Writing a mathematics community: A pen pal inquiry project.
Abstract
In elementary school classrooms, mathematics is rarely perceived as a form of communication or as a foundation for community. Instead, it often takes the shape of numbered problems with very specific answers compiled into textbooks and worksheets
Reference
Norton-Meier, L., Drake, C., & Tidwell, M. (2009). Writing a mathematics community: A pen pal inquiry project. Language Arts, 86(4), 245–256.
Journal
Language Arts
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- elementary language arts class
- Mathematics methods course
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
50
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- fieldnotes
- Interviews
- interviews with kids (students)
- pen pal letters
Data Analysis Tools
- Constant comparative analysis
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
As teacher educators, our questions were: “In the current political times with the strong focus on standardized instruction and assessment, what is it about the experience of the pen pal partnership that brings together so many isolated learning communities to truly create a community of inquiry with individual questions, but a collective purpose? What can we learn together and from each other?” (pp. 245-246)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
Finally, after reading articles by Sandra Crespo (2000, 2003) about the power of mathematics pen pal relationships for developing students’ skills and understandings related to problem posing, problem solving, and mathematical communication, we all wondered, “What happens in and
to the shared inquiry community when a mathematical component is added to the pen pal letters? What new questions and challenges arise for
individuals, and how do they continue to build and explore their thinking in relation to teaching and learning, literacy, and mathematics?” These questions about the mathematics pen pal process became the focus for this study. (pp. 245-246)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes