Implementation of a math workshop model in the elementary classroom: understanding how teachers differentiate instruction.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20204823

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to discover the ways in which elementary teachers implement a math workshop model and differentiate math instruction to improve math achievement for elementary students. Constructivist and differentiated learning theories provided a context to explore how elementary teachers implement math workshop and design instruction to meet diverse student needs. The primary research question guiding this study was: how do elementary teachers use their knowledge and understanding of math workshop in classroom math instruction in a Southeast Massachusetts school district to improve math instruction? Math workshop was generally defined as teachers strategically selecting appropriate tasks and orchestrating classroom discourse to maximize learning opportunities geared to developing students' conceptual understanding, fluency with numbers, and problem solving strategies. The analysis of the data indicated that providing teachers with school-based professional development delivered by math specialists with sustained support and follow-up had more influence in changing teachers' instructional practices than traditional professional development workshops. In addition, the study's findings highlighted elements that impacted teachers' implementation of math workshop in their classrooms: student grouping practices, incorporation of differentiated instruction, peer collaboration and support, and teacher autonomy in instructional decision-making.