Findings

By: Maria Llamas, Spring/Summer 2016

1. Academic Progress:
Overall the majority of students seem to be more successful academically when they are given
choices in instruction.
The majority of students showed growth from pre-tests to the post-tests throughout Phase #1,
despite the fact my students, in the initiation of Phase #1, as evidenced throughout Pre-Tests and
original needs assessment data were at levels far below grade level. However, during Math Labs
1 and 2, 12 students out of 22 were meeting or exceeding grade level criteria, and 17 of them
showed increases in tests scores from 11% to 33%. During Math Lab 3 and 4 students continued
to also show great growth, with a total of 15 students of the 25 having increased scores by 13%
to 38%. Academic progress was also evidenced in the Math Whizzes, as the vast majority of my
students were able to respond to the Math Whizzes in unique but thoughtful ways, using
examples, descriptions, and in some cases visuals in their responses. This allowed me to realize
students capacity to express learning when it has first been exposed to them through mediums
they are interested in and have choice in (the math centers). The student conferences also
included a question regarding content which the majority of the students were able to verbalize
and explain to me without support accurately for 3 out of the 4 Math Labs. In regards to Action
Research focus of academic progress, Phase #1 implementation seemed to allow the vast
majority of my students to perform at higher levels than they initially had. This is consistent with
research from Patall, Cooper, and Wynn in 2010 in regards to the effect of choice (Patall,
Cooper, Wynn, 2010, 896-915). In their study, students were randomly selected to either have or
not have a choice in terms of homework (all choices still covering the same content), for a
particular unit (Patall, Cooper, Wynn, 2010, 896-915). The results in response to performance
indicated that the students that had a choice in their homework being assigned, showed increased
performance in the unit test scores (Patall, Cooper, Wynn, 2010, 896-915).
Despite the great progress academically that was evident, I noticed students growth
however, for the majority, although substantial, was not always enough to meet grade level
criteria. For example as evidenced in Math Labs #3 and #4 growth was apparent but only one
student was meeting grade level criteria. This suggests that greater support in academic growth
may be necessary to support moving students closer to meeting grade level criteria. In addition a
small group of students, 3 in Math Labs #1 and #2 and 5 in Math Labs #3 and #4 actually
decreased in their performance academically from pre to post-test. Thus, moving forward these
implications suggest that Math Lab has had an impact in students academically, but there is still
the need to address this group of students that have not shown increase in post test scores.
These findings encourage me to question and wonder about what would be the ideal next
steps in order of increasing further students academic progress for the students that have already
shown much growth and also for the students that have not.
I am wondering if greater tangible numerical feedback could support my students to
improve academically?

 I am wondering if greater peer feedback on journal entries and work could motivate
students to improve academically?
I am wondering how to best support my students that are confident but still far below
grade-level?
I am wondering if it would be beneficial to go over Math Whizzes, Journal Entries, PreTests as a class?
I am wondering if I should target a few students and serve as a support during Math Lab
for them?
How can I have my students not only improve academically but also be able to reach
grade level in the given content we are learning?
How can I target academic support of students during Math Lab without diminishing
students power of choice?
2. Autonomy
There were three key findings in regards to autonomy:
#1: Overall my students seem to enjoy the ability to decide their tasks as well as create their own
activities or projects in the centers.
Students were able to show consistent evidence of positive responses/perception of math
lab through writing their journal entries, conferences with me, and their feedback forms. As
evidenced by students description of what aspects of Math Lab they felt most strongly about,
they indicated the idea of choice of the center to which to learn in and interest/fun/novel
activities were some of their main reasons for these. Students also indicated they felt greater
control over their learning during Math Lab than in regular instruction. Students were also
showing evidence of enjoyment of having the choice to create new projects and activities as
many petitioned for more time at their center or working on center activities during their free
time, recess time, after school, etc.
#2: Overall my students enjoy choosing their working groups (individual, small-group, etc.), and
in doing so are better able to monitor their behavior, collaborate, problem solve, etc.
Overall as evidenced throughout student journal entries and conferences, student when
given the freedom to choose their activity and their working group size, showed evidence of
utilizing greater problem solving strategies to manage behaviors, resolve confusions, conflicts
and challenges. Through teacher observations I was able to notice that during Math Lab students
were more independent learners, inquiring less directly to myself or other teachers and resorting
more on themselves, monitoring their behavior and progress as well as those of others, etc. Only
a few students needed my direct support or clarification during math labs. Students journal
entries, also repeatedly included responses discussing students helping or teaching others, and/or

working together on challenges they were facing. Thus, data found through the
journals/observations confirmed that students were resolving more issues during Math Lab
through collaboration and experiencing greater decision making.

#3: Overall when students are given greater freedom in the classroom they are more likely to
take on autonomous roles.
As the Math Labs progressed, I began to notice that when my centers themselves
included greater freedoms, less specific guidelines and instead more options or open ended tasks,
students were more likely to exhibit more creativity and autonomy in their learning. Students for
example in the last two Math Labs, began using the freedom built into the Math Lab ambience to
take initiative in their response to tasks, such as forming pixies, or unique forms to meet
particular task criteria. As Math Lab #4 commentary specifically includes, students were creating
and working on larger projects and new creative ideas in response to their center tasks. Students
were also exhibiting in their journals analysis of their learning styles since they had visited
various centers and realized they preferred one over the others, etc. This finding was most
significant to my action research focus, for when students were given choice and greater
freedom, they were more willing to try different approaches to learning.
These three findings are significant to my action research focus as they suggest that the
choices that Math Lab implementation has allowed for increased student autonomy in various
respects. This is consistent with research by Birdsell, Ream, Seyller, and Zobott, in 2009, where
they included that 38% of students felt that when given more choice they were more likely to
utilize their strengths (Birdsell, Ream, Seyller, Zobott, 2009, 1-84). When student are able to use
their strengths and be confident in their capabilities, they can become more able to take on new
risks, thus be more autonomous.
Despite these findings, other than students at the Learning and Designing Center, and
occasionally some at the Math and Technology Center, there were many students who did not
stray from set in place activity guidelines. They still enjoyed the tasks at hand but they limited
themselves to finishing the activities, etc. that they had chosen.
Thus the following questions arise:
How can students take on more ownership or control of math lab and the activities of
each center?
How can Learning and Designing aspect be more evident in all centers?
These questions have led to considering of the following next step, which will be addressed in
detail in Next Steps: Phase 2:
Increase student voice and role in math lab creation possibly to allowing increased
sharing of ideas, and greater opportunities to respond to one another in groups, such as peer
reviewing (allowing students to truly act as co-teachers to one another).

 How can I increase the rigor and accountability academically of my students during
Math Lab?/How can I keep students more accountable for completing their work
thoroughly?
How can I have my students positive perceptions towards their mathematics learning
transfer into academic success and greater autonomy?
How can I encourage students to be more autonomous and creative in their interpretations
of Math Lab tasks?
I am wondering if greater expression of learning and sharing of center activities to whole
class could enable greater accountability and productivity in the centers?

3. Perceptions/Motivation
Overall, students have shown increased positive perceptions of themselves and their learning in
math content areas. This has been seen in response to choice and interest-based, novel activities
during Math Lab.
As evidenced by the perception wheel responses, prior to and after Math Labs, as well as
through the feedback responses, students that were initially had a negative impression of
mathematics overall, have begun seeing themselves as capable of being successful. This was
seen with students anxiety decreasing from 6 students indicating being anxious to 0-2 indicating
this at the end of each Math Lab. Students motivation and positive perceptions were also
evidenced by journal entries and conferences, where students indicated their yearning for Math
Lab implementation to be more regular and for longer periods of time, daily if possible. Overall
all my students have shown evidence of greater confidence and feelings of capability of being
successful, even those that have not been as academically successful are showing evidence of
increased self confidence in themselves. Thus, the perceptions and motivation results of the
students have been overwhelmingly positive with decreased anxiety within my students and
greater belief and confidence. This suggest overall that Math Lab and the choice it provides is
allowing students to perceive learning mathematics in more positive ways. This is supported by
Patall, Cooper, and Wynns research from 2010 as well, where although students had choice not
in the classroom, but in regards to homework, they still showed increased intrinsic motivation to
do the homework and they also felt more capable of completing the homework successfully than
students without choice (Patall, Cooper, Wynn, 2010, 896-915). Thus, choice can support my
students sense of confidence in their potential and abilities into the classroom.

Some general wonderings that results from this finding are the following:
Why is it that even the students that have not improved academically still have shown
an increase in positive perceptions as learners?

 What is it about Math Lab that allows my students to be so supportive of continuing

it? Is it purely choice? Is it that the choices are incorporating activities of student
interest?

Overall Significance
Overall Phase 1 has served as guidance and reference for next steps following forward.
The implementation of the 4 Math Labs has allowed me as teacher-researcher a renewed
appreciation of students voice in the classroom and the reminder to think and consider
differentiation in order to meet the needs of all students including small groups being unaffected
and/or negatively impacted by implementation. From my analysis I have gained support in
continuing Math Lab and fostering motivation and positivity, as it has shown to be able to
support in, but now with a larger more specific focus on the effects on academic progress,
possibly through the greater emphasis on recognition of academic milestones, etc., within the
classroom and context of Math Lab, as will be discussed in Next Steps Phase 2. Moreover, the
data and findings have encouraged me to continue fostering greater autonomy, and considering
doing this through possibly self and peer monitoring and feedback, as well as allowing students
greater opportunities for presentation of ideas, etc., as will be discussed in Next Steps Phase 2.