The Effect of Mathematics Instruction Based on Robin Fogerty,s Integration Strategies on Mathematics Learning of Fourth Grade Male Students

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

Introduction: A curriculum is a targeted effort intentionally designed to establish the essential foundation for achieving educational objectives. Hence, the curriculum is regarded as a crucial component in education. The curriculum can be developed through either internal or external influences, which serve as the foundation for evaluating various curriculum design systems along the concentration-decentralization spectrum. Accordingly, our country's educational system is a centralized system that gives rise to fundamental challenges in society. These challenges include a lack of responsiveness of the educational system to societal needs, scientific and technological stagnation, inactivity, lack of motivation, confusion among families, and elites’ immigration (brain drain), which have been implemented in the curriculum, namely in the fourth-grade mathematics curriculum. Some challenges associated with this curriculum include the isolation and artificiality of the learning experience, feelings of irrelevance, futility, and occasional perplexity for the learner. In addition, some challenges in the students' learning process include their errors, lack of focus on conceptual learning, excessive emphasis on rote learning, limited opportunities for guessing and experimentation as problem-solving strategies, and the formal and unrealistic use of practical problems in mathematics classrooms and curriculum. The integration of the curriculum can effectively address the mentioned problems and their significance. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the impact of mathematics instruction utilizing Rubin Fogarty's models of integration on the mathematical learning of fourth-grade students.
Research Questions: Does the implementation of Rubin Fogarty's models of integration in the mathematics curriculum effectively enhance the learning of mathematics among fourth-grade male students?

Does the implementation of Rubin Fogarty's models of integration in the mathematics curriculum lead to consistent and ongoing learning among fourth-grade male students?

Method: This study is classified as applied research and follows a quantitative research method. This study employed a quasi-experimental design, incorporating a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up plan, along with a control group. The research population of the study consisted of all male students residing in the 5th district of Tehran city. A non-random sampling method was used to choose a sample of 62 individuals, which included two classes with 31 students each. Subsequently, using a random selection process, one class was designated as the experimental group while another class was designated as the control group, considering the educational and family backgrounds of both groups. Initially, a pre-test was administered to assess the students' understanding of the mathematics lesson. Following this, 11 intervention sessions were done. Subsequently, a post-test and a follow-up test were administered after two months. These tests were then analyzed using covariance analysis. The test utilized in this experiment was a math test, which was developed by the researcher and validated by five experts. The pre-test and post-test questions demonstrated reliability of 0.87 using Cronbach's alpha and 0.71 using the retest method, respectively.
Results: The analysis of the data revealed a significant difference in mathematics learning between the experimental and control groups. The mathematics learning variable has a significant F value of 46.82 at the P = 0.05 level. Furthermore, the implementation of this particular mathematics education curriculum has proven to be successful in maintaining the consistency of students' mathematical knowledge over an extended period. The reason for this is that the F value for the mathematics learning variable was 26.24, which is statistically significant at the P = 0.05 level. Thus, it can be inferred that the use of Rubin Fogarty's integrated models in mathematics teaching has proven to help enhance the learning outcomes and retention of knowledge among fourth-grade male students.
Discussion and Conclusion: Regarding research questions 1 and 2, it is evident that this form of integrated educational curriculum fosters consistent learning in students. This is achieved by the teacher utilizing an integration of teaching methods to compensate for limited instructional time, particularly due to the extensive material of the mathematics course. Consequently, the teacher is no longer required to teach these other subjects separately, but instead incorporates them into the integrated session. Additionally, she/he utilizes the time allocated to gain a more profound comprehension of mathematical concepts. Additionally, the teacher's utilization of integration serves to offer tangible instances of mathematical principles, imbuing mathematical concepts with significance.
 

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References

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Journal of Curriculum Research
Volume 14, Issue 2
September 2024
Pages 106-87

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  • Receive Date: 01 March 2024
  • Revise Date: 26 May 2024
  • Accept Date: 22 July 2024

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