. Students
complete common tasks in groups and then are tested individually. Individual student’s improvements
in performance are calculated to get team score.
2. Think-Pair-Share – Students first try to work-out the task by themselves. Then they form pairs
and interacts and discuss their thoughts with each other. Finally they share their understandings with the
class.

3. Jigsaw – Students are assigned to teams. The academic material is divided into several sections.
The members of different teams who have studied the same sections meet in “expert groups” to discuss
their sections. Then the students return to their teams and take turns teaching their teammates about
their section.
4. Team Assisted Instruction – Students are assigned materials at their own achievement level and
are assisted by their group members in learning the material. Group points are obtained through
improvement on individual tests.
5. Group Investigation – Students take responsibility for their own learning as each group decides
what to investigate, what contribution each will make and how each will communicate what they have
learned (Lewis and Doorlag, 1991).

Structure

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The following are the steps in implementing cooperative learning (Johnson, Johnson and Smith, 1991, in
Wilen, et al 2000):
1. Planning
2. Preparing Students
3. Monitoring and Intervening
4. Evaluating and Processing

Research has shown the positive effects of grouping students for collaborative work. Not only do
they feel more relaxed, they also learn more!

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 2.6
1. Recall an instance when you were a student that you were asked to work in groups. What task was
assigned to your group?
2. Did you assign roles for the members in the group? Why do you think this is important?
3. Does working in groups really help the learners learn? Justify your answer.
4. How do you think learners should be assessed when working in groups? MODULE
LET’S READ

Inquiry Method
Are you familiar with these approaches: discovery, inductive thinking, reflective teaching, and
problem solving? Inquiry is viewed as synonymous with these approaches and is like a generic term for
all of them.
Inquiry is a flexible instructional method used to involve students in a process to analyze a
problem or issue in a logical and systematic way (Wilen, et al, 2000). It is appropriate to use when
inductive thinking and learning the inquiry process itself are among the objectives. This method teaches
both content and an investigative process that has application to life. Notice how similar the phases of
the inquiry method are to the scientific method!

Practices–Phases of the Inquiry Method (Wilen, et al, 2000).

Phase I- Entry: Presentation and Clarification of a Problem, an Issue or a

Question a. State objectives; provide rationale.
b. Identify a problem, an issue or a query
c. Relate to students’ experiences and lives.
d. Clarify the problem.

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 Phase II – Formation of Hypotheses
a. Encourage the formation of tentative explanations of solutions.
b. Clarify hypotheses.
Phase III – Collection of Data
1. Facilitate the identification of sources of evidence.
2. Assist in the evaluation of the evidence.
Phase IV – Test Hypotheses
1. Assist in organizing the data.
2. Assist in the analysis and evaluation of the data.
Phase V – Closure: Draw Conclusions
a. Facilitate the reaching of a generalization, an explanation or a solution.
b. Integration and transition
Admittedly, using the inquiry approach takes up so much time. But though you get to cover less
material, more is retained in the minds of the learner.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 2.7
1. Have you tried the inquiry method in class? If yes, how did you find it?
2. Why do you think the inquiry method is applicable to mathematics and not just to sciences?
LET’S READ

Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

Problem-based learning is closely aligned with the inquiry and discovery methods of teaching
and performance assessment (for more information about performance assessment, see Lesson 3 of this
module). It is centered on posing a problem and leading student through an investigative procedure to
solve it. The problem should be complex enough to encourage critical thought and group effort. PBL
provides students with the opportunity to understand and resolve ill-structured problems under the
guidance, rather than the direction, of the teacher (Feden & Vogel, 2003). Through PBL, students learn
content and skills in the context of the types of problems encountered in the “real world” (O Neil,
1992). Steps:
1. Present the problem statement. Introduce an “ill-structured” problem. Students should not
have enough prior knowledge to solve the problem.
Example: You are interested in buying a new vehicle. What should your annual salary be to
afford the car that you want?
2. List what is known.
> Students list what they know to solve the problem.
Course Code FIN 105 Page 30
 > This may include data from the situation as well as information based on prior
knowledge. > Write this information under the heading “What do we know?”

3. Develop a problem statement. > A problem statement should come from the students’
analysis of what they know. > The problem statement will probably have to be refined as new
information is discovered and brought to bear on the situation.
4. List what is needed.
> Students will list the information they need to fill in missing gaps under the heading
“What do we need to know”.
> These questions will guide searches that may take place on-line, in the library, and in other
out-of-class searches.
5. List possible actions, recommendations, solutions, or hypotheses.
> Students list actions to be taken (e.g. questioning an expert) under the heading “What should
we do?”
> Formulate and test tentative hypotheses.
6. Present and support the solution.
> As part of closure, teachers may require students to communicate orally and/or in writing,
their findings and recommendations.

The product should include:

Problem statement
Questions
Data gathered Analysis of data
Support for solutions or recommendations based on analysis Students should
write their plans in the organizer below.

What do we know? What do we need to know? What should we do?

Evaluating the Strategy:

The use of PBL is successful when:
1. Students are able to solve the problem on their own.
2. Students work together and are actively engaged in solving the problem.
3. Students use various resources and try out different means to solve the problem.

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 4. Students use mapping and other visual organizers to organize information and visualize
relationships among variables.
Useful Tips:
1. Select problems that are interesting and relevant to the students.
2. Use questioning effectively to guide the students.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 2.8
1. Compare Problem-Based Learning to the Inquiry Method. Do you think PBL is part of the
Inquiry Method? Justify your answer.
2. Why is there a need to emphasize problem solving in your teaching of mathematics?
3. When is the PBL strategy most suitable to use?
LET’S READ
Concept Attainment Strategy (CAS)
Another strategy that is applicable in teaching a variety of mathematical concepts is concept
attainment. This strategy is used when you want students to discover the essential attributes of a
concept. It can sharpen students’ skills in
• separating important from unimportant information;
• searching for patterns and making generalizations; and,
• defining and explaining concepts.
Steps:
1. Select a concept and identify its essential
attributes. 2. Present examples and non-
examples of the concept.
3. Let students identify or define the concept based on its essential attributes.
4. Ask students to generate additional examples.
Evaluating the Strategy:
The use of concept attainment strategy is successful when:
1. Students are able to identify the essential attributes of the concept.
2. Students are able to generate their own examples.
3. Students are able to describe the process they used to find the essential attributes of
the concept.

Useful Tips:
1. Each example contains all the essential attributes of the concept.

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 2. The set of non-examples helps students distinguish between essential and non-
essential attributes of the concept.

Sample of Concept Attainment Strategy for Upper Primary and Secondary Classes

Concept: Polygon

These are polygons.

These are not polygons.

Define a polygon. ___________________________________

____________________________________

Which of the following are polygons? Tick (/) your answers.

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Give additional examples of a polygon.

Sample of Concept Attainment Strategy for Lower Primary Classes

Concept: One-Half or Symmetry
Can You Guess My Idea?

YES Examples NO Examples

LET’S TRY
ACTIVITY 2.3
Directions: Prepare a sample plan using the concept attainment strategy similar to the examples given
by answering these questions. Follow the format that suits the grade level of your students.
1. What is the concept you want to develop?
2. Give examples of the concept:
3. Give non-examples of the concept.
4. List the essential characteristics of the concept: Are these characteristics clearly shown in the
examples given?

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 5. Ask the students to define the concept.
6. Ask the students to provide more examples of the concept.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 2.9
1. Were you able to define the concept of polygon in the first sample plan? If yes, how did you do it? If
no, why not?
2. Were you able to write your own concept attainment plan? How did you find that activity?
3. How is CAS for lower primary different from the CAS for upper levels?
LET’S READ

Concept Formation Strategy

The concept formation strategy is used when you want students to make connections between
and among essential elements of the concept (ASCD, 1987).
Steps:
1. Present a particular question or problem.
2. Ask students to generate data relevant to the question or problem.
3. Let the students group data with similar attributes.
4. Ask students to label each group of data with a word or phrase.
5. Have students explore the relationships between and among the groups. They may group
the data in various ways and some groups may be subsumed in other groups based on
their attributes.

Evaluating the Strategy:

The use of concept formation strategy is successful when:
1. Students are able to group the data in one way or in different ways.
2. Students are able to label the different groups.
3. Students are able to identify relationships and hierarchies between and among
groups.
Useful Tips:
1. Provide guide questions to help students group the data.
2. Place each data on cards or paper cut-outs to allow students to group and re- group
them easily.
Sample Plan Using the Concept Formation Strategy
Concept: Real numbers

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 Generating data: Ask the students to give as many different kinds of numbers as possible.

Grouping and labeling: Ask the students to group data with similar attributes and label them.

Possible groups and labels:

counting numbers zero whole numbers integers
fractions positive integers negative integers
decimals irrational numbers real numbers
Regrouping and Subsuming:
0 + counting numbers = whole
numbers whole numbers + negative
integers = integers
fractions + repeating, terminating decimals = rational numbers
rational numbers + irrational numbers = real numbers

WORKSHEET FOR CONCEPT FORMATION

STRATEGY

DIRECTIONS: Place the numbers that seem to go together in the same circle. Then name the circles.
You can re-group and make additional circles.

1/2
-1

-1.2

-5
-7 3
Course Code FIN 105 Page 36
 215

1/5

√2
-2/3

3.33
π

-3.2
0

Peer Practice Strategy

The peer practice strategy is used when you want students to develop a deeper understanding of
the concepts by practicing previously taught information (ASCD, 1987). They do so by teaching their
peers and honing their helping skills in the process. This strategy allows students to learn how to help
each other and how to communicate effectively.
Steps:
1. Prepare parallel worksheets for students.
2. Form peer practice partners.
3. Discuss the roles of the Doer and the Helper.

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 DOER
1. Answers the worksheet.
2. Communicates their answers and questions with the Helper.
HELPER
1. Observes and listens to the Doer.
2. Checks the Doer’s answers against the criteria 3. Responds
to the Doer’s questions and commends correct answers.
Evaluating the Strategy:
The use of peer practice strategy is successful
when:
1. Students are able to work together as
partners.
2. Students are able to help their partner learn the material using the answer key.
3. Students are able to perform their roles correctly.
Useful Tips:
1. The answer key must include the solutions to the problems.
2. The answer key must be clear and easy to understand.
3. Peer partners swap roles regularly.
4. Students are trained to guide their partners and provide positive feedback.

Sample Plan Using the Peer Practice Strategy for Upper Primary Grades

Concept: Ratio and Proportion

Skill: Solving ratio and proportion problems
Worksheets 1 and 2 will be provided to each pair, one for each student.
WORKSHEET 1
TASK A Answers to Task B
1. There are 25 mangoes and 15 chicos in a basket. 56 chairs: 8 tables
What is the ratio of mangoes to chicos? 56 : 8
Dividing both by 8, the GCF,
56/8 : 8/8
7:1
2. What is the ratio of 72 hours to 2 days? 3 weeks : 28 days
(since 1 week = 7 days)
21: 28
Dividing both by 7, the GCF,
21/7 : 28/7

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 3:4
3.Find x : 10: 18 = 25 : x
6: x = 54 : 45 10x = 18 (25)
10x = 18(25)
10 10 x
= 45
The product of the extremes is equal to the product
of the means.
4. In a school meeting, the ratio of teachers to Cows: Goats = Cows: Goats
parents is 2: 15. If there are 14 teachers, how many 4: 5 = 16 : x
parents are there? 5(16) = 4x
44
x= 20
In a group of 65 students, the ratio of dancers to Boy scouts: Girl scouts
singers is 3:2. How many were dancers? 5:3
5+3=8
Dividing 72 by 8, we get 9.
5 (9) = 45 boy scouts
3 (9) = 27 girl scouts

WORKSHEET 2

TASK B Answers to Task A

1. There are 56 chairs and 8 tables in a room. What 25 mangoes: 15 chicos
is the ratio of tables to chairs? 25 : 15
Dividing both by 5, the GCF
25/5 : 15/5
5:3
2.What is the ratio of 3 weeks to 28 days? 72 hours : 2 days
(since 1 day = 24 hours)
72 hours : 48 hours
72 : 48
Dividing both by 24,the GCF
72/24 : 48/24
3:2
3. Find x : 10: 18 = 25 : x. 6: x = 54 : 45
54x = 45 (6)

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 54x = 45(6)
54 54 x
=5
Note: The product of the extremes is equal to the
product of the means.
4. The ratio of cows to goats in a class is 4:5. If T : P = T : P
there are 16 cows, how many goats are there? 2: 15 = 14 : x
14(15) = 2x
14(15) = 2x
2 2
105 = x
5. There are 72 scouts in a camp. If the ratio of boy Dancers : Singers
scouts to girl scouts is 5:3, how many boy scouts 3 : 2
are there? 3+2=5
Dividing 65 by 5, we get 13.
3 (13) = 39 dancers
2 (13) = 26 singers

LET’S TRY

ACTIVITY 2.4
Do the Peer Practice Strategy
Procedures:
1. Follow the steps for doing the peer practice strategy.
2. Complete the peer practice worksheets 1 and 2. Remember the answers to a task are written on
the other worksheet.

Sample Plan Using the Peer Practice Strategy

Concept/skill: Identifying and naming fractions
Parts of the Lesson:
A. Presenting the Roles
The teacher discusses the roles of the doer and the helper. Peer practice pairs are formed.
B. Implementing the Roles
The teacher provides the worksheets. The students perform their tasks.
C. Discussing the Roles
The teacher guides the students to reflect on and discuss their roles.

WORKSHEET 1

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 TASK A Answers to Task B
Directions: What No. of parts or Parts or objects Fraction shaded
fraction of the figure or objects in the set shaded
set is shaded?
1.
4 1 1/4

2.
6 2 2/6 or 1/3

3.

4.

5.

WORKSHEE
T2
TASK A Answers to Task B
Directions: What fraction of the No. of parts or Parts or objects Fraction shaded
figure or set is shaded? objects in the set shaded
1.
4 1 1/4

2.
6 2 2/6 or 1/3

3.

4.

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 5.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 2.10
1. Were you able to complete the peer practice worksheet? How did you find that activity?
2. Is the peer practice strategy useful in introducing a concept? Why or why not?
3. In your view, what are the advantages and limitations of the peer practice strategy?

Let’s Summarize

1. The two main teaching methods are:

Deductive method. Teaching begins with the rule or principle, then examples are given to explain the
rule or principle.
Inductive method. Teaching begins from the concrete experiences of the learners and from there moves
to the rule or principle.
2. Some commonly used teaching strategies, models and formats are:
Interactive Direct Instruction. A traditional approach in teaching, it is teacher- centered and is an
efficient means of covering content.
Cooperative Learning. It is an educational format in which students work together in small mixed
ability groups to achieve a particular goal or to complete an academic task.
Rathmell Triangle Model. A teaching strategy anchored in this model makes learning meaningful as it
shows the relationships between real-world situations, models, language and symbols.
Inquiry. Inquiry is a versatile instructional method used to involve students in a process to analyze a
problem or issue in a logical and systematic way.
Problem-based Learning (PBL). It is centered on posing a problem and leading students through an
investigative procedure to solve it.
Concept Attainment. It sharpens students’ skills in identifying essential information, in searching for
patterns and making generalizations; and, in defining and explaining concepts.
Concept Formation. Students are asked to generate data relevant to the question or problem. Then they
label each group of data with a word or phrase. It is used when you want students to make connections
between and among essential elements of the concept.
Peer Practice. It is used when you want students to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts by
practicing previously taught information. Students teach their peers and hone their helping skills in the
process.
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

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 SCQ 2.11
A. Directions: Read each item carefully. Choose the letter of the best answer.
1. Mr. Perez presented the laws of exponents and provided examples for each law. What strategy is he
using?
A. inquiry B. discovery C. PBL D. direct instruction
2. In a group activity, Ms. Infante observes that only 3 of the 5 students in the group are actually working on
the learning task. What is the best thing for her to do?
A. Scold the students who are not participating.
B. Assign specific roles to each member in the group.
C. Move the students who are not participating to another group.
D. Remind everyone that only those who are working will be graded
3. Which strategy is anchored on the idea that students learn from each other when working together on an
engaging task?
A. inquiry B. discovery C. direct instruction D. cooperative learning
4. Why is the use of real-life problems seen as good lesson starters?
A. They motivate the learners to listen.
B. They make the learners reflect on the lesson.
C. They make the lesson meaningful to the learners.
D. They are a good substitute for good motivational games..
5. Mr. Miguel wants to develop inquisitiveness, perseverance and a scientific attitude among his students.
Which strategy will NOT serve his purpose?
A. lecture B. inquiry C. discovery D. Problem-based learning
B. Describe in one or two paragraphs how you would teach the area of a rectangle using each of
these two methods:
1. Deductive Method
2. Inductive Method

Week 4 : Module 3: ASSESSMENT IN MATHEMATICS

LET’S READ
State whether the statement is true or false. Are you ready?
Writing tests, checking test papers, and computing grades are some of the essential tasks of a teacher.
While assessment is often viewed as being at the tail-end of the teaching- learning process, it is the
area that has been at the center of debates and discussion for the past couple of decades. Issues
concerning the validity and reliability of pen-and-paper tests versus those of authentic assessment

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procedures evoke strong sentiments from various sectors of the school community. Indeed, assessment is
riddled with so many misconceptions and traditional views and practices.
This lesson aims to identify these misconceptions, provide an overview of the assessment process,
review some commonly used testing formats, and offer some alternatives to pen-and-paper testing
through portfolio and performance assessment.
The topics will follow this sequence:
• Assessment, Evaluation and Testing
• Call for Changes in Student Assessment
• Authentic Assessment
• Balanced Assessment
• Portfolio
• Performance-Based Assessment

OBJECTIVES: After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. define the terms assessment, evaluation and testing;
2. review the different types of teacher-made tests and the tips on writing each type of test; 3.
discuss the criticisms against pen-and-paper tests, in general, and multiple- choice testing in
particular;
4. discuss authentic assessment and its advantages;
5. define balanced assessment;
6. define a mathematics portfolio, its purposes and process;
7. illustrate the kinds of performance tasks; and,
8. differentiate the two types of rubrics: holistic and analytic.
LET’S READ
Assessment, Evaluation and Testing
What’s the difference between assessment and evaluation? Which comes first?

The terms testing, assessment and evaluation are often used interchangeably, but strictly speaking, the
three terms mean differently and cannot be used interchangeably.

Assessment is the process of gathering information about students – what they know and can
do. Evaluation is the process of interpreting and making judgments about assessment information.
Testing is a means of assessment.

You must be very familiar with the different test formats. But let me give you some helpful tips on
testing.
Tests: Paper-and-pencil tests are often made up of essay and objective items.
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 Essay Test : An essay test measures higher-order thinking, including analysis, synthesis and
evaluation. It may require short answers such as a sentence or two, or extended responses which may
involve paragraphs.
Here are examples of essay items in mathematics:
➢ How are milligrams and milliliters similar? How are they
different? ➢ Is (-3)2 equal to – (3)2 ? Explain your answer.
Tips in Grading Essays
1. Be clear about your expectations by preparing a rubric for each essay.
2. Discuss with students the components that will be assessed and the percentages: for
example, comprehensiveness- 40%, accuracy, 40%, clarity of expression – 20%.
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 3.1
1. Is there a place for essay questions in mathematics tests? Explain.
2. Write two (2) essay questions on any topic in mathematics.
3.
Objective Test
The most common types of objective items are multiple-choice, true-false, matching, and
completion.
In writing any objective test item, the teacher must constantly watch out to avoid ambiguity.
The multiple-choice is the most useful objective test item but is also the most difficult to write.

Tips on Writing Multiple-Choice Test Items

1. Keep the language at the students’ level using good grammatical form.
2. Express as much of the substance of the item as possible in the stem.
3. Make certain that one option is clearly the best answer.
4. Make sure that each option is plausible.
5. Keep the options in an item consistent in type and length.
6. Avoid specific determiner words and absolutes such as every, none, always, and never.
7. Avoid using a double negative or a word used both in the stem and in the response.
8. Do not use all of the above as a distractor.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 3.2 : Identify the weakness of each item, then rewrite the item to improve it.
1. A fraction whose numerator is less than its denominator is called a
A. proper fraction B. improper fraction C. unit fraction 2. D. similar fractions
What is the place value of 2 in 0.123?

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 A. tenths B. hundredths C. thousandths D. all of the above
3. None of the following is larger than 0.65 EXCEPT
A. 0.5 B. 0.641 C. 0.7 D. 0.6000
4. Which of the following is a polygon?
A. circle B. square C. cube D. horse
5. A square is
A. a polygon with 4 right angles and 4 equal sides.
B. a 4-sided polygon.
C. a quadrilateral with 4 equal sides.
D. a quadrilateral with 4 right angles.

Tips on Writing True-False Items

1. Every item should be wholly true or wholly false.
2. Each item must be short and significant.
3. Whenever possible, avoid such items as generally and usually.
4. Avoid using double negative.
5. Avoid trivia.
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 3.3 : Identify the weakness of each item, and then rewrite the item to improve it.
TRUE OR FALSE
1. A circle is a closed plane figure and a polygon.
2. No equiangular triangle is not equilateral.
3. A diameter of a circle is twice longer than the length of any radius of the circle.
4. An isosceles triangle is usually an acute triangle.
5. Euclid was born on 300 B.C.
Tips on Writing Matching Items
1. Make sure all items concern one topic.
2. Include more possible answers than questions or state that some answers may be used more than
once.
3. Arrange the options in some logical order such as chronological or alphabetical.
4. State clearly in the direction the properties that are to be matched
(Examples: (1) Match the scientist to his or her famous invention,(2) Match the definition to the
term being defined)
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 3.4

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 Identify the weaknesses of this matching type test. Modify the test to improve it.
Directions: Match Column A with Column B.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. triangle a. pentagon
2. polygon with five sides b. square
3. special triangle c. 30°-60°-90°
4. congruent d. 180°
5. rectangle with four equal sides e.
Tips on Writing Completion Items
1. Write an item that can be completed with a single word or a short phrase.
2. Be sure that only one word or phrase can correctly complete the sentence.
3. Make all blanks the same length.
4. Do not give grammatical clues.
5. Do not put more than two blanks in any item.
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 3.5
Identify the weakness of each item, and then rewrite the item to improve it.

COMPLETION TYPE

1. A _________ is a triangle with at least one acute angle.

2. A parallelogram is __________________________________________.
3. A square is a parallelogram with 4 ________ angles and 4 ____ sides.
4. A triangle with two congruent sides is an ______________ triangle.
5. The __________ of a circle is a _________ that contains the ________ of the circle.

Testing is just one means of assessing students. Other sources of information about the
students’ strengths and weakness include students’ participation in class, homework, group work,
project, portfolio and performance. Portfolio and performance-based assessments are discussed in detail
in this module. The Department of Education provides the criteria for evaluating students.

Criticisms against Multiple-Choice Testing

Three main points have been raised against standardized, multiple choice tests (Hart, 1994): 1) The
results of standardized testing are often inconsistent, inaccurate and biased.
2) The tests are a poor measure of anything except a student’s test-taking abilities. 3) They
corrupt the very process they are supposed to improve.
4) Teachers’ obsession with multiple-choice test has damaged teaching and learning by:
Course Code FIN 105 Page 47
• putting too much value on recall and rote learning at the expense of understanding and reflection;
• promoting the misleading impression that there is a single answer for most every problem or question;
• turning students into passive learners who need only to recognize, not construct, answers and
solutions;
• forcing teachers to focus more on what can be tested easily than on what is important for students
to learn, thus, trivializing content and skill development.
Do you agree with these criticisms against multiple-choice testing? Why or why not?
To address these concerns, the NCTM (1989) recommends the following changes in student
assessment.
Recommendations for Student Assessment
Increased Attention Should Be Given To: Decreased Attention Should Be Given To:
1. Assessing what students know and how they 1. Assessing what students do not know about
think mathematics
2. Making assessment be an integral part of 2. Simply counting correct answers on tests for the
teaching purpose of assigning grades
3. Focusing on a broad range of mathematical 3. Focusing on a large number of specific and isolated
tasks and taking a holistic view of mathematics skills
4. Developing problem situations that require the 4. Using exercises or word problems requiring only one
application of a number of mathematical ideas. or two skills
5. Using multiple assessment techniques, including 5. Using only written tests
written, oral and demonstration formats
6. Using calculators, computers and manipulative 6. Excluding calculators, computers and manipulative
models in assessment models from the assessment process.
LET’S READ
Authentic Assessment
Thoughtful educators agree that if the goal is to move education away from trivialized or rote
learning, then teachers will have to change the way they assess students. But while many teachers are
aware that traditional tests alone fail to give a complete picture of students’ mathematical reasoning,
they seem to be stuck to their old habits for lack of competence in and understanding of authentic
assessment.
This lesson provides a bird’s eye view of where the assessment revolution is heading, that is,
towards authentic assessment. It tries to define what makes an assessment approach authentic in terms
of its design, structure and grading. It argues for authentic assessment by citing its benefits to the
students and the teachers. Lastly, it presents the processes of authentic assessment.
This lesson presents the variety of performance tasks, some examples of each that apply to the
mathematics classroom, and the rubrics that may be used for marking such tasks.
LET’S TRY

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 ACTIVITY 3.1 What Makes Assessment Authentic?
DIRECTIONS: Read each item carefully. Tick the statements that, in your opinion, characterize
authentic assessment.
Tick (/) Statements
1. It involves students in tasks that are worthwhile, significant and meaningful.
2. It highlights what students do not know.
3. It measures competence rather than performance.
4. It is a standardized assessment tool.
5. It involves varied activities such as oral interviews, group problem- solving tasks or the
creation of portfolios.
6. It involves higher order thinking skills and the integration of a broad range of knowledge.
7. Its primary aim is to provide each student a grade at the end of the semester.
8. It is scored using clearly stated and agreed upon performance standards, not norms or
counting of errors.
9. It empowers students by providing for a significant degree of student choice.
10. It needs to be done by students in the classroom at the same time and under time
pressure.
11. It reflects real-life interdisciplinary tasks/problems.
12. Its design, structure and grading rigidly follow prescribed standards.
13. It is educational, engaging and is worth practicing for and repeating.
14. It is teacher-centered with very little student choice and participation.
15. It encourages self-assessment.

Changing Role of Students and Teachers in Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessment changes the role of students and teachers in the assessment process.
A. Changing Roles of Students
2. Students are active participants in the assessment process, rather than passive test takers.
3. Students do tasks that are interesting, worthwhile and relevant to their lives rather than specific pen-
and-paper tasks that often have no meaning in their day-to-day activities.
4. Students pose questions, not just answer them.
5. Students evaluate themselves and their peers, instead of just being at the receiving end.
6. Students have choices to accommodate individual differences.
B. Changing Roles of Teachers
In authentic assessment, the teachers’ role changes as follows:
1. From “transmitter of knowledge” to “facilitator of classroom activities designed to promote learning”.

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2. From taking on the responsibility for student learning to assisting students take responsibility for their
own learning.
3. From being “enemies” to becoming “allies” of the students in the assessment process.
4. From being the solve evaluator of student’s performance to being just one of the many possible
evaluators of student’s performance.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 3.6
1. Based on your experience, are the students’ roles in authentic assessment different from their current
roles in the classroom? In what ways?
2. Do you favor these changes? Why or why not?
3. Based on your experience, are the teachers’ roles in authentic assessment different from their current
roles in the classroom? In what ways?
4. Do you favor these changes? Why or why not?
LET’S READ

Balanced Assessment
While criticism have been heaped against standardized and teacher-made test, these assessment
tools cannot be done away with. After all, testing is still the most economical and efficient way to
assess. On the other hand, while praises have been heaped on portfolio and performance assessment,
they are not perfect nor insufficient. Many educators agree that no single assessment tool provides all
the needed information regarding a student’s knowledge, skills, strengths and weakness. To paint a
complete picture of a student, they need all the tools at their disposal.
For a balanced assessment, Burke (1999) suggests that educators use standardized and teacher-
made tests to measure knowledge and content, portfolios to measure process and growth, and
performances to measure application. Such combination provides a “union of insufficiencies” which
will provide a more accurate portrait of the individual learner.
The integration of the three types of assessment represents a balanced assessment based on the
model by Fogarty and Stoehr (1996).

Balanced Assessment

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 Standardized and Performance Portfolio
Teacher -Made Tests

Emphasis: Emphasis: Emphasis:

• Knowledge • Standards • Process
• Curriculum • Application • Product
• Skills • Transfer • Growth

Features: Features: Features:

• Tests • Tasks • Reflection
• Quizzes • Criteria • Goal -setting
• Assignments • Rubrics • Self-evaluation
• Norm -reference • Collaboration • Growth and
• Criterion - Development
reference
Diagram of a Balanced Assessment

LET’S TRY
Activity 3.2 The Why, What, and How of Assessment
Given your awareness of authentic assessment and its benefits and your experience with traditional
forms of assessment, tick the statements that correspond to your answers to the following questions:
1. Why do we need to assess? ( ) To check our students’ strengths and weakness and how well they are
learning
( ) To come out with a grade at the end of the quarter or semester
( ) To identify which students are good, average or poor
( ) To know how well are doing as teachers and as a class
( ) To identify which students should be promoted, retained, or placed in special or remedial
programs
( ) Others ______________________
2. What should we assess?
( ) Skills and content knowledge only
( ) Processes
( ) Skills and knowledge in a meaningful context
( ) Whatever is worth learning
( ) Whatever can be easily tested

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 ( ) Others
______________________
3. How should we assess?
( ) By pen-and-paper tests
( ) By portfolios
( ) By observations
( ) By performance tasks and samples
( ) Others ______________________

LET’S TRY
Performance Assessment
How do you know if a beaker is good? By the quality of his or her baked goods.
How do you know if a diver is good? By his or her performance in competitions.
How do you know if a barber is good? By the number of his loyal costumers.
Notice that we judge how well people do their jobs by their performance and not through a pen-and-paper
test.
Can this idea be applied in the classroom?

What is Performance Assessment?

Put simply, it is a manner of assessing one’s knowledge and skills in an actual or realistic context. Hart
(1994) notes that unlike traditional tests that focus on facts and discrete skills, performance assessment is
designed to test what we care most about – the ability of students to use their knowledge and skills in a
variety of realistic situations and contexts. It encompasses many skills and usually has a direct application
to real tasks people are asked to do in everyday life (Burke, 1999). Students have no prescribed or
memorized rules or specific correct solution method for doing such tasks (Van de Walle, 2001).

Characteristics of Performance tasks According to Gronlund (1998), tasks should:

1. Be realistic to reflect those in the rreal world;
2. Be complex and novel to encourage originality and multiple solutions;
3. Require more time for assessment due to the difficulty in designing and evaluating the tasks; and
4. Require greater use of judgement in scoring.

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 3.7
Which of the following is a performance task? Write Yes if it is and No if it is not.
1. Add: 1345 + 2346 + 358 =
2. Recite the multiplication table.

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 3. Add 52 and 39 in as many ways as possible. Show your solutions.
4. Why is division not commutative? Explain.
5. Prepare a business proposal for a company that will provide a capital of Php 1 million for the
winning proposal.
LET’S READ

Types of Performance Tasks

Hart (1994) classifies the types of performance tasks according to format and uses into three broad
categories:
1. Short Assessment Tasks
These are used to check on students’ mastery of basic concepts, skills, procedures and thinking skills.
a.) Open-ended Tasks
These tasks are often referred to as free response questions. A problem or situation is presented and the
student is asked to give a response by perhaps describing, solving, interpreting, graphing or predicting. It
should allow students to solve it in different ways. Example: In how many ways can you multiply 16 and
24? Illustrate these ways.
b.) Enhanced Multiple Choice Questions
When enhanced by making it more authentic and challenging or by requiring the students to explain or
justify their answer, a question in a multiple-choice format can suit the characteristics of a performance
task.
Example: Clint plans to buy a number of white T-shirts for the school-year. A poster for a Tshirt sale
reads:
SALE! SALE! Regular Price: Php 60.00
Take 30% off on the second T-shirt purchased
Take 50% off on the third T-shirt purchased
He has Php150 in his pocket. He needs to set aside Php 16 from the amount for his fare. Does Clint Have
enough money to buy three T-shirts from the store?
A. Clint’s money will be Php2 short.
B. Clint’s money will be Php20 short.
C. Clint will have Php2 extra.
D. Clint will have Php20 extra.
LET’S READ

Concept Mapping
A concept map is a cluster or web of information created by students to represent their understanding
of concepts and relationships among ideas (Hart,1994). It is used to reveal how students’ understanding
changes over time.

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a. Event Tasks
These tasks assess broad competencies and skills and usually take a longer time to complete. Students
perform better in event tasks when working together, rather than individually, which makes them well
suited for cooperative work. a. Problem-solving and analytical tasks
Students are asked to plan and work out a solution to a realistic situation.
Example: Your group is tasked to plan the Christmas part y of the class. Prepare a detailed budget and
menu for the Christmas party and suggest the amount to be collected from each member of the
class for as long as the amount is not to exceed Php100. Be ready to present your plan and justify
each item in class in a week’s time.
b. Long Term Projects
The project provides real-life context to the lessons learned.
Example: Prepare a map of your school drawn to scale. Discuss the measurement procedures
you employed and the processes you applied (e.g. estimation). The project is due in three weeks’
time. Each group will be required to do an oral presentation aside from the written output of the
project.

LET’S SEE WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 3.8
1. Should a performance task always take a few days to do? Explain your answer.
2. Why is giving students enough time to do extensive performance tasks important?
3. Prepare one (1) performance task.
LET’S READ
Rubrics
Assessments using alternative approaches require the use of rubrics and the judgement of
human evaluators.
A rubric contains the criteria or indicators that are used in scoring students’ performances,
portfolios or responses to an open-ended task. It describes the levels of performance students
may be expected to attain relative to a desired standard of achievement (Hart, 1994).

Kinds of Rubrics
Holistic rubric – scoring is based on an overall impression of a sample of student work
considered as a whole

Analytic rubric – separate scores are given for different indicators or characteristics of a
student’s output or performance.

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 Function of Scoring Rubrics
1. Provides uniform, objective criteria for judging a performance assessment item.
2. Provides established expectations for teachers and students that help them identify the
relationships among teaching, learning and assessment.

Steps in Creating a Rubric

1. Identify exactly what is to be scored.
2. Define the scale (point range) of the rubric.
3. Develop descriptors for each performance level that describes unique characteristics.
4. Assure that the rubric –
a. defines a continuum of quality
b. focuses on the same criteria
c. validly discriminates performance levels
d. can be reliably rated

Scale Construction
1. The scale should indicate the range of possible performance arranged in order from best to
poorest performance.
2. The range of performance is then divided into various levels of performance e.g.
Levels Score
Excellent 4
Very Good 3
Fair 2
Poor 1

LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

SCQ 3.9
1. Differentiate an analytic rubric from a holistic rubric.
2. When is it appropriate to use the holistic rubric?
3. When is it appropriate to use the analytic rubric?
4. How can you establish inter-rater reliability when using rubrics?

Sample Task and Rubric

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 James knows that half the students from his school are accepted at the public university
nearby. Also, half are accepted at the local private college. James thinks that these figures add
up to 100%, so he will surely be accepted at one or the other institution. Is James’ conclusion
right or wrong? If possible, use a diagram in your explanation.

Sample Holistic Scoring Rubric for Problem Solving

4 Points: Exemplary Response
All of the following characteristics must be present.
• The answer is correct.
• The answer is clear and complete.
• The explanation includes a mathematically correct reason.
• Some of the sort of diagram is provided that relates directly and correctly to the
information in the problem.

3 Points: Good Response

All of the following characteristics must be present:
• The answer is correct.
• The explanation lacks clarity.
• The explanation is incomplete.
• No diagram is provided that relates directly and correctly to the information in the
problem.
2 Points: Good Response
Exactly one of the following characteristics is present:
• The answer is incorrect.
• The explanation lacks clarity or is incomplete but does indicate some correct and
relevant reasoning.
• No diagram is provided that relates directly and correctly to the information in the
problem.
1 Point: Poor Response
All of the following characteristics must be present:
• The answer is incorrect.
• The explanation, if any, uses irrelevant argument.
• No solution is attempted beyond just copying data given in the problem statement.

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 • No diagram is provided that relates directly and correctly to the information in the
problem.
0 Point: No Response
• The student’s paper is blank or it contains only work that appears to have no relevance
to the problem.

Sample Analytic Scoring Rubric for Problem Solving

Understand the Problem
0: Complete misunderstanding of the problem
1: Part of the problem misunderstood or misinterpreted
2: Complete understanding of the problem

Planning a Solution
0: No attempt, or totally inappropriate plan
1: Partially correct plan based on part of the problem being interpreted
correctly
2: Plan could have led to a correct solution if implemented properly

Getting an Answer
0: No answer, or wrong answer based on an incorrect plan
1: Copying error, computational error, partial answer for a problem with multiple
answers.
2: Correct answer and correct label

LET’S READ
Portfolio Assessment
Have you heard about portfolio assessment? This section answers the most frequently asked
questions about portfolio assessment.
What is a Portfolio?
• It is a purposeful collection of student’s works that exhibits the student’s efforts,
progress and achievements in one or more areas (Carter and Spandel, 1992).
• It is a process that enables students to become active and thoughtful learners (Burke,
Fogarty and Belgrad, 1995).

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 What are the Possible Contents of a Portfolio?
1. A Creative Cover. It gives the subject area, author, and title, and the general theme of the
portfolio.
2. A Letter to the Reader. It welcomes the reader and explains the cover, the title and/or the
theme.
3. The Table of Contents. This shows how the entire portfolio is organized.
4. The Artifacts or Evidences. These may vary depending on the type and purpose of the
portfolio.
5. Reflections. This is meant to reveal student insight.
6. Self-Evaluation. This encourages students to assess their own strengths and weaknesses and
monitor their own learning.

Why use Portfolios?

1. To allow students to show their best
2. To show change and growth over a period of time (Vavrus, 1990)
3. To invite students and teachers to be allies in the assessment process.
4. To provide an opportunity for richer, more authentic and more valid assessment of the
students.
5. To form an intersection of instruction and assessment (Paulson, Paulson & Meyer, 1991)

Types of Portfolios
The types of portfolios largely depend on the purpose for which they are made. They include:
• Best Work Portfolio – showcases the students’ best works as selected by the student and
the teacher
• Process Portfolio – presents the progress of a certain work from the first draft to the final
form to show growth
• Working Portfolio – supplements traditional means of grading and is used for on-going
informal assessment of students’ progress and evidence of their learning.
• Integrated Portfolio – gathers different disciplines in one piece of work in line with a
thematic approach to learning

Criteria for Portfolio Entries

The following are suggested by Steffy (1995).
• Reflect genuinely useful skills and knowledge

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 • Allow flexibility in student preparation and presentation
• Allow time for serious, comprehensive work
• Prompt students to stretch their minds and make connections
• Place knowledge in a context, which supports the value of what has been learned.
Possible Portfolio Evidences
• Papers that show student’s correction of errors or misconceptions
• A solution to a complex open-ended question showing originality and unusual
procedures
• A problem made up by the student
• A report of a group project with comments about the individual’s contribution •
Journals that show students’ reflections
• Artworks, photos, video, or audiotapes that document their work in class or on a project
• A mathematical autobiography

Possible Portfolio Organizers

Organizers must be durable and economical. Some of the possible portfolio organizers are as
follows: clear book, album, bag, envelope, box, bound sheets.

Portfolio Process
Burke (1995) outlines the portfolio process as follows:
1. Orientation
2. Planning
3. Gathering of evidences
4. Selecting evidences based on criteria
5. Connecting and conferencing with others
6. Injecting and ejecting artifacts continually to update
7. Respecting work and exhibiting with pride

These steps can be simplified into three basic steps.

THE PORTFOLIO PROCESS

COLLECT

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 SELLECT REFLECT

Student Refection of Evidences

To help students reflect on the items in their portfolio, any one of the following bridging
questions may be used:
• Why have I chosen this piece?
• Why is this piece important?
• What does this piece show about what I know and what I learned?
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 3.10
1. Identify three primary features of portfolio assessment.
2. What makes the portfolio product different from a scrapbook?
3. What is the role of the teacher in portfolio assessment?
4. How is the role of the student in portfolio assessment different from his or her
role in traditional testing?
Do you know how portfolios are marked? Read this!

Marking the Portfolio

1. Evaluate portfolios in terms of growth demonstrated within an individual portfolio, rather
than comparisons made among different students’ work (Vavrus, 1990).
2. The teacher may grade none of the evidences, some of the evidences, all of the evidences or
the whole portfolio itself.
3. Consult everyone involved in choosing the rubric.
4. An analytic or holistic rubric may be used in marking portfolios.

This is an example of an analytic scoring rubric for portfolios.

PORTFOLIO SCORING RUBRIC

Portfolio Owner: _________________________

Evaluator: ______________ Self __________ Peer _________ Teacher ___________

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 Directions: Tick (/) the box below the score that best describes the indicator. The legend below
gives the description of each score.
Legend: 5 – Outstanding 3 – Satisfactory
4 – Very Satisfactory 2 – Fair
1 – Needs Improvement
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
A.Visual Appeal (20%)
1. Cover
2. Layout
3. Tone/mood
4. Creativity
5. Resourcefulness
6. Neatness
B.Organization (20%)
1. Order of entries
2. Coding technique
3. Readability of entries
4. Correctness of form (e.g. grammar)
C.Content (30%)
1. Statement of purpose
2. Completeness of entries
3. Diversity of Selections
D.Reflections (30%)
1. Depth of understanding
2. Application of ideas
This is an example of a holistic scoring rubric for portfolios.

Portfolio Scoring Rubric

Directions: Read the entire portfolio carefully. Evaluate the entire work in terms of the scale
indicators below.
SCALE INDICATORS
Scale 5 (Outstanding)
• Presents a variety of work done individually or in groups
• Uses many resources

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• Shows good organization and a clear focus
• Displays evidences of self-assessment such as revisions, a letter on why one chose a certain
entry, etc.
• Includes few, if any, errors in grammar, usage or mechanics
• Reflects enthusiasm, creativity, extensive investigation and analysis of information
Scale 4 (Very Satisfactory)
• Presents a variety of work done individually or in groups
• Use many resources
• Contains minor organizational flaws
• Exhibits some errors in grammar, usage or mechanics
• Reflects enthusiasm, creativity, self-assessment, extensive investigations and analysis
of information
Scale 3 (Satisfactory)
• Presents fewer works and some resources
• Includes confusing organization and a focus which is unclear
• Reflects some enthusiasm, creativity, self-assessment, extensive investigations and
analysis of information Scale 2 (Fair)
• Contains problems in mechanics that interfere with communication
• Reflects poor organization
• Lacks focus, enthusiasm, creativity and analysis of information
Scale 1 (Needs Improvement)
• Consists mainly of ditto sheets or pages copied from a textbook
• Contains no evidence of student thinking
LET’S SEE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
SCQ 3.11
Compare these statements.
1. I think portfolio is ….
2. What I like most about it is ….
3. What I like least about it is ….

LET’S SUMMARIZE
Assessment is the process of gathering information about students – what they know and can
do.

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 Evaluation is the process of interpreting and making judgements using assessment
information.
Testing is a means of assessment.
1. The standardized test as an assessment tool has many limitations, foremost of which is that
it corrupts the very process it is supposed to improved as it puts too much value on recall
and rote learning at the expense of understanding and reflection.
2. Assessment is authentic when it involves students in tasks that are worthwhile, significant
and meaningful.
3. Teachers are encouraged to use multiple assessment techniques, to include calculators,
manipulatives and computers in assessment, and to focus on a broad range of mathematical
tasks for a holistic view of mathematics, among others.
4. Balanced assessment involves the use of standardized and teacher-made tests to measure
knowledge and content, portfolios to measure process and growth
5. Performance assessment is a manner of assessing one’s knowledge and skills in an actual
or realistic context.
6. The types of performance tasks are:
a. Short Assessment Tasks (open-ended tasks, enhanced multiple choice questions, concept
mapping)
b. Event Tasks (Problem-solving and analytical tasks, Long-term projects)
7. A rubric contains the criteria or indicators that are used in scoring students’ performances,
portfolios or responses to an open-ended task.
• Holistic rubric - scoring is based on an overall impression of a sample of student work
considered as a whole
• Analytic rubric - separate scores are given for different indicators or characteristics of a
student’s output or performance and performances to measure application.
8. Portfolio assessment is a purposeful collection of student’s works
that exhibit the student’s effort, progress and achievements in one or
more areas.
9. The types of portfolios are: best work, process, working, and
integrated. The portfolio process is: collect, select and reflect.

References

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Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) (1997). Teaching
strategies library: research based strategies for teachers. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Bloom, B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: David McKay.

Brooks, J. G. & Brooks, M. G. (1993). In search of understanding: The case for constructivist
classrooms. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Development.

Capel, S., Leask, M. & Turner, T. (1999). Learning to teach in the secondary school: A
companion to school experience (2nd ed.). NY: Routledge.

Corpuz, B. & Salandanan, G. (2004). Principles and strategies of teaching. Manila: Lorimar
Publishing Company.

Feden, P. & Vogel, R. (2003). Methods of teaching: Applying cognitive science to promote
student learning. NY: McGraw-Hill.

Wilen, W., Ishler, M., Hutchison, J. & Kindsvatter, R. (2000). Dynamics of effective teaching
(4th Ed.). USA: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Prepared by:

RYAN F. VALERIO ROLANDO H. CHAVEZ, Ed.D

Instructor Instructor

AIDA S. RAMOS, PhD.

VP for Academic Affairs and Research

THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS

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 Teachers who have mastered effective approaches and strategies in teaching mathematics
can help increase students' mathematical knowledge and improve math outcomes.
Teaching students different strategies helps them transition between paper and pencil
calculations and mental calculations. Most math problems can be figured out in our heads,
even the really hard ones, if we can hold all the numbers there. Students will find strategies that
work for them.

What is the importance of various teaching strategies especially in teaching math?

Incorporating various instructional strategies in your mathematics lessons invites students to
become more actively engaged in their learning. When you can spark interest in your students
during a lesson, you will help them stay focused and learn to their best of abilities.

What is the most effective strategy in teaching mathematics?

Repetition. A simple strategy teachers can use to improve math skills is repetition. By repeating
and reviewing previous formulas, lessons, and information, students are better able to
comprehend concepts at a faster rate.

What is the most important thing a student can learn in your mathematics class?
Necessary computational skills. This is by far among the very important basic math skills you
should be able to learn and understand. Everyday situations require you to be knowledgeable in
computations of whole numbers or fractions, decimals and this should be done without any
calculator.

Essential Strategies in Teaching Math

Top 9 Math Strategies for Engaging Lessons

 Explicit instruction. You can't always jump straight into the fun. ...
 Conceptual understanding. ...
 Using concepts in Math vocabulary. ...
 Cooperative learning strategies. ...
 Meaningful and frequent homework. ...
 Puzzle pieces math instruction. ...
 Verbalize math problems. ...

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 Reflection time.

7 Effective Strategies for Teaching Elementary Math

 Make it hands-on. ...
 Use visuals and images. ...
 Find opportunities to differentiate learning. ...
 Ask students to explain their ideas. ...
 Incorporate storytelling to make connections to real-world scenarios. ...
 Show and tell new concepts. ...
 Let your students regularly know how they're doing.

A strategy is how you mess with the numbers, how you use relationships and connections
between numbers to solve a problem. There are a handful of important strategies for each
operation. Often a strategy is categorized, described, or named by the first thing you do with the
numbers.
Teaching strategies are methods and techniques that a teacher will use to support their
pupils or students through the learning process; a teacher will chose the teaching strategy
most suitable to the topic being studied, the level of expertise of the learner, and the stage in their
learning journey.
Math is an important part of learning for children in the early years because it provides vital life
skills. They will help children problem solve, measure and develop their own spatial awareness,
and teach them how to use and understand shapes.

 List of 13 teaching strategies for primary school

 1. Know Your Pupils and Develop Their Respect
 2. Appropriate use of Summative and Formative Assessments
 3. Teach the Vocabulary
 4. Explicit Instruction
 5. Effective Questioning Techniques
 6. Deliberate Practice
 7. Differentiation
 8. Reinforcing Effort/Providing Recognition
 9. Metacognition

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  10. Personalized Learning
 11. Collaborative Learning
 12. Explicitly Teach Thinking Skills & Problem Solving Techniques
 13. Modelling and Scaffolding

No-one is suggesting you will use them in every lesson, but an awareness of what they are and
the results you can expect is essential to move your practice on.

The Most Effective Teaching Strategies To Use In Your School: Evidence Based And Proven
To Work

Gather a room of teachers together and they will give you as many teaching strategies as
there are topics in the primary curriculum.
Teaching strategies are methods and techniques that a teacher will use to support their pupils or
students through the learning process; a teacher will chose the teaching strategy most suitable to
the topic being studied, the level of expertise of the learner, and the stage in their learning
journey.
In one lesson a teacher may use many different teaching strategies with different end goals. The
most effective teaching strategies are those proven to work over large scale trials. There is no
requirement for a teaching strategy to be innovative although of course some of them are.
List of teaching strategies for primary school
These are the 13 most important teaching strategies that you and all the teachers in your school
should at least have in your teaching toolkit.
1. Know Your Pupils and Develop Their Respect
This may sound basic, but the basis of all good teaching is an understanding of your pupils and
their learning needs. Allied to this is the respect you are held in by your pupils. The relationship
between teacher and student is a vital element of the learning experience. Take time to get to
know a new class from the first day, understand what motivates them their barriers to
learning. This is an often overlooked teaching strategy.
All our one-to-one tutors are made aware before working with a pupil if they have any special
educational needs, and take the time to get to know each pupil throughout the 1-to-1 lessons by
asking about their hobbies and interests or the kinds of things they’ve been learning in school.

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 2. Appropriate use of Summative and Formative Assessments
The first stage here is making sure you know the difference between formative and summative
assessment. It may sound obvious but you’d be surprised how many teachers don’t use each
appropriately.
To cover them quickly:
Summative assessment refers to an assessment that takes place after a block of work has been
completed, whether this is a term or a year. They are best thought of as assessments of learning.
Formative assessments are those that take place day-to-day and are used to gauge pupils’
understanding of a topic – they are assessments for learning. Formative assessment is often used
in a diagnostic capacity, to help us identify whether pupils are struggling with a topic in the
moment. This then guides and adapts our instruction during the lesson, to better meet children’s
needs.
Diagnosis of children’s gaps using formative assessments
We advocate the use of these kinds of diagnostic assessment to identifies a child’s
misconceptions. Usually this is best achieved through a set of multiple choice questions.
As well as the correct answer, we can include multiple distractors – answers that are incorrect
based on a misconception a child may have e.g. around multiplying. If a child chooses an
incorrect answer therefore, we can easily identify exactly where their thinking has gone wrong.
An example page from one of our Diagnostic Quizzes
For pupils on our one-to-one maths interventions, we use a diagnostic quiz a the start of the
intervention which is responsive based on answers to an earlier question. This helps us more
clearly identify not just misconceptions and weaknesses, but also where a child’s strengths lie
and what therefore needs less time spent on.
3. Teach the Vocabulary
With the new focus in the curriculum on knowledge organisers, there’s no excuse for children
being without the relevant topic vocabulary. They need the words to be able to create the
thoughts and the sentences to confidently speak about a given topic.
A slide from the intervention lessons, showing the vocabulary that tutors
may highlight to pupils.
We recommended co-creating your maths vocabulary lists with your pupils. This Maths
Vocabulary List is a great start.
4. Explicit Instruction
Also known as direct instruction, this teaching strategy is highly teacher-led, and focuses on
frequent questioning and guided practice to help pupils learn a topic.

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The backbone of explicit instruction is the use of the worked example in an Example-Problem
Pair. This involves demonstrating a worked example in its entirety in silence alongside a
problem that pupils will then attempt.

A worked example
from How I Wish I’d Taught Maths by Craig Barton
Silence is important in order to ensure pupils’ attention is not split between the example and the
spoken explanation, making it more likely that both will be more fully absorbed and retained.
A pupil on a Third Space Learning’s online maths intervention programme will necessarily have
all other distractions eliminated so they can focus entirely on the information on their screen and
what the tutor is asking them to do; tutors can present a worked example in real time in a
learning environment without any visual or auditory disruptions.
5. Effective Questioning Techniques
While we are all aware of the importance of questioning as a tool to gauge pupils’ understanding
of a topic, there are definite techniques to improve the efficacy of your questioning in the
classroom.
Questions such as “Are you sure?” and “How do you know?” encourage pupils to engage in
some basic critical thinking to establish how confident they are in an answer and why, while
others such as “Is there another way?” help to highlight where multiple methods to derive a
solution may exist.
Our tutors encourage pupils to verbalize their reasoning and ask questions to ensure pupils have
really got to grips with the topic at-hand: “How do you know that answer is right?”, “Can you
tell me how else you could work it out?” or “What do you need to do first to answer this
question?” are all questions that come up frequently during our lessons!

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 6. Deliberate Practice
One of the most effective ways of introducing new concepts to a class, Deliberate Practice
involves breaking learning down into a series of sub skills, each of which is deliberately
practiced in turn.
The 5 steps involved in deliberate practice are:
1. Isolate the skill
2. Develop the skill
3. Assess the skill
4. Final performance
5. Retrieval practice later
You can find a full explanation of each of these stages in our blog post on deliberate practice in
education.
But as an example, when teaching long multiplication method at KS2 we might use deliberate
practice thus:
 Identify (isolate) each specific sub skill involved in the long multiplication method;
 Practise (develop) each of these one by one;
 assess pupils’ use of these skills before moving on;
 have pupils put them all together for a final performance – in this case a full long multiplication
problem;
 return to this topic in later weeks and months to check pupils still retain those skills.
7. Differentiation
Far more than simply “splitting the whole class into small groups based on attainment”, positive
and effective differentiation at the primary school level can be difficult to achieve – poor
differentiation strategies risk actually widening the attainment gap we’re attempting to close.
But there are plenty of impactful differentiation strategies; techniques such as interleaving and
phased learning, as well as the use of maths manipulatives and formative assessment, are among
those proven to have a beneficial impact on pupils when properly employed.
As we’ve already discussed, formative assessment is a significant aspect of how Third Space’s
tutors gauge pupil progress. But we also make use of several other differentiation strategies
during lessons, such as spaced practice, interleaving and a mixture of direct instruction and
inquiry-based learning.
8. Reinforcing Effort/Providing Recognition
Helping pupils make a link between putting effort into a task and receiving recognition is an
important step in developing a classroom environment that fosters active learning.

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Encouraging pupils to put more effort into activities only goes so far without something to
provide them with the motivation to do so. Praise and recognition are motivators that pupils are
already familiar with; shifting them from being correct to giving full effort can be highly
effective.
Third Space Learning’s tutors establish an effort-focused environment right from the first
session, encouraging pupils to talk through their answers and celebrate their mistakes as learning
opportunities, ensuring they approach each intervention as another chance to try.
Since we began our intervention programmes, our tutors have celebrated and rewarded pupil
effort by awarding over 32 MILLION Effort Points!
9. Metacognition
Literally ‘thinking about thinking’, metacognition has been recognised by the EEF as one of the
most effective, lowest cost teaching strategies there is, with pupil making an average of seven
months’ additional progress.
Metacognition in primary schools often incorporates some of the other effective teaching
strategies, such as questioning in the classroom – “How do you know?” not only asks pupils to
justify their solutions, but has them thinking about their own thought processes for deriving that
solution.
Teaching pupils how to learn maths, plan, monitor and self-evaluate their learning also improves
pupil motivation and encourages them to work harder in lessons, tying into another
teaching strategy.
All our tutors are trained to use a variety of metacognitive strategies as standard during sessions,
and we provide pupils with numerous moments for self-reflection both during and after sessions.
10. Personalized Learning
It might sound obvious, but pupils are more likely to engage with learning when is more targeted
to them and appeals to their interests! This may be difficult to achieve early on – especially with
a full class of 30 pupils – but as familiarity and rapport builds throughout the year it should
become easier to make activities and even questions more personalized to individual children.
At Third Space, we’ve built our online interventions on personalization; all our pupils undertake
an Initial Diagnostic Assessment when they begin their programmes, which identifies their
strengths and weaknesses in maths and allows us to design a lesson plan that helps them make
progress where they need it.
11. Collaborative Learning
Also referred to as ‘cooperative learning’, the idea of having pupils work in groups for certain
classroom activities won’t be new to most teachers.

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The concept of ‘competitive’ collaborative learning (where groups of students compete against
one another) has been shown to have some impact, but caution is advised in case pupils focus
more on the competition rather than the learning.
12. Explicitly Teach Thinking Skills & Problem Solving Techniques
Mathematical problem solving techniques don’t always come naturally to pupils; while
metacognitive strategies such as those mentioned above make it more likely that pupils will be
able to apply critical thinking to a problem, there is no set way to ensure that this will happen.
Research into the topic suggests that context-agnostic deployment of problem solving
techniques only occurs once pupils have secure domain knowledge, and the opportunity to
practice.
Without these, pupils often fall into the trap of attributing importance to the so-called ‘surface
features’ of a problem, which we naturally discount as irrelevant to the actual maths involved.
That said, explicit teaching of thinking skills is still of considerable importance; once domain
knowledge has been (relatively) secured, teaching pupils how to recognize and focus on the
‘deep structure’ of problems enables them to apply their knowledge more effectively.
13. Modelling and Scaffolding
You may already be familiar with the “I do, We do, You do” method of scaffolding, but it’s
worth taking some time to dive into why it’s as effective as it is.
Modelling is one of the most important factors in ensuring student learning of a particular topic,
but it is most impactful when it can introduce new concepts without increasing pupils’ cognitive
load – hence the ‘I, We You’ approach.
By building from teacher-led, to joint construction, to independent working, we create a structure
that presents learning as less of a step-change and more of an actual process. It also allows us
greater flexibility; more time can be spent on one stage e.g. joint construction is it becomes
necessary.
Gradual scaffolding with support slides
All Third Space Learning intervention lessons make use of this kind of gradual scaffolding
method, and our online platform lends even more flexibility to the scaffolding structure – tutors
can pull from a bank of ‘support slides’ if spending more time on a concept or process is
necessary.
Other Teaching Strategies To Consider
The teaching strategies above form the basis of our one-to-one lessons, but some other teaching
practices you’ll need to consider in your own classroom include :Use of education technology
Knowing when and where to bring technology into the classroom is a delicate balancing act.

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While children tend to react well to technology-based lessons, there’s always the risk that they
focus on the tech over the learning.
Other Teaching Strategies To Consider
 List of Learning Strategies
 1. Spaced Practice
 2. Retrieval Practice
 3. Elaboration
 4. Interleaving
 5. Concrete Examples
 6. Dual Coding

List of Learning Strategies

Central to any good teaching practice is explicitly teaching learners of all ages about learning
strategies. These are the 6 learning strategies we think every student should be familiar with by
the end of Year 6.
1. Spaced Practice
Ensuring that learned material is revisited at regular intervals instead of all at once much later on,
when more of it is likely to be forgotten. For older students, study calendars can be of immense
help in the run-up to major milestones.
2. Retrieval Practice
Retrieval is the process of recalling information purely from memory, without the aid of learning
materials. Effective retrieval practice helps embed information more thoroughly in our minds,
since we no longer need context to recall it.
3. Elaboration
Tied into questioning in the classroom, elaboration puts the onus on pupils to do more than ‘just’
recalling information. The use of open ended questions such as “How did I get that answer” help
pupils to make connections between the things they’ve learnt rather than seeing them as several
unrelated facts.
4. Interleaving
A wealth of research is now available that suggests the benefits of interleaving – mixing practice
of different skills with one another – in helping pupils better identify the necessary strategies to
solve different problems. Interleaving with connected topics (e.g. division and multiplication)
amplifies this effect.

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 5. Concrete Examples
As maths educators the Concrete Pictorial Abstract Approach is embedded into the way we
teach. Within our online tuition, we have many different ways of explaining a topic and as an
extension we may ask pupils to come up with their own concrete examples for concepts, based
on the examples we’ve used in explaining the concept to them.
6. Dual Coding
Combining words and visuals in teaching materials. This isn’t referring to speech (as we
established earlier), but having pupils create some kind of visual aid (e.g. a sketch, a diagram) to
accompany written text can help them reinforce the concept in their brain in two different ways,
making it easier to recall. Anyone who’s created slides for their pupils will be familiar with the
challenge of imparting information through words + pictures.

15 Creative Ways to Make Math Fun for Your Students

When it comes to learning math, not every student is a fan. We believe in making math fun and
helping students love the learning journey by integrating strategies that will get the interest learners.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for engaging your math class, because it’s a process that looks
different for every student. We’ve put together a list of ways to help every student in your class love
math.
Teachers can bring positivity to math lessons
Why some kids don't enjoy math
Because every kid is different, they might have different reasons for dreading math class or
avoiding their math homework.
 Difficulty — If a student is struggling to keep up with their math homework or understand
lessons, it’s very easy for them to disengage and get discouraged or anxious.

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 Boredom — If students aren’t being challenged enough or need extra resources to stay
occupied, math work they’ve already mastered can cause them to become bored and disengage.

 General interest — Maybe your student really likes reading, science or art more than math
facts. They could be prioritizing work in these classes, or simply be uninterested in paying
attention to math.
 Math anxiety — Testing and grades give some students a lot of anxiety. This stress is
exacerbated when they’re struggling to master new concepts, causing them to become
overwhelmed and lose focus.
15 Secrets to Make Math Fun
Whether they’re bored or anxious, disengaged or struggling, these 15 math class secrets can help
you engage every student in your class — regardless of how they feel about math.
Keep reading to find some of the best ways to make math fun and help your students build a love of
learning!
1. Math games
Math games are a tried-and-true method for bringing excitement and competition to your
classroom. Whether online or in person, math games can engage your students and align to your
lesson plan.
Popular math games include:
 Card games like War, where two students use multiplication, subtraction or even exponent
rules to build cards with a higher value than their opponent’s.
 Math stations filled with number blocks and other manipulatives during play-based learning
activities for younger students.
 Math board games that help students learn basic math facts, while also building socio-
emotional skills like turn-taking and collaboration. Try filling a tic-tac-toe board with math facts,
or hosting a math bingo game for the whole class!
2. Visual aids and picture books (create number art)
If you’ve got a classroom full of visual learners, then charts, picture books and other visual
aids can help them make sense of new concepts and provide reference points as they work.
Printables, anchor charts and diagrams are readily available on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers to
make classroom set up easy and stress-free. You can even have students make their own visual aids
to help them remember key terms and concepts!
Picture books are also a great way to engage students that prefer seeing and reading to math work.
Some of our favorites are:

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 G is for Googol: A Math Alphabet Book by David M. Schwartz — Best for students in 4th to
8th grade, this math book explores interesting math concepts for every letter of the alphabet.

 Bean Thirteen by Matt McElligot — Ralph and Flora are trying to get rid of the unlucky
thirteenth bean, but it keeps coming back! This story is a goofy exploration of remainders and
division.
 Uno’s Garden by Graeme Base — Search for different plants and animals in the forest where
Uno lives. Students have to complete skills, puzzles and multiplication questions to finish the
adventure.
Whether it’s reading or drawing, there’s something to help every student learn new math skills!
3. Using modern technology
When it comes to teaching math, modern technology can broaden perspectives and give
students new ways to engage with the world around them. Math is Fun offers students games
and math puzzles that balance fun with skills-building challenges. Tablets and smartphones
give students new ways to engage with math on their own terms. We put together a list of
the 13 best math apps for kids, but our favourites include:
 Prodigy Math Game, an adaptive math adventure game.
 Dragon Box, a colorful math app that turns concepts like algebra and multiplication into a fun
game.
4. Take a hands-on approach
Every teacher knows worksheets aren’t always the most engaging. A hands-on approach in the math
classroom means finding real-life examples of formulas and concepts, or including student
interests in relevant work problems.
Try a beach ball toss with equations written on each section or bake with your students to learn
about fractions! Math puzzles like KenKen, Magic Squares and tangram puzzles can also help
kinesthetic learners practice their skills. The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives also put
traditional math tools online for greater accessibility. Ideal for one-to-one device use or station
rotations, it offers manipulation tasks for every grade level.
5. Encourage communication with students and parents
Understanding students and connecting with parents are both equally important, for different
reasons. Parent teacher conferences and quick notes home are ways for you to share positive
notes and get valuable insights into how students feel about math. Math journaling is a great way
to have students reflect on what they’re struggling with, what they enjoy doing and where they think
they need more practice. You might read things that confirm your insights, or find something new!

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6. Focus on your students
It’s easy to focus on just getting through your curriculum for the year — after all, isn’t that what
students need to learn the most? But a shift to student-centered learning techniques can help you
support the needs of every student in your classroom. Student-centered learning involves kids in
decisions about their studies, helps them build a growth mindset and encourages them to make
connections between concepts.
Some common student-centered techniques include:
 Interdisciplinary learning that mixes math with other subjects
 Service learning projects to combine academic goals with community service
 Personalized learning through regular formative assessments and pre-teaching
 Student-led conferences that involve students in feedback and decision-making about their
learning
7. Stick to fixed routines
Building a fixed math class routine can help students feel settled and confident when math class
starts, especially if they struggle with math anxiety. Outline expectations and what students need to
show up to class with, whether that’s a sharp pencil and paper, or just a sharp mind. Pick something
to start your lesson with, whether it’s introducing a new concept or reviewing an old one:
 Give students a discussion question and ask how they solved it
 Put some vocab words on the board and ask students to define them
 Challenge older students to analyze a piece of mathematical writing from another scholar
Spend the middle of your lesson teaching or giving your class hands-on experience with new
concepts:
 Set up station rotation activities and small group instruction
 Use blended learning techniques to promote hands-on activities and group work
 Give a mini-lesson and then hands-on practice with worksheets or other activities
End class on a high note with quick activities that reinforce learning:
 Ask students to summarize what they learned, in writing or out loud
 Have students work individually or in pairs to answer a quick wrap-up question
 Set up an exit ticket activity so students can show you what they learned, either by submitting a
piece of paper or answering a question before they leave
8. Use real objects
There are plenty of math tools that can help students picture abstract math concepts in the
real world, including:
 Play money

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 Abacus for counting and number sense
 Spheres, prisms and other shapes for geometry
 Manipulatives like base ten blocks, number lines and clocks
 Small objects like gummy bears, buttons or rocks for pattern making
 Flashcards for subtraction, addition, multiplication and division facts, or other math vocabulary
terms
Incorporate these items into problem-solving activities for more ways to learn.
9. Physical involvement
Techniques that get students moving, out of their seats or just engaging in hands-on learning
activities can help a variety of different learners. In your classroom, try:
 Writing and acting out skits about math concepts
 A scavenger hunt for geometric shapes or patterns
 Brain breaks to help students stay focused during long stretches of class
 Interactive games like flash cards, dice, manipulatives or “Around the World” with relevant
math problems
Think-pair-share activities and flipped classrooms can also help students get hands-on
experience and talk through new ideas with peers in real time.
10. Use interesting and engaging questions
If you have two morph marbles, use one in a Prodigy math battle, and then earn two more, how
many morph marbles do you have? Word problems are a great way to connect student
interests with your lesson plans. If you’re not sure what students like, send out a quick survey or
ask them about their favorite books, TV shows or video games. They’ll be delighted when they find
their favorite Prodigy character or TV show on your next handout, and you’ll have a class full of
students actually excited about doing their homework.
11. Address learning issues promptly
If you notice students falling behind (or racing ahead), address it early to avoid any long-term
engagement problems.
One-on-one instruction or small groups can help you pay attention to individual learning needs.
A mixture of group and individual work can help all learners absorb information in the way they
learn best, too. Use response to intervention (RTI) methods to address small and large learning
issues promptly. RTI focuses on early and continuous identification, assessment and assistance of
students who have learning and behavioural needs. If the learning needs are serious, talk to parents
and administration about setting up an IEP or 504 plan to make sure students can access support
that helps them succeed and stay engaged.

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12. Integrate math into other subjects
Whether it’s statistics in social studies or angles in art, there are endless ways to connect topics and
inspire students to learn more. Incorporate math talk into other subjects as part of interdisciplinary
teaching activities to help students stay engaged — especially if the second subject is something
they’re more interested in.
13. Keep lessons fun and interactive
Fun math activities can help you keep students engaged and learning, whether it’s short and silly
brain breaks between worksheets or station rotations with a mix of small group and individual
work. Be sure to offer lots of opportunities for students to get involved answering questions or
helping with hands-on demonstrations. For more interactive lessons, try modern teaching
methods like inquiry-based learning that let students follow their own interests and passions!
14. Incorporate technology for personalized learning
One of the best ways to ensure students are excited about learning is to offer personalized
learning opportunities and differentiated content. But in a big and busy classroom, that can be time-
consuming and tricky! Prodigy’s free teacher account comes with tools that help you gather insights
while students play. Instead of spending hours grading assignments and developing differentiated
math practice, Prodigy helps you tailor content for the learning needs of your students.
15. Apply lessons to life (writing your own Math-autobigraphy)
“Are we really ever going to use this in real life?” is a common phrase heard in many math
classrooms. To help students understand the benefits and wonder of math, relate what they’re
learning to the real world! Have students research different career paths that use the concepts
they’re learning, or invite members of the community to speak about how they use math in their
jobs.

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