Collaborative Teacher Inquiry: Improving Grade 9 Applied level Mathematics
Professor: Douglas McDougall
In addition to being Chair of the Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Department at OISE, Dr. McDougall has been the lead researcher on this project since 2008. Currently, in Phase II, the Learning Consortium’s Collaborative Teacher Inquiry focused on the improvement of instructional strategies in Grade 9 Applied level mathematics, with the goal of improving student achievement and engagement. The consortium is a partnership between OISE and four school boards in the Greater Toronto Area which include: TDSB, TCDSB, PDSB, and YRDSB. Phase 1 of the project spanned three semesters from January 2009 to May 2010 with 11 participating schools. Phase II, spanned the period from December 2010 to June 2012 with 12 participating schools. Participants included teachers, department heads/curriculum leaders, and administrators.
The purposes of this project were to: improve the teaching and learning of Grade 9 Applied Mathematics; better understand collaborative inquiry and peer-coaching as professional development strategies; and investigate the use of the Ten Dimensions of Mathematics Education (McDougall, 2004) framework to improve student achievement in secondary school mathematics.
A major benefit to the participants in the project has been the use of collaboratively explored teaching and learning in the Grade 9 Applied mathematics course. Many teachers and administrators have seen positive results with student achievement levels. These strategies have proven successful for other teachers in the four school districts as they plan and implement improvement in Grade 9 Applied mathematics courses.
Graduate Student: Limin Jao
Limin Jao is part of a research team working with Professor Doug McDougall on his research project with the Learning Consortium. Limin has worked on this project since it’s inception. Phase I of the project examined the different ways that teachers collaborate with colleagues to improve their professional practice. Currently in Phase II of the study, Limin and Doug are looking at the instructional strategies that teachers have implemented as a result of these ongoing collaborations. Limin will assist Doug in reporting on their experiences in adopting new practices and the transformation of existing ones. As a result of her experiences with this project, Limin has had the opportunity to author and co-author several papers and present at various conferences domestically and abroad. The project has also given Limin the opportunity to work with an exceptional team of graduate students, as well as, allowing her to stay connected to teachers in the field.
