The Impact Of Elementary Mathematics Workshops On Mathematics Knowledge For Parenting Mkp And Beliefs About Learning Mathematics

The Impact of Elementary Mathematics Workshops on Mathematics Knowledge for Parenting (MKP) and Beliefs about Learning Mathematics

These findings indicated that workshops for parents were beneficial. By giving parents the opportunity to engage in mathematics in ways similar to the way their children learn in the classroom, beliefs about mathematics were challenged. Prior to the workshops and according to the belief instrument that parents completed, parents' beliefs leaned more towards working with their child on homework instead of allowing their child to come up with their own strategies. When learning is student centered in the elementary classroom, students have a deeper understanding of mathematics (Carpenter, Franke, Jacobs, Fennema, & Empson, 1998; Carroll & Porter, 1997; Civil, Guevara, & Allexsaht-Snider, 2002; Vendlinski, Hemberg, Mundy, & Phelan, 2009). However, students also learn at home when working on homework. When working on homework with their children, should parents allow their children to work in a learner-centered environment, or should the parent take a more active role in helping their children with mathematics homework? This research demonstrates a need for more workshops like this for parents of elementary students. While the literature indicated more hours of professional development (PD) would be better (Frecthling, 2001; Quint, 2011), the three hours of material over a period of two sessions with parents in the current study indicated shifts in some areas. However, a longer PD could have increased parents' content knowledge. The workshops in this study included material on whole number concepts and operations, but parents may benefit from other topics.

Forthcoming Books

Partnership In Maths: Parents And Schools

Written by authors well known in their fields, Merttens and Vass bring together diverse and different views on IMPACT of wide reading appeal. In the current economy, should teachers be regarded as producers and parents as consumers? There is no issue in education more urgent than that concerning the relationships between parents, teachers and children. The IMPACT project involves individuals concerned with formal maths education including students, teachers, parents, governors, researchers, inspectors and education offcers. Its primary aim is to bring together parents and children so they share regular maths activities together, the results of which are brought back into class to inform the following week's work. IMPACT is also an initiative in maths INSET training and a form of monitoring.; The book is aimed at therapists, educational psychologists, education students, teachers, academics, parents, governors, inspectors and education officers.