ERIC Number: EJ1156020
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Oct
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-6803
EISSN: N/A
A Districtwide Study of Automaticity When Included in Concept-Based Elementary School Mathematics Instruction
McGee, Daniel; Richardson, Patrick; Brewer, Meredith; Gonulates, Funda; Hodgson, Theodore; Weinel, Rebecca
School Science and Mathematics, v117 n6 p259-268 Oct 2017
While conceptual understanding of properties, operations, and the base-ten number system is certainly associated with the ability to access math facts fluently, the role of math fact memorization to promote conceptual understanding remains contested. In order to gain insight into this question, this study looks at the results when one of three elementary schools in a school district implements mandatory automaticity drills for 10 minutes each day while the remaining two elementary schools, with the same curriculum and very similar demographics, do not. This study looks at (a) the impact that schoolwide implementation of automaticity drills has on schoolwide computational math skills as measured by the ITBS and (b) the relationship between automaticity and conceptual understanding as measured by statewide standardized testing. The results suggest that while there may be an association between automaticity and higher performance on standardized tests, caution should be taken before assuming there are benefits to promoting automaticity drills. These results are consistent with those that support a process-driven approach to automaticity based on familiarity with properties and strategies associated with the base-ten number system; they are not consistent with those that support an answer-driven approach to automaticity based on memorization of answers.
Descriptors: Elementary School Mathematics, Mathematics Instruction, Curriculum Implementation, Standardized Tests, Drills (Practice), Memorization, Elementary Schools, Number Systems, Number Concepts
Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2429/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A