The Effects of Peer Assisted Learning on Student Achievement in Math

Beth Csiszer

EDCI 635

My School

• Hunter Street Elementary School is

located in York, SC.

• It is a Title One School

• It houses PK-4th grades

• It currently has 662 students enrolled.

• The school is comprised of a population

that is 52% male and 48% female.

• The school demographics are

• 1% Asian

• 18% African American

• 13% Hispanic

• 4% Biracial

• 64% White

• .01 % Unclassified

My School (Cont’d)

•53% Free Lunch

•3% Reduced Lunch

•44% Full pay

Graphic Representation of Data

Free and Reduced Lunch at Hunter Street

53

3

44

Free and Reduced Lunch Population

Free

Reduced

Full Pay

4th Grade Demographics

• 54% Male and 46% Female

• 0% Asian

• 18% African American

• 9% Hispanic

• 6% Biracial

• 68% White

• .007% Unclassified

• 57% Free Lunch

• 2% Reduced Lunch

• 41% Full Paid Lunch

Graphical Representation of 4th Grade

Demographics

18

9

668

Demographics of 4th Grade

Asian

AfricanAmerican

Hispanic

Biracial

White

54

46

Males and Females in 4th Grade

Males

Females

4th Grade Demographics (Cont’d)

57

2

41

0

Free and Reduced Lunch in 4th Grade

Free Lunch

Reduced Lunch

Full Pay

My Classroom Demographics

• My Classroom consists of 50% females (10) and 50%

Males (10)

• I have a total of 20 Students

• My class’s racial demographics are as follows:

• 0 % Asian (0)

• 70% White (15)

• 20% African American (3)

• 5% Biracial (1)

• 5% Hispanic (1)

Graphical Depiction of the Demographics of

My Classroom

5050

Males and FemalesIn My Room

Males

Females

150 5 5

75

Racial Demographics of My Classroom

AfricanAmerican

Asian

Biracial

Hispanic

White

My Classroom Demographics (cont’d)

• 40% (8) of my students are on Free Lunch

• 20% (4) of my students are on Reduced Lunch

• 40% (8) of my students pay full price for their lunch

40

20

40

Free and Reduced Lunch in My Classroom

Free

Reduced

Paid

Students Who Qualify for Special Services

• 5% (1) ELL Student

• 25% (5) Resource Students

• 25% (5) Gifted Students (MERIT)

• 5% (1) Student who double qualifies as gifted and

resource

• 10% (2) Speech Students

• 30% (6) who do not qualify for Special Services

Graphical Representation of Students Who

Qualify for Special Services in My Room

5

25

255

10

30

Students Who Qualify for Special Services

ESL

Resource

Gifted

Double Qualifies

Speech

Does Not Qualify

Math MAP Data for Fall and Winter

Student Fall

Score

Winter

Score

1 211 215

2 193 214

3 219 226

4 207 222

5 215 219

6 205 208

7 180 185

8 210 213

9 188 211

10 206 213

Student Fall

Score

Winter

Score

11 214 225

12 214 211

13 200 207

14 192 191

15 195 189

16 220 229

17 202 207

18 219 221

19 205 207

20 213 221

Reading MAP Data for the Fall and Winter

Student Fall Winter

1 205 214

2 202 211

3 221 213

4 211 226

5 209 222

6 192 202

7 179 192

8 218 219

9 191 210

10 202 202

Student Fall Winter

11 216 217

12 219 227

13 182 207

14 195 207

15 195 208

16 220 226

17 185 206

18 200 204

19 189 192

20 197 201

DRA Levels for Fall

Student Level

1 50

2 40

3 50

4 50

5 50

6 28

7 28

8 50

9 38

10 40

Student Level

11 38

12 50

13 50

14 34

15 40

16 50

17 50

18 40

19 40

20 38

Math Grades for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2

Student Quarter 1 Quarter 2

1 92 93

2 85 91

3 97 89

4 98 96

5 85 93

6 78 70

7 70 71

8 90 93

9 78 82

10 87 82

Student Quarter 1 Quarter 2

11 93 95

12 94 92

13 85 77

14 78 79

15 81 73

16 93 88

17 79 76

18 95 94

19 89 82

20 85 84

My Students

My Students (Cont’d)

Problem

• Students who are successful in the lower grades begin

to struggle sometimes in math as they get into higher

elementary level grades.

• Why?

• Math problems are more complex

• Word problems require reading of problems

• Problems are often multi-step

• Academic language becomes more complex

• Poor ability to transfer knowledge from reading to

Math

Literature to Support My Problem

• According to the article, “Difficulties with Mathematics“

on the website hosted through PBS.org, Misunderstood

Minds, students may exhibit poor math skills as they rise

to older grades because they have :

• have computational weaknesses

• have difficulty transferring knowledge

• have difficulty understanding the language of Math

• have difficulty comprehending the visual and

spatial aspects of math

• have language difficulties (as with ELL students)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/mathdiffs.html

Literature to Support My Problem (cont’d)

• In a 1997 study, it was found that American eighth

graders performed approximately 2 years behind other

students in mathematics (Fuchs, Fuchs, and Karns

2010). Therefore, it is important that we find ways to

increase students’ mathematical achievement.

Literature to Support My Research Topic

• In a reading program, called PALS, a study was done by

Kamps, Greenword, Arreaga,-Mayer, Veerkamp, Utley,

Tapia, Bowman-Perrot, and Bannister (2008), to

determine its effectiveness. The results were that there

was a statistically significant gain in words read per

minute and a decrease over all of words missed.There

was a significant increase in test scores of weekly

quizzes with the use of peer tutoring.

• There was also significant support from a study by

Golding, Facey-Shaw and Tennant (2006) to suggest

that it increases students’ attitudes when in a peer

tutoring environment.

Literature to Support My Topic (cont’d)

• A study, by Mathes, Torgesen, Clancy-Menchetti, Santi

Nicholas, Robinson and Grek (2010) shows that when

using a peer tutoring program, there is virtually the same

amount of gains in a student’s reading progress as there

is when a student is in a small, teacher directed group.

Literature to Support My Research Topic

(cont’d)

• A study that is on a larger scale than the one I intend to

implement (Fuchs, Fuchs, Karns 2001) found peer

tutoring to be effective in mathematics. The one problem

that this study had was the fact that different teachers

implemented different amounts of the programs given,

thus the results were not 100% reliable. For that reason,

I am conducting this study within one classroom under

one teacher’s supervision. By all students receiving the

same training and the same instruction, it will increase

the validity of the study.

Action Research Plan

Week 1

• Acquire IRB Approval prior to beginning the project

• Acquire permission from parents and administration to perform action research (Administration Approval has been granted)

• Give pretest assessments; train students in the tutoring process

Weeks 3-5

• Implement Peer Assisted Learning in Math 2 times a week

• Collect weekly data on students’ attitudes towards Math and working with a partner for Math

Week 6

• Post Tests

• Analysis of data

• Complete Write up of Action Research

Week 1

• I will submit my IRB proposal

• I have already discussed my action research project with

my administration. I will remind them that I am now

beginning my action research to remind them

• I will send home letters to parents requesting permission

for their children to be in my action research project

• I will distribute Assent to Participate form to my class

asking my students to participate in my project after

explaining what we are doing

• I will give my pretests and train students in the peer –

tutoring process

Weeks 2-5

• Students will participate in Peer Assisted Learning in

Math on Tuesday, and Thursday for 20 minutes each

day weekly.

• Students will be paired with a peer based on MAP

scores.

• The student with the top Math MAP score will be paired

with the 11th top MAP score. The 2nd top MAP score

student will be paired with the 12th top MAP score

student and so forth.

Week 2-5 Continued

• Students will be given Math material to work on based

on the what the lower student needs in the pair. The top

student will teach the lower student how to do a problem.

The lower student will then have a turn to teach. Finally,

the higher student teaches the skill again. As skills are

mastered in the pair, new material will be introduced.

Week 6

• I will give students the Post-Test

• It is possible MAP data will be available. If so, I will

collect MAP data

• Third Quarter Grades in Math will be compared to those

of quarters one and two

• I will distribute and collect the attitude towards Math surveys

to complete

• I will distribute and collect surveys about students’ attitudes

towards group work

Collect Qualitative Data

Collect Quantitative Data

Week 6 (cont’d)

• I will analyze all of my data to determine if Peer Assisted

Learning is effective

• I will complete the write up of my action research plan

• I will share my findings with my team, as well as

administration

Qualitative Data I Plan to Collect

• Before students begin the Peer Assisted Learning

Program, I will give them two qualitative data surveys.

•One will be about the students’ attitudes towards Math

•The other survey will be about the students’ attitudes

towards working with a partner during Math

Sample Questions for Attitudes Towards

Math

• Students will answer questions such as the following on

a 3 point rating scale. (i.e. 3-Agree, 2-Unsure, 1-

Disagree)

• I like math.

• I am good at math

• Math is useful in everyday situations

• Everyone can do math if they try hard

• Math is boring

• Math is hard

• If I had the choice, I would never study math again

Sample Questions About Attitudes Towards

Working with A Partner

• Students will rate the following statements on a 3 point

scale (i.e. 3-agree, 2-unsure, 1- disagree)

• Working with a partner is helpful

• I learn from a partner

• I like working with a partner

• I do not like being assigned a partner to work with

• I don’t get much done when I work with a partner

• It is hard to get along with a partner

Quantitative Data I Plan To Collect

• I will give a pretest and a post test created on standards

taught in 4th grade.

• MAP data will be used as supplemental data if the

Spring data is in on time

• I will use students’ third quarter mathematics grades to

determine if there is a change in students’ achievement

Sample Page of my Pretest/Post Test*Each standard will be tested at least once

In the number 35624907, where should a decimal be

placed in the above number to make the largest

amount?

• a. between the 4 and the 9 b. between the 3 and the

5 c. between the 6 and the 2 d. between the 5 and the

6

• 15 +X=21

The equation shown above is only true if the letter 'X' is

equal to what number? a. 6 b. 5 c. 7 d. 4

References

• Calhoun, M. B., Otaiba, S. A., Cihak, D., King, A., & Avalos, A. (2007). Effects of a peer-mediated

program on reading skill acquisition for two-way bilingual first-grade classrooms. Learning

Disability Quarterly, 30(summer), 169-184. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from the Educator Reference

Complete database.

•

• Dineen, J., Clark, H., & Risley, T. (1977). Peer tutoring among elementary students educational

benefits to the tutor. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10(2), 231-238. Retrieved July 23,

2010, from the JSTOR database.

•

• Fuchs, L., Fuchs, D., & Karns, K. (2001). Enhancing mathematical development: effects of peer-

assisted learning strategies. The Elementary School Journal, 101(5), 495-510. Retrieved July 24,

2010, from the JSTOR database.

•

• Kamps, D., Greenwood, C., Arreaga-Mayer, C., Veerkamp, M. B., Utley, C., Tapia, Y., et al.

(2008). The efficacy of class wide peer tutoring in middle schools. Education & Treatment of

Children, 31(2), 119-156. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from the Educator Reference Complete

database.

References (cont’d)

Lauren, Nathan V., and Sarah Lee. "Misunderstood Minds . Math Difficulties | PBS." PBS: Public

Broadcasting Service. Web. 29 Jan. 2011.

<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/mathdiffs.html>.

Lawson, t., & Trapenberg, g. (2007). The effects of implementing a class wide peer tutoring model on

social approvals and disapprovals during unstructured free time. Journal of early and intensive

behavior interventions, 4(2), 471-482.

Lo, Y. (2004). Total class peer tutoring and interdependent group oriented contingency: improving the

academic and task related behaviors of fourth-grade urban students. Educational and Treatment

of children, 27(3), 235-262. Retrieved July 24, 2010, from the ERIC database.

Mathes, p., Torgesen, J., Clancy-Menchetti, J., Santi, K., Nicholas, k., Robinson, C., et al. (2003). A

comparison of teacher-directed versus peer-assisted instruction to struggling first grade readers.

The Elementary School Journal, 103(5), 459-479.

Any Questions?