Abstract
Group work permits students to develop a range of critical thinking, analytical and communication skills; effective team work; appreciation and respect for other views, techniques and problem-solving methods, all of which promote active learning and enhance student learning. This paper presents an evaluation of employing the didactic and pedagogical customs of group work in mathematics with the aim of improving student performance as well as exploring students’ perceptions of working in groups. The evaluation of group work was carried out during tutorial time with first year civil engineering students undertaking a mathematics module in their second semester. The aim was to investigate whether group work learning can help students gain a deeper understanding of the module content, develop improved critical and analytical thinking skills and see if this method of pedagogy can produce higher performance levels. The group work sessions were conducted over four weeks whilst studying the topic of integration. Evaluation surveys were collected at the end of the intervention along with an investigation into the examination results from the end of semester examinations. In order to derive plausible and reasonable conclusions, these examination results were compared with an analogous cohort of first year mathematics students, also studying integration in their engineering-based degree. The investigation into the effectiveness of group work showed interesting and encouraging positive outcomes, supported by a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Highlights
This paper evaluates the effectiveness of implementing group work in mathematics, in terms of student performance and students’ perceptions of this didactic form of learning during tutorial sessions
The research question posed is the following: can group work be considered an effective method of learning for the subject of mathematics, and can it enhance the student learning experience at a higher educational level? This study investigates the effectiveness of group work in university-level mathematics, a higher-level application perhaps slightly lacking in research output, by examining any improved student performance upon adoption of group work interaction as well as examining student perceptions of working in groups
This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing group work in a university-level mathematics module, in terms of student performance and students’ perceptions of this didactic form of learning
Summary
This paper evaluates the effectiveness of implementing group work in mathematics, in terms of student performance and students’ perceptions of this didactic form of learning during tutorial sessions. Mathematics educators are always striving to improve learner performance and achievements in the field of mathematics. The issues of learning problems in mathematics and the lack of metacognitive awareness of mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills [1] still seem to persist, and despite differences amongst educators on an effective learning methodology, it can be suggested that there is at least a concurrence with respect to the reduced level of accomplishment amongst learners in mathematics [2]. Specific reports recommending the restructuring of mathematical delivery [4] marked the need for modifications in teaching methodology. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [5] endorses the use of increasingly intensive and effective instructional interventions for students learning mathematics, suggesting that these can be used during tutorial sessions as well.
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