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Introduction/ The Problem

The grade 5 level class has students from different backgrounds that have been brought

together to get knowledge and nurture skills to prepare them for the next level of their academic

life. Currently, formal assessments are used to measure a student’s success. To ensure that each

of these learner groups is engaged, challenged, and prepared to apply their knowledge and skills

to any issue life throws at them, this researcher believes it is necessary to identify, specialize in,

and implement a system of instructional tactics. In pre-algebra, around 25% of pupils perform

below grade level and approximately 25% perform at or above level.

Purpose of the study

This action research study's goal is to assess the precise efficacy of several techniques for

teaching pre-algebra that the researcher employed in this classroom. The goal was to enhance the

effectiveness of instruction as assessed by quantifiable student growth seen over the course of

several instructional units.

Research Question

What pre-algebra tactics may I employ in my grade 5 classroom to satisfy the

requirements of my advanced, grade-level, and underachieving students?

Literature Review

McMillan and Hearn explain, "Evaluating what they learned, what they still need to work

on, and how they can get there can all support deeper understanding rather than superficial

knowledge" (2008). Therefore, to learn effectively, a person must reflect on his or her work.

Formative evaluation can offer crucial information that students need. Campos and O’Hern state

that, "feedback from... assessments can be used to help students with goal setting. This allows
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the students to take responsibility for their learning and become more independent learners"

(Campos, 2007). Frequent assessment and feedback can impact learning and accomplishment.

Methodology

Each of these strategies was implemented for a while of two weeks and was isolated from

the influence of other strategies during evaluation.

Strategy 1: All assessments with a Second Chance

The textbook's assessments were used. After each evaluation, teachers allowed students

to work out the missed problems again for credit. The researchers wanted to see if more frequent

tests, along with fast feedback and the chance to rectify evaluations for extra credit, could affect

student performance. In this investigation, only raw, uncorrected scores were used. Only grades

for the students were computed using the improved scores.

Strategy 2: All Assessments, Summarizing, and Note Taking

Students were instructed to split a page in half during class. Students were instructed to

make notes in the left margin that included vocabulary and instructional examples. Students were

instructed to elaborate on their notes with their justifications and examples. Before instruction on

the first day, a pre-test evaluation was provided. A pre-test evaluation, mid-unit test, and chapter

test were given.

Collection and Recording of Data

The data used was gathered through observation, formative evaluation, and summative

evaluation. The first-day assessment results were converted to a class-wide percentage mean, and

then they were individually compared with the chapter summative assessment results and the

mid-chapter assessment results. The lesson designation printed in each portion of each formative

assessment was used to establish which content areas were to be compared, and copies of the
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unit formative assessments were preserved for this purpose. These were analyzed to identify any

performance changes in each instructional area.

Results of the study

The efficacy of each strategy was measured for the class as a whole. The researcher

compared scores from the pretest and final test and a mean of the differences and standard

deviation for each calculated. A comparison of the two strategies in this manner was quantified

and showed a clear picture of the growth the students made during each strategy.

The students improved on average by 55 percentage points in the unit of the research

devoted to All Assessments. Individual results were 14.21 percentage points standard deviation

from the mean. The observed growth ranged from 37 percentage points to 79 percentage points,

with 79 being the largest rise. A mean of 31 percentage points was recorded in the Notes unit.

The standard deviation of the unit scores from the mean was 22.86. The least growth that was

seen was a loss of 5 percentage points between the pre-test and final results.

This group of students showed stronger and more consistent progress as a result of the

All Assessments method. The Notes technique, on the other hand, demonstrated less

improvement and less consistency in the growth students experienced during that unit.

Conclusion

The findings of this study are strong enough for this researcher to give assessment's

potential contribution to student learning more careful thought. A metric for assessing and

reflecting on the type of progress taking place during each teaching unit is very helpful for the

educator. Additionally, it is crucial to thoroughly analyze the concepts being taught and whether

each of those activities is worthwhile in terms of planning and teaching time. It is possible that

student motivation played a big part in why the All Assessment technique performed better.
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References

McMillan, James H.; Hearn, Jessica. "The Key to Stronger Student Motivation and Higher Ojeda

22 Achievement." Educational Horizons. v87 n1 p40-49 Fall 2008. Pi Lambda Theta, Inc. 2008

High Ability Students in Elementary Classrooms. Research Monograph 95122. 1995-09-00.

Spires, Michele S.; Jaeger, Janet. (2002-05-00). A Survey of the Literature on Ways to Use Web-

Based and Internet Instruction Most Effectively: Curriculum and Program Planning.

Di Fatta, Jenna; Garcia, Sarah; Gorman, Stephanie. Increasing Student Learning in Mathematics

with the Use of Collaborative Teaching Strategies. 2009-05-00