Introduction

Improving Student Engagement in the Mathematics Classroom

The mathematics teachers at Ketch Middle School continue to struggle with engaging all
students in the teaching and learning process. As such students often zone out and pay very little
attention to no attention to the teacher and what is being taught.
According to Frederick et al. 2004 engagement can be defined as a multifaceted construct which
operates at three levels: behavioral, affective and cognitive.

Behavioral engagement encompasses the idea of active participation and involvement in

academic and social activities, and is considered crucial for the achievement of positive
academic outcomes. Affective engagement includes students' reaction to school teachers, peers
and academics influencing their willingness to become involved in the school work. Finally,
cognitive engagement involves the idea of investment, recognition of the value of learning and
willingness to go beyond minimum requirements.

Engagement in a mathematics classroom occurs when:

● students learn math as a subject
● students see the importance of math in their current situation and in the future.
● students are able to make a connection between math learnt in school and math outside of
school settings.

The Head of the Mathematics Department along with the principal and academic vice principal
has realized that the teachers are planning and executing lessons but during observation of these
sessions it is noted that the students are not fully engaged in the process. In an effort to eliminate
and prevent this in the future they sought the help of an expert in the field of student engagement
to do a 3-day workshop for all the math teachers and the head of the department to educate them
on the importance of student engagement and provide tips on how they can experience it in their
classroom on a daily basis.

Needs Assessment

In preparing the needs assessment I identified.

Target Audience
The target audience will be comprised of all the mathematics teachers and their head of
department at the Ketch Middle School. The qualification of the math teachers at Ketch Middle
School ranges from teaching diplomas to Masters of Science in mathematics education and
science education. Their age ranges from 28 to 52 years of age. There are 12 teachers in the
department including the head of department who is also a classroom teacher.

Optimals - what knowledge is needed

● Knowledge of effective ways to engage students in the maths classroom

● Knowledge of the importance of engaging students in the teaching and learning process

● Factors that lead to students not being engaged

● How to design and executed a lesson to maximize student engagement

Actuals - the way things are presented.

● The students are not engaged in learning.

● The students have no interest in the teaching and learning process.

● The classrooms are teacher-centered.

● The methods used for teaching doesn't cater to the learning styles of the students.

Feelings

● Determine teachers' attitude towards delivering the content

● Determine teachers' attitude towards a student-centered classroom

● Determine teachers' attitude towards ensuring that the math concepts being taught is
relatable to students daily living

Causes

● The students don't see how the content is applicable to their daily lives or future.

● Teachers don't cater to the different learning styles of the students.

● The teaching practices don't allow for students to be fully engaged.

● Too much emphasis is placed on rote learning of math concepts.

● Students are not motivated to learn the content of the subject.