Influences on the planning practices of elementary teachers of multiage children for mathematics instruction

This study explored the mathematical instructional planning practices of ten elementary teachers of multiage children. Teachers who participated in the study taught in multiage classrooms comprised of varying configurations of students kindergarten through fifth grade. Influences on planning decisions made by these teachers were examined.;All participants in this study said they had difficulty using the basic tenets of the multiage philosophy in their mathematics planning, especially developmentally appropriate practices and meeting the needs of a wider range of students. Each teacher described mathematics as sequential and planned mathematics lessons primarily based on discrete district strands and standards. Teachers had difficulties showing the connections among mathematical concepts and integrating mathematics with other subject areas, because they did not understand these connections.;Four of the teachers reported that they felt confident in their mathematics planning and had devoted time to determine the most effective way to plan in a multiage classroom. These teachers gathered a variety of supplemental resources for planning and were influenced by classes, workshops, and conferences they had attended pertaining to mathematics. When planning for mathematics, all four of the teachers collaborated with other teachers and used flexible small groupings of students for mathematics.;As a result of this study, six participants who lacked confidence in their mathematics planning concluded that they needed to devote more time to planning. Each of these teachers described the need to attend classes, workshops, or conferences pertaining to mathematics.;Data collection occurred in the school setting during October, November, and December 1996. Ten teachers participated in three audio-recorded interviews and one "thinking aloud" technique. Relevant antifacts, such as lesson plans and work sheets, and reflective journals were gathered weekly throughout the study by the researcher.;Recommendations for practical application include further staff development for teachers pertaining to mathematics and increasing time for teacher collaboration in schools. Recommendations for further study include extending the research in other elementary schools, examining whether confidence levels of teachers changed, focusing on NCTM (1989, 1991) recommendations for content mathematics, examining the district's role as a supporter of multiage education, and using interview questions to encourage more detail from teachers.