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What is Algebra? Cross-Curricular Textbook Analyses

Explore variations in high-school algebra content, cognitive behaviors, and instructional approaches to aid curriculum decision-makers. Preliminary results and analytical frameworks reveal diverse content coverage and sequencing. Next steps involve advanced software for in-depth data analysis. Conclude with insight into the impact on student learning.

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What is Algebra? Cross-Curricular Textbook Analyses

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  1. What is Algebra?Cross-Curricular Textbook Analyses Mary Ann Huntley (PI) Maria Terrell (Senior Personnel) NSF DR K-12 PI Meeting Washington, DC December 2, 2010 NSF Award #090131

  2. Project Advisors/Consultants Hyman Bass (University of Michigan) Herb Clemens (Ohio State University) Jim Hiebert (University of Delaware) Sarah Theule Lubienski (University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne) Wei Pan (University of Cincinnati) Maria Araceli Ruiz-Primo (University of Colorado Denver) Norman Webb (University of Wisconsin Madison)

  3. What is Algebra? Hyman Bass (November 20, 2008)

  4. Rationale There is large variation in the content of courses called “algebra” in the US and abroad (Kendal & Stacey, 2004). Characterizing textbooks as either “traditional” or “reform” masks important distinctions between programs that really are quite different (Huntley, 2008). Describing these differences in coherent, comprehensive, and commensurable ways will allow curriculum decision makers and other stakeholders to compare curricula and make informed decisions.

  5. Textbooks Analyzed *Only units in Years 1-3 with major focus on algebra (as identified by the textbook authors).

  6. Research Question What are the characteristics of different curricular approaches to high-school algebra? What is the content, including the breadth, sequence, and depth of topics covered? What sets of behaviors are expected of students as they engage with the content?

  7. Analytical Frameworks Content Survey of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) K-12 Mathematics Taxonomy (Wisconsin Center for Education Research, 2007) Cognitive Behavior TIMSS Advanced 2008 Assessment Framework (Garden et al., 2006)

  8. Coding Procedures Every textbook item is coded by two people Narrative (excluding worked-out examples) Exercises (homework problems) Coders Mathematician (Terrell) Mathematics Educator (Huntley) 2 High-School Teachers (10+ years of experience, master’s degree) Periodic Reliability Checks

  9. Status of Coding * Only units in Years 1-3 with major focus on algebra (as identified by the textbook authors).

  10. Preliminary ResultsDistribution of Content Pie charts show the percentage of items in each content area, arranged clockwise starting from the tick mark.

  11. Preliminary ResultsFrequency of Content 10 most frequently used content codes in each curricular program

  12. Preliminary ResultsContent vs. Time Plots of topic codes as a function of "time" (which is represented as the unit/chapter in the textbook) reveal differences in density, distribution, and sequencing of content topics.

  13. Glencoe Algebra 1 Topic vs. Chapter

  14. Glencoe Algebra 2 Topic vs. Chapter

  15. Preliminary ResultsCognitive Behaviors Pie charts indicate differences in the percentage of items in each curriculum for each cognitive dimension.

  16. Preliminary Results In addition to coding for content and cognitive behavior, other easily-obtainable information is gathered during the coding process Use of tools (calculators, computers, manipulatives) Use of real-world contexts

  17. Next Steps Use highly-specialized software, originally developed for ecologists, for analyzing massively multivariate data with very sparse matrices. (Richard Furnas, Cornell University biometrician)

  18. Conclusion There is tremendous variation in the algebra content of commercially available high-school textbooks, which translate into quite different opportunities for students to learn algebra. This analysis does not tell us how these differences differentially impact student learning.

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