The Impact of Various Instructional Strategies on Student Engagement with Mathematics

The purpose of this research is to investigate the variation of student engagement with mathematics depending on the instructional method implemented in a secondary classroom. I looked into the strategies of lecture, group sessions, and direct instruction. In order to compare the student engagement among the methods, I developed a checklist instrument to verify when students were engaged based on seven indicators of engagement – teacher-led questions, student-led questions, showing work on the board, group work, growth between formative assessments, nonverbal engagement, and the use of differentiation. My findings show that the group sessions scored higher on the engagement indicator checklist than both the lecture and direct instruction. As engagement with mathematics plays a pivotal role in success in a mathematics course, I expect my research to enrich my experience as a young teacher and allow me to better serve and educate my future students.