Browsing by Subject "matematiikan oppiminen"
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(2020)Fraction knowledge is central for daily activities, such as cooking and personal finance, but many students have difficulty with fractions. Fraction knowledge has been found to predict later mathematical performance in comprehensive school. Virtual manipulatives (VM) and concrete manipulatives (CM) are effective approaches to teaching fractions, but previous research has not been able to reach a consensus on which manipulatives are the most effective. This quasi-experimental study employed a pre- and post-test design to investigate the differential effects of VM and CM in a fraction intervention on students’ fraction skills. In addition to fraction skills, students’ arithmetical fluency was measured. Fidelity of intervention, social validity and time-efficiency of the manipulatives were also investigated. Fourth and fifth grade participants (N = 115) from Southern Finland were assigned to VM and CM intervention groups. The intervention was implemented during six 45-minute lessons over two weeks. Lesson contents were the same for both groups in spite of the manipulative. Results revealed that the CM group outperformed the VM group in fraction skills, which suggests that CM should be favored in fraction interventions. Additional implications for research and practice are discussed.
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(2020)Informal learning is learning that takes place outside the school system. It happens in everyday situations that were not meant to be educational in the first place. Out-of-school environments are considered to produce positive effects on pupils’ interest, motivation and attitudes. The main aim of this study was to find out how math worth and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education differed among 12-year-old pupils before and after visiting an Informal Math and Art Exhibition. Additionally, the aim was to find out if it is possible to utilize an out-of-school environment to teach 21st century skills. Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics (STEAM) pedagogy aims to improve pupils’ skills in innovation and creativity by combining elements from science and art. STEAM combines reality and education and aims to provide understanding of how things work while simultaneously guiding pupils’ technology skills. The learning context was a Math and Art Exhibition that was part of international CREATIONS-project. In this study, there were 256 12-year-old pupils from five different schools in Jyväskylä, Finland. The research material was gathered in 2 parts: pretests one week before the exhibition visit and posttests around a week after the visit. Nine out of ten students felt that the exhibition increased their interest in STEM. Boys who succeeded well in the Raven-test were the most interest in STEM. The increase in interest was, however, unrelated to gender or prior interest in STEM. Math worth was low among pupils who achieved low grades at school and scored low points on the Raven test. Math worth did not increase because of the exhibition visit, but differences in math worth were diminished. Pupils’ autonomous experience and situational interest were key factors regarding both math worth and interest. According to this study, even short-term out-of-school learning increases interest and evens out pupils’ math worth. In the light of this study the out-of-school learning environment can be seen as a fruitful and interesting way to learn that could also work as an excellent way to teach 21st century skills.
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(2017)The objectives: The objectives of this research have been to increase the research data available on the maths learning of the Swedish language immersion pupils and to see if sex/gender, language in instruction and one's idea of oneself as a maths learner affect learning results of language immersion pupils. The research questions were: How did the language immersion pupils do in the maths test in comparison to the pupils studying in Finnish? Did the language immersion girls and boys' results differ in KTLT and the technical reading test, Tarzan? What was the connection like between the a pupils' performance in KTLT and Tarzan? Which group had a stronger correlation between Tarzan and KTLT? The pupils studying in Swedish or in Finnish? How did the language immersion pupils see themselves as maths learners? Did this experience have any connection with the way the pupils performed in the maths when comparing girls and boys' to each other? Which categories did the interview data produce and did the theory resemble any of them? There has been reasonably little research so far on the maths skills of language immersion pupils, but far more on the learning results of pupils studying in high school and especially on the differences between girls' and boys' results during the last ten years. Thus there is a lot of research data one could compare the results of this research. The methods: This research took place in a junior high school in Kirkkonummi and students from four classes on the grades 8 and 9 were tested. On each grade there was one language immersion class and one Finnish speaking class. Together 67 pupils were tested out of whom 25 were from the language immersion classes. All the pupils were tested with KTLT and Tarzan after which an interview was carried out with the 25 language immersion pupils. The data was analysed with statistical research methods and category analysis. The results and conclusions: This research didn't show statistically significant difference on the maths and language skills between pupils studying in the language immersion programme and the Finnish control group. A pupils' sex/gender didn't have a statistical significance on the results though the boys studying in the language immersion programme received better results on KTLT than the girls. The girls studying in the language immersion programme, however, received better grades on maths. The lower results on the testing could be partly explained by the more negative experience of oneself as a math learner by girls. Also earlier research literature have showed a connection between performing in tests and one's experience as a learner. Why girls' grades a better than boys despite this lower performing status, the research data doesn't explain. However, that could be a topic for a further study.
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Luokanopettajien käsityksiä ymmärtävän oppimisen tukemisesta alakoulun matematiikan opetuksessa (2021)Objectives. The objective of this pro gradu thesis is to survey what class teachers think about the sup- port of and factors related to learning mathematics with understanding. One of the most important goals of the teaching of mathematics, according to both research into the teaching of mathematics and the curriculum for mathematics, is to support pupils in their development of mathematical understan- ding. According to studies this goal has not yet been attained, as mathematics teaching more often supports procedural knowledge than learning mathematics with understanding. In this study I set out to find out what are the things class teachers consider important for the success in teaching mathema- tics with understanding. This study aims at collecting information about the areas we should pay at- tention to in the teaching of mathematics, in its research and in teacher training to make it possible to achieve the goal of teaching that supports mathematical understanding. Methods. The material of the study consists of thematic interviews with six class teachers who are interested or specialized in mathematics. The material was analyzed by means of a qualitative content analysis. I made use of the Atlas.ti software that is intended for qualitative data analysis. In my ana- lysis I raised two themes that my results are based on. Results and conclusions. What class teachers conceived of as supporting learning with understanding was related either with the teaching-learning process or the teacher. Supporting mathematical unders- tanding seemed to form a process that starts with the orientation into a new subject as well as the use of concrete models, after which the new subject matter is being rehearsed with the help of, for example, textbook exercises. The development of mathematical network of knowledge and the skill to apply mathematics were seen as a consequence of understanding. Hearing and speaking mathema- tical language was thought to support mathematical understanding throughout the process. For lear- ning with understanding to succeed it is furthermore important that the teachers themselves know and understand mathematics and plan the teaching of mathematics carefully. It appears that success in the teaching of mathematics that supports learning with understanding depends on whether the teachers have sufficient knowledge and skills to plan and carry out such teaching.
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