Teachers' Perceptions of a Teaching and Learning Action Plan for the Development and Implementation of Problem-Solving Strategies in Middle School Mathematics

Declining standardized test scores due to the increased rigor of curricular standards is a problem for many school districts in the United States. To combat this issue, administrative teams develop plans to better meet the needs of teachers and students. The purpose of this case study is to identify teachers' perceptions of an action plan that addressed declining test scores through the development and implementation of problem-solving strategies in the classroom. The researcher interviewed six middle school teachers and two school administrators regarding their experiences and perceptions working with the math action plan. Open-ended interviews with all 8 participants informed answers to the following research questions: 1) How do middle school math teachers in a residential school perceive the impact of an action plan on their development and implementation of effective teaching strategies for problem-solving in a mathematics classroom? 2) What evidence is there that the action plan influenced teachers' instructional strategies related to teaching problem-solving in the mathematics classroom? 3) What supports, and constraints do teachers identify that benefit or impede their ability to implement components of the action plan? In addition to open-ended interviews, the researcher also analyzed the action plan, teacher lesson plans, and previously analyzed student achievement data. Based on the participants' shared experiences and the researcher's analysis, four themes emerged: shift in curriculum and instructional strategies, time as a negative and positive factor, the effectiveness of professional development, and collaboration. Teachers expressed a strong focus on professional development and the need to increase reading and writing in the math classroom. The researcher determined multiple recommendations to improve instruction through the findings of this study.Ed.D., Education -- Drexel University, 201