New Perspectives in Science Education
Evaluation of the Effect of Mathematical Routines on the Development of Mathematical Problem Skills and School Motivation of The Primary School Students in Abitibi-Temiscamingue
Thomas Rajotte, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Canada)
Abstract
Problematic
Since recent decades, the dropout rate in Abitibi-Témiscamingue is a worrying phenomenon. An analysis of the results of ministerial examinations identify that students in Abitibi-Témiscamingue have specific difficulties with mathematical problem solving tasks (MELS, 2014). Among the activities that develop those skills, the daily routines in mathematics seem to be a prefered pedagogical approach.
Research object
The main purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of doing daily routines in mathematics on two indicators of student success in school : problem solving rates and school motivation. In order to realise the objectives of this research, we implemented two types of activities in classroom. At first, we used board games in order to develop problem solving skills of children. Second, we used daily routines which imply five types of logic challenges.
Methodology and preliminay results
To meet those objectives, a pretest-posttest with unequivalent control group was implemented. The results show that daily routines in mathematics help to develop problem solving skills of the students in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Moreover, those routines have an effect on the extrinsic motivation of girls in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
