Pairing and Comparing in the Middle School Mathematics Classroom

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effects of cooperative learning in the middle school mathematics classroom. This action research project seeks to answer the question of does cooperative learning improve academic performance of middle school mathematics students. The study took place in two parallel middle school mathematics classrooms in a district of New York’s Southern Tier. There was an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group participated in a pair and compare teaching strategy following daily independent practice of the day’s lesson, as well as an open ended group task. The control group did not participate in this cooperative learning strategy and continued with teacher directed instruction. This was a quantitative action research study in which a t-test was used to analyze results of a formal assessment following two weeks of this intervention. In addition, some qualitative observations were made and have been included into the data results where they provide meaning. It was hypothesized that students in the experimental class would perform better after the use of cooperative learning. The t score indicated that although there was a difference, it was not a significant difference.