Rethinking mathematics curriculum in a K-5 rural setting: Comparing inquiry-based to traditional approaches

Selecting a mathematics curriculum that aids students in developing a solid mathematical foundation anchored in the principles of instruction is critical in elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a math curriculum by examining achievement outcomes on value-added measures. The study also compared the instructional practices of inquiry-based approaches in elementary mathematics classrooms to more traditional mathematics instruction.;The population for the study consisted of 24 classrooms of students producing a total population of 467 students. Six classrooms made up the experimental (inquiry-based) group and eighteen classrooms made up the control (traditional) group. Of the 467 students, 113 (24%) received math instruction in classrooms using the Pearson's Investigations curriculum (inquiry-based, experimental group), while 354 (76%) received math instruction in classrooms using MacMillan McGraw-Hill's Math Connects curriculum (traditional, control group). The students were not randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups.;This study analyzed data from both a math achievement test and a word-problem assessment and compared those using the experimental curriculum and those using the traditional curriculum. Students' responses and strategies to the math word problem assessment were scored by a team of teachers using a rubric. Students were scored on receiving the correct answer and solving the question using more than one problem-solving strategy. The students' gains in the math achievement test and word-problem assessment were compared for the experimental and control groups.;The study found that there was not a statistically significant difference in the gains in the math achievement scores between students who were instructed with the inquiry-based curriculum compared to the more traditional curriculum. However, students instructed with the inquiry-based curriculum did show statistically significant gains over the students instructed with the traditional mathematics curriculum on the math word-problem assessment (p<.05).