Analysis of Learners

Learner Interviews
I selected two students who find math to be a challenging subject, but have made significant
progress so far in the eighth grade math course. I chose these students because I knew that
they would give honest answers about their attitudes and motivations. Also, I was able to get
parent approval to interview them. I recognize that in an instructional design setting I might
want to interview learners who lack motivation; in this case, I had the constraint of needing
parental consent for an interview. I also chose students who would be willing to give up part of
their lunch and homeroom time to be interviewed. If I did not have to rely on students who
were willing to give up their time and parental consent, I would have chosen learners who
lacked motivation in order to get another perspective.

The table below shows the interview questions and summary of each learner’s response. I
interviewed each student for about 8 minutes during either their homeroom time or lunch
period. This ensured that they did not miss out on instructional time.

Questions Learner #1 Learner #2

How do you feel about
solving word problems?
The student sometimes has
to read a problem more than
once. Sometimes the
student makes errors
because the student doesn’t
understand the problem.
The student finds the
wording of problems to be
challenging .
The student said, “I am not a
huge fan of them.” The
student explained that she
will take the numbers in the
problem and try to apply
them to an equation she
already knows how to solve.

If you are given a word
problem you aren’t sure how
to solve on a test, explain
what you do?
The student will read the
problem and look for key
words that tell her to add or
divide. For example, “more
than” or “less than”. The
student asks for help if
necessary.
The student tries her best to
use all of the given
information. If it is a multiple
choice problem, the student
will take their best guess if
their solution is not one of
the choices.

Does your response to the
previous question change if it
is a problem I give you in
class that isn’t for a grade?
The student will follow the
same plan as before and try
her best.
If it is a test, the student
thought she would have
more time to double check
her work. She is also more
willing to try additional
strategies to find the answer
since there are not the same

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What frustrates you about
word problems?
What do you like about word
problems?
Describe your ability to solve
word problems.
What would help you to feel
more confident/excited
about solving word
problems?
The student shared the
following:
● Words
● Too many steps to
solve
● It is difficult to
identify the steps
● Stressful to solve
The student likes that
information is given to help
you solve the problem.
The student is “okay at it.”
The student tries her best to
solve it correctly and knows
she can ask questions.
The student would like the
teacher to make the word
problems easier.
The student would like
opportunities to practice
within a group. This could
help with identifying the
steps to solving a problem.
time constraints.
The student said that nothing
frustrates them. However,
she said she stumbled on the
wording of word problems,
and they are difficult to
comprehend.
The student likes when she
can use formulas to solve the
word problems and show her
best work.
Follow Up Question:​ Would
you solve word problems for
fun?
The student shared that she
would not solve word
problems for fun. She would
solve them for extra credit or
extra practice before a test.
The student shared that she
is working to improve their
ability to solve word
problems.
The student would like more
opportunities for practice to
help them solve word
problems. Based on previous
experience in other math
classes, the student thought
learning key words would be
helpful.
The student would like to see
more examples and have
more time for independent
practice.
The student likes pencil and
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 paper tasks as well as
instructional videos.

How do you learn best? The student is a visual and The student learns best by
auditory learner. reviewing her notes. She
described herself as a visual
learner.

Describe your motivation. The student is motivated to The student shared that her
do well in class. parents motivate her to do
I asked this as a follow up her best work and try really
hard.
question to how do you learn
best for Learner #1. Then, I
asked the question to Learner
#2.

I was surprised that students mentioned key words since so many professional development
sessions I have attended have said to avoid teaching kids key words. Personally, I think it is
balance, but it was interesting that students shared this as an approach they use to solve word
problems. I have not discussed using key words in my class. I think this is probably a result of
their prior experiences in math or advice that they receive from their parents at home. A
common theme was more opportunities to practice solving word problems after receiving
direct instruction. As a designer, I think I need to reflect on ways for students to practice and
receive immediate feedback.

Learner Analysis
Entry Behaviors
About 75% of the class lacks the motivation to do more work
than is required of them. Many students in this eighth grade
class are reluctant to answer questions in class when they are
around their peers. They typically look for the same students to
answer questions even when sufficient wait time is given. They
have a similar response when cold-calling and no-opt out
strategies are implemented; however, some of them will
attempt to answer a question in these situations. One strategy
that has been effective is randomly asking a student within a
group to describe the group’s work. This has increased students’
accountability to be on task and try to understand the concept
we are working on. When given a task in a low-stakes group
environment, they are more likely to participate.

The lack of motivation to participate seems to be a combination

of wanting to finish a task quickly and not wanting to give the
wrong answer.

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Prior Knowledge of Students have solved word problems in the past. Oftentimes,
Topic Area students have not been successful in developing and accurately
executing a plan. At the end of the fall semester, the
mathematics PLC at our school finalized a problem solving
framework that we will start to implement with our students
across first through eighth grade. I would like to pilot teaching
our school’s problem solving framework with my current
students. Ideally, I would use the product from this course at
the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.

Learners have used identifying key words, CUBEs, and the

window pane model in the lower grades. If given a word
problem that is not similar to one done in class, students tend
to show little evidence of a problem solving plan. Students tend
to perform an operation with the numbers in the problem. They
usually have little understanding of the answer in the context of
the problem and do not reflect on the reasonableness of their
answers.

In class, if I give them a word problem to work on in a group

setting, they are able to determine solutions with questioning
strategies and a significant amount of time. They are also more
willing to work on a problem and share ideas when it is not for a
grade.

Attitudes Toward The learners in this course typically have faced challenges in
Content mathematics. Many of them lack the motivation to want to
deepen their understanding of mathematics. When they do find
success with a topic or assignment, they are excited about it.
However, for most students, success does not lead to increased
motivation. There are about four to five students who
consistently try to their best and want to improve their
understanding of mathematics.

Attitudes Toward The learners prefer explicit modeling and multiple examples.
Delivery System From my perception as a teacher, this preference is not always
out of necessity. Some students prefer to just be shown what to
do multiple times rather than doing the work themselves.
Students will need opportunities to practice and revise their
work. Students will not be happy about having to correct or
revise their solutions.

Last semester, I used an instructional video made for CUIN

7374. Students enjoyed the video and having the option to
pause and replay it if needed. This is a tool I would like to
include in future design activities for my capstone project.

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Academic Motivation (ARCS)
● Attention​: ​ Active participation occurs from the majority of students only when they are
reminded that they will be randomly called on. The majority of students are motivated
to actively participate when given the option to use whiteboards. Humor and real world
examples also motivate students to learn new concepts.

● Relevance:​ ​Perceived future usefulness is something that students are not able to see
with problem solving. They tend to see it as a challenge that does not relate to the real
world. Some students benefit from connections to previous experiences in the class.
For some students this is not as effective because they struggle to recognize that math
concepts build on each other throughout the year. All students respond positively in
class when I give them choice in how they can practice a skill (i.e independently, with a
group, on paper, or on whiteboards.)

● Confidence:​ Students respond positively to immediate feedback during checks for

understanding. When feedback is given in terms of a grade, they tend to lose their
confidence and shut down. Some students respond to opportunities to celebrate
self-growth.

● Satisfaction;​ ​Some students are motivated by grades. These students want to do well
on the test and earn the highest grade possible. Many of the students in this course
struggle with motivation and have little satisfaction engaging in problem solving tasks.
Many students are motivated to earn a passing grade while getting the work done
quickly rather than completing their best work or trying to deeply understand the
content. Most students focus more on performing for a passing grade rather than
learning to deepen their understanding of the content.

Education and Ability Levels

Our mathematics courses are leveled. These students are in the eighth grade math course. They
have similar abilities and education in mathematics since many of them have been attending
the same school since preschool. In middle school, they have had the same 3 teachers for math.
This is my first year teaching this group of students.

General Learning Preferences

Learners prefer to learn with a direct instruction model. From my observations and
conversations with students, this is the format that they are used to in mathematics. They also
like to avoid productive struggle, so direct instruction minimizes opportunities for productive
struggle. They can be compliant with their behavior and look attentive without having to work

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on solving the problem that is being modeled for them.

Attitudes toward Class, Group, or Organization

Many students dislike activities that involve sustained effort or work. They want to do well, but
they lack the motivation to embrace a challenge or ask questions. For example, they will write
an apology on a test when they know they did not prepare for it; however, the experience of
not doing well on a test does not always motivate them to improve. Some students are
motivated by their parents and high school aspirations to put forth more effort in math class.
Some students are motivated by participation in athletics.

Over the course of the school year, the attitude of students in my class has improved. We have
had some talks about motivation and effort throughout the year. I have also asked them to
share their feedback, which I think has improved their attitude in class.

They want to do well in school, but they do not always want to put the time and effort into that
process. They rush to complete their work rather than paying attention to details.

Group Characteristics
This is a homogenous group of students who are not as strong with problem solving in
mathematics as their peers. The group has 21 students. My overall impression of the group is
that they are capable of learning mathematics and problem solving if they are held accountable
to learning the material, given positive praise for their efforts, and provided opportunities to
apply the skills they are learning in a low-stakes environment.

Motivating students to study for assessments is still a challenge. They are used to not studying
and being able to solve skills based problems by memorizing a procedure. I think this problem
solving unit will need to have a variety of instructional tools to help develop their problem
solving skills.

Data Sources and Implications of Learner Analysis

For data sources, I used my own observations in class, my assessment data, and conversations
with colleagues who teach the same class.

I think my design needs to have some elements of explicit modeling for students to grasp the
concept of using the framework. Also, I think students need opportunities in a non-test setting
to practice the framework with a variety of application problems that incorporate different
readiness and supporting standards based on the 8th grade math TEKS.

I also think I need to figure out ways to plan for student choice and ways to motivate them to
learn how to use the framework. I need to help students see how developing their problem
solving skills in middle school will benefit them in their high school math courses.