Assessment of a Problem-Centered Second-Grade Mathematics Project

• DOI: 10.2307/749551
• Publication Date: 2006-05-04T23:01:10Z
• Authors: Paul Cobb; Terry Wood; Erna Yackel; John Nicholls; Grayson Wheatley; Beatriz Trigatti; Marcella Perlwitz
• Keywords: Core-Plus Mathematics Project

Ten second-grade classes participated in a year-long project which instruction was generally compatible with socioconstructivist theory of knowledge and recent recommendations the National Council Teachers Mathematics. At end school year, 10 were compared 8 nonproject on standardized achievement test instruments designed to assess students' computational proficiency conceptual development arithmetic, their personal goals mathematics, beliefs about reasons for success mathematics. The levels performance comparable, but there qualitative differences arithmetical algorithms used by students two groups. Project had higher understanding mathematics; held stronger importance collaborating; attributed less conforming solution methods others, competitiveness, task-extrinsic success. Responses questionnaire pedagogical indicated that teachers' more perspective than those colleagues.