Effects of Two-Group and Whole-Class Teaching on Regrouped Elementary Students’ Mathematics Achievement

Abstract

The effects of two models of active teaching and active learning on the mathematics achievement of 1,736fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students in 81 classrooms in which teachers used within-grade regrouping were compared: a whole-class model that provided for student diversity through ad hoc remediation and enrichment on a daily basis with small groups (referred to as whole-class ad hoc teaching) and a two-group model that accommodated diversity through fixed within-class ability groups. Nine schools from a midwestern district were matched and randomly assigned to treatment conditions. Treatment teachers received three 90-minute workshops on an active teaching and active learning model consisting of 16 key instructional behaviors. Dependent variables consisted of computation, concepts, problem-solving, and mental mathematics measures. Results showed that students in whole-class ad hoc classes scored significantly higher in mathematics computation than control-group students taught using within-class ability grouping. Observational data explaining these differential effects are presented and discussed.