Changing Students Paradigms for Increased Self-Confidence in a Ninth-Grade Advanced Algebra I Classroom.

1
Changing Students Paradigms for Increased
Self-Confidence in a Ninth-Grade Advanced Algebra
I Classroom.
Keith Newman Classroom Based Research Project

• Education 587-630 Leadership for Middle Level
  Science

2
Background

• I was concerned for my students lack of completed
  home assignments.
• Classroom conversation revealed students were
  feeling frustrated and confused at home but on
  task and confident during class.
• I had used a program previously called The 7
  Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.
• I wanted to use this program to improve
  confidence and self-efficacy in a teacher made
  survey.

3
Literature Review

• Important Facts for me
• Gender was insignificant in determining the
  frustration and anxiety levels found within boy
  and girls in math (Tapia, 2001).
• In order to change attitudes, we require the best
  techniques for intervention and stimulation
  positive self-efficacy (Tapia, 2003).
• Soliciting feedback on anxieties and implementing
  student suggests for dealing with anxiety have
  greatly improved students confidences in other
  subject areas like Chemistry (Clement, 1999).
• Other attempts have been made to do this in
  similar classrooms using a curriculum redesign
  rather than a supplemental materials approach.
  (Morgan, 2003).
• Modeling and social persuasion can be very
  effective in building self-efficacy (Bandura,
  2007).
• Learning should be student centered and therefore
  the students need the right skill set to take
  responsibility for their education (Arendale,
  2001).

4
Methodology
Pre-Questionnaire Intervention
Post-Questionnaire

• Students were given a teacher created
  questionnaire designed to ask questions about
  their attitudes relating to anxiety based on
  enviroment and confidences they have.
• Students were then exposed to severl
  co-generative dialogue sessions that included
  mini-sessions / lessons using Sean Coveys book.
• Students then took the same questionnaire six
  weeks later. I compared the data to verify
  improvement in confidences and anxieties within
  the classroom.

The 3 HABITS used

• Be Proactive - This habit teaches students to use
  their principles explored in the opening to make
  choices rather than use raw emotion to respond or
  react to other people.
• Begin with the End in Mind - This section focuses
  students to be goal oriented.
• Put First Things First - This habit deals with
  time management for different types of
  situations.

5
Findings
Pre 3.20 2.36 2.92 2.16 2.40 3.40 1.60 2.56 3.24 1.84
Post 3.36 1.96 3.16 1.88 1.92 3.48 1.56 3.04 3.44 2.32
Diff -0.16 0.40 -0.24 -0.28 -0.48 -0.08 -0.04 -0.48 -0.20 -0.48

• More students were able to create an environment
  at home that was conducive to their homework
  needs.
• Students indicated that someone at home was
  helping them more frequently the first time they
  took the questionnaire.
• Students felt that completing their homework at
  home was less of a problem.
• Students were less inclined to indicate stress or
  confusion when completing homework.
• There was little to no change in student
  comprehension in class work or confusion of
  teacher instruction.
• Students indicated that they were now using more
  resources (such as friends, the teacher and after
  school tutoring) for help when they are confused
  or need to work on a concept.

6
Concerns

• Content was not the same throughout the six week
  mini-sessions. Could cause bias for students
  frustration levels.
• Lack of film or audio of co-generative dialogues,
  prohibited by administration. Used jottings
  method instead for paraphrasing of student /
  teacher co-generative dialogue.
• Teacher created questionnaire was no validated by
  any means and could be considered a poor measure
  of student frustrations and/or anxiety levels.
• Is this a repeatable study and would my
  curriculum allow for the full 7 habits to be
  explored?

7
Conclusions

• Able to improve self-efficacy and confidence
  levels without a change to curriculum.
• Different ways to improve these issues
  (curriculum redesigns, supplemental materials,
  support groups).
• I am confident in using this literature in other
  classes (starting next year at an earlier time
  frame) and using different track levels.
• Help other teachers, via professional
  development, implement this resource within their
  classrooms.