Abstract
Students in many western countries struggle to achieve acceptable standards in numeracy despite its recognition as an important 21st century skill. As commercial math programs remain a staple of classroom instruction, investigations of their effectiveness are essential to inform decision-making regarding how to invest limited resources while maximizing student gains. We conducted a cluster randomized-controlled trial of the effectiveness of JUMP Math, a distinctive math program whose central tenets are empirically supported, for improving elementary math achievement (clinical trial.gov no. NCT02456181). The study involved 554 grade 2 (primary) and 592 grade 5 (junior) students and 193 teachers in 41 schools, in an urban-rural Canadian school board. Schools were randomly assigned to use either JUMP Math or their business-as-usual, problem-based approach to math instruction. We tracked student progress in math achievement on standardized and curriculum-based measures of computation and problem solving, for 2 consecutive school years. Junior students taught with JUMP Math made significantly greater progress in computation than their non-JUMP peers but the groups did not differ significantly in problem solving. Effects took hold relatively quickly, replicating the results from an earlier pilot study. Primary students in the non-JUMP group made significantly greater gains in problem solving and computation in year 1. But those taught with JUMP Math made significantly greater gains in problem solving and the groups did not differ in computation, in year 2. The positive effects of JUMP Math are noteworthy given that the JUMP Math teachers were likely still adjusting to the new program. That these positive findings were obtained in an effectiveness study (i.e. in real-world conditions), suggests that JUMP Math may be a valuable evidence-based addition to the teacher’s toolbox. Given the importance of numeracy for 21st century functioning, identifying and implementing effective math instruction programs could have far-reaching, positive implications.
Highlights
Numeracy, the ability to understand and to utilize quantitative information, has been implicated in health management, criminality, financial welfare and employment, with greater numeracy skills related to better outcomes [1,2,3,4]
We investigated the effectiveness of JUMP Math (JUMP), a distinctive approach to math instruction, developed by a Canadian mathematician based on a wealth of experience working with children with diverse math skills and challenges [18, 19]
In the scale-up RCT, we investigated the impact on math achievement in year 1, the summer, and year 2 of the study, to shed light on the trajectory of any effects of curricula
Summary
The ability to understand and to utilize quantitative information, has been implicated in health management, criminality, financial welfare and employment, with greater numeracy skills related to better outcomes [1,2,3,4]. Employment in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), which rely heavily on mathematical skills, has been projected to increase three times as much as in non-STEM fields between 2005 and 2024 (33% versus 10%) and STEM graduates experience a higher employment rate and higher earnings than non-STEM graduates [5]. Efforts to improve mathematics achievement have focused increasingly on the early school years as early difficulties in mathematics have been linked to later academic and professional success. Individual differences in mathematical skill are already apparent upon Kindergarten entry and predict later academic achievement more strongly than early reading, attention, or socioemotional skills [9]. Persistent difficulty in mathematics is associated with lower rates of high school graduation and college entry and high school mathematics achievement predicts college graduation, career earnings and earnings growth [10, 11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
