Developing mathematical ideas: An alternative pedagogy to teaching elementary mathematics

Boys and girls are capable of generating efficient problem-solving strategies. However, students need a learning environment that provides choices for making discoveries. The purpose of the study was to investigate alternative teaching strategies for instructing elementary children. This mixed methods design study, grounded the constructivist theory, involved a comparison of the performance of two 4th-grade classrooms in a southeastern rural school. The elementary school under study had an enrollment of 500 students; 50 of the 4th graders were randomly selected to participate in the study. The investigation involved comparing students who were using the discovery model to develop mathematical ideas with students who continued to practice a traditional algorithm procedure for learning mathematics. Pretest and posttest scores were retrieved from the Standards of Learning practice test results and analyzed using an independent t test. The independent t test showed no difference in the practice test scores between the experimental or the control groups. The qualitative data investigated how the 10 participating teachers felt about alternative teaching compared to traditional teaching. The survey responses indicated the majority of the teachers preferred the traditional model to teaching and learning. American schools function upon the foundation of culture and value, and change is not easy. Before a positive change can take place in the classroom, the culture of the school must be changed. American classrooms are usually not depicted by constructivist methods of teaching and learning. The implication for social change includes the evaluation of concepts and ideas that support constructivist practice.