DRAFT INQUIRY QUESTION

Deborah Butler 2017-2-2 1:25 PM

Inquiry Question Comment [1]: Terrific job on this first
draft of your inquiry, Helen! You created a
very flowing, well reasoned description of
How do educators utilize self-regulated learning (SRL) in a Response to the inquiry question you had/have in mind,
and why you think that is important. I also
Intervention (RtI) framework to improve mathematical problem solving for all students, appreciate how youve already added some
resources in here that you can build from
for your inquiry (a great launching point!).
especially for students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or mathematics anxiety? Youll see more musings below. See what
you think!
Rationale
Mark: 87% A
Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:41 PM
In my own experience with teaching students with learning disabilities (LD), I
Comment [2]: I wonder if SRL could be
adapted to interventions at all levels of
have found that the most difficult mathematical task for many of them involves word intervention. As a Tier 1 level, SRL could be
a school-wide model for supporting
student-driven and strategies-focused
problems. I have often found myself wondering if the reason for this difficulty involves learning. As a Tier 2 level intervention, I
imagine specific SRL strategies might be
... [1]
the comorbidity of math LD and reading LD. When students are given a task that Deborah Butler 2017-2-2 1:18 PM
Comment [3]: This is a GREAT question,
involves both reading comprehension as well as applying mathematical reasoning, it Helen! I have a figure I just shared with an
elementary school in Vancouver where I
was looking at how SRL-promoting
seems like this kind of multi-step task would place a heavier burden on their working practices could be built in at these different
tiers (though I didnt call it that!), with the
... [2]

memory and other cognitive processes. I also wonder how many students have math Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:28 PM
Comment [4]: I added this piece on math
anxiety because after our class on linking
anxiety as well as math LD and how that impacts there mathematics learning. Given that SRL and SEL, I was interested in how
developing SRL and SRL practices in the
RtI is the focus of much attention in the educational community and that policymakers classroom could reduce math anxiety. In
particular, after we discussed the roles of
... [3]

Deborah Butler 2017-2-2 1:19 PM

have already implemented the framework within multiple school districts, I am interested
Comment [5]: Great addition, and great
idea to focus on math. For students with LD,
in exploring the relationship between SRL and mathematics problem solving within an fostering SRL can hope on the emotional
side of the house, as well as (and through)
supporting academic success. This is a topic
RtI framework. In particular, since RtI has primarily focused on interventions for younger that we will definitely come back to!
Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:42 PM
children in the prevention of LD and math anxiety, I would like to direct my inquiry Comment [6]: I think I am shifting away
from this focus on co-morbidity of math LD
towards older students who have been identified as LD and how they can develop SRL and reading LD to an inquiry focus possibly
on the co-morbidity of math LD and math
anxiety.
strategies to access the general education curriculum. Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:43 PM
Comment [7]: Still not sure if I should
Background focus on intermediate or high school level
(or both)?
From a brief examination into the literature, there seems to be potential for Deborah Butler 2017-2-2 1:20 PM
Comment [8]: Fair enough for your
focusing. For age, whatever is most
pursuing this line of research involving studies that separates a sample of students with meaningful for you and your practice. You
might have to look for research conducted
across levels, though, to inform your work.
DRAFT INQUIRY QUESTION

Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:44 PM

math LD into those with and without reading LD (Fuchs, Fuchs, & Prentice, 2004). As I Comment [9]: I wonder if I should
broaden my focus to mathematical learning
in general rather than just focusing word
mentioned before, the comorbidity of math LD and reading LD could be one reason why problems and the language of math. I think I
need to take a deeper look in the evidence
students with LD struggle with word problems in particular. Furthermore, research has base before I can make a better decision.
Deborah Butler 2017-2-2 1:22 PM
also shown that students with LD often have less efficient self-regulation strategies in Comment [10]: Your question can evolve
as you grapple with the literature. Marjorie
Montague has done work in math problem
general (Wong, Harris, Graham, & Butler, 2003) and that students with math LD do have solving. Nancy Hutchinson might have done
work in that area some time ago (not 100%
the most difficulty with word problems, multi-step problems, and the language of math sure my memory is old!). I did publish one
paper on SRL in math learning too I can
share that if you are interested.
(Bryant, Bryant, & Hammill, 2000). While much of the literature focuses on how limited Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:36 PM
Comment [11]: As I reflected on my
mastery of the basic facts plays the key role in math LD (Gersten, Jordan, & Flojo, 2005), inquiry question during class, I wondered
about how to make this process of building
metacognitive knowledge more explicit in
I am more interested in the role that authentic, real-world problems can facilitate the the class. I remembered an article I read
about the role of expressive writing in math
development of students of mathematics as a way of thinking about their world. I would anxiety (Park, Ramirez, Beilock, 2014) and
wonder if this could
Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:47 PM
like to scaffold SRL in the mathematics classroom in a meaningful way where students
Comment [12]: From another course I
am taking, I learned that there are school
are focused on the thinking processes rather than finding correct numerical answers. districts that actually fund action research
studies based within their schools. I would
be curious whether my school district
Ideally, if I had my own classroom of students, I would like to engage in an action engages in this process. Im guessing a lot of
teachers do action research but dont ... [4]
research study to examine the development of these behaviours similar to that of Bell & Deborah Butler 2017-2-2 1:23 PM
Comment [13]: Great idea to take on
Pape (2014)s study in a seventh grade mathematics classroom. Finally, there has been action research! Not for our course/project,
though! Ill talk more about that in class. But
you could follow-up on what you learn
research in exploring the relationship between SRL and math anxiety in the classroom through inquiry to set that up!
Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:48 PM
(Kramarski, Weisse, & Kololshi-Minsker, 2010), which suggests that SRL metacognitive Comment [14]: Im starting to think that
the key piece for my inquiry might be the
development of metacognitive knowledge
strategies might lead to reduction in anxiety. Emotional regulation may be a powerful and self-awareness in students.
Helen Zhai 2017-1-26 9:31 PM
tool for reducing math anxiety as Boekaerts (2011) outlines in her model of self- Comment [15]: In my conversation with
my feedback partner, we wondered if SEL
regulation. should be explicitly taught within math
problem learning contexts or whether it
should become a part of the natural day-to-
day routine in the classroom. I imagine that
... [5]
Deborah Butler 2017-2-2 1:24 PM
Comment [16]: Great questions here. I
just found an interesting resource through
Edutopia that was looking at how a teacher
built supports for SEL into his teaching in
math (seeing it as a collaborative activity).
Something that might interest you! I really
... [6]
DRAFT INQUIRY QUESTION

References

Bell, C. V., & Pape, S. J. (2014). Scaffolding the development of self-regulated learning

in mathematics classrooms: Results from an action research study examine the

development of self-regulated learning behaviors in a seventh grade mathematics

class. Middle School Journal, 45, 23-32.

Boekaerts, M. (2011). Emotions, emotion regulation, and self-regulation of learning. In

B. J. Zimmerman, & D. H. Schunk (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation of

Learning and Performance (pp. 408-425). NY, NY: Routledge.

Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., & Hammill, D. D. (2000). Characteristic behaviors of

students with LD who have teacher-identified math weaknesses. Journal of

Learning Disabilities, 33, 168-177.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., & Prentice, K. (2004). Responsiveness to mathematical problem-

solving instruction: Comparing students at risk of mathematics disability with and

without risk of reading disability. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(4), 293-306.

Gersten, R., Jordan, N. C., & Flojo, J. R. (2005). Early identification and interventions

for students with mathematics difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38,

293-304.

Park, D., Ramirez, G., & Beilock, S. L. (2014). The role of expressive writing in math

anxiety. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 20, 103.

Wong, B. Y., Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Butler, D. L. (2003). Cognitive strategies

instruction research in learning disabilities. In H. L. Swanson, K. R. Harris, & S.

Graham (Eds.), Handbook of learning disabilities (pp. 383-402). New York:

Guilford Press.