Personalizing Mathematics to Students' Career Interests Using the "Stories of Algebra" Online Environment

• In Event: Innovative Technology Practices to Support Equitable Schooling

Abstract

Objectives
Personalized learning (PL) has been framed as a way to enhance the relevance of mathematics for students (Walkington, 2013). PL is often defined and enacted in a varied and diffuse manner (Bernacki, Greene, & Lobczowski, 2021), but broadly PL “places the interest and abilities of learners at the center of their learning experience” (Halverson et al., 2015, p. 1). New advances in technology offer novel ways to adapt instruction to a variety of student characteristics (Plass & Pawar, 2020; Walkington & Bernacki, 2020) such as their career interests. In this paper, we review a recent program of research aimed at personalizing math learning to students’ career interests in a technology-enhanced environment.

Theoretical Framework
Interventions which promote utility value – enabling students to see the usefulness of subjects like mathematics and science – can promote interest and learning (e.g., Gaspard et al., 2015; Kosovich et al., 2019). Interest is defined as the process of engaging and the predisposition to re-engage with particular areas (Hidi & Renninger, 2006). Higher levels of interest are associated with improved performance, learning, and use of effective strategies (see Renninger & Hidi, 2019). Personalizing instruction to students’ interests has been found to trigger and maintain interest (e.g., Bernacki & Walkington, 2018). However, little research has specifically investigated personalization of instruction to incorporate career interests. In a series of studies, we explored the question: What is the impact of personalization to career interests on math interest and learning?

Methods
Students in introductory algebra-focused classes in middle and high school (N=147) and college (N=197) used the “Stories of Algebra” online environment, which is located inside of ASSISTments (Heffernan & Heffernan, 2014). PL tasks enabled students to solve and pose algebra problems that were personalized to their career interests; some students were also assigned to “Instruction as Usual” where they solved typical problems. Full instructional materials used in all studies are freely available at https://sites.google.com/view/stories-of-algebra.

Data Sources
Students took pre- and post-assessments measuring their algebra knowledge, interest in math, and interest in their career area. They often worked in groups on assignments as their screens and audio were recorded. ASSISTments kept logs of all students’ interactions with the system, including the scaffolds they used to learn about how algebra was used in their career areas (Table 1).

Results
An initial pilot showed the potential of the environment to improve college students’ interest in mathematics. Preliminary analyses of a larger college student study suggest the environment was not effective for promoting interest in mathematics or in students’ career pathways. Middle school students showed increases in learning when receiving personalization, but only showed improved outcomes for math interest when they were asked to pose their own career personalized problems, rather than simply solving career personalized problems.

Significance
The idea that personalizing instruction based on students’ desired careers would increase relevance and motivation has intuitive appeal in the education community. However, very little research has systematically examined the impact of career personalization and how it compares to other forms of instruction.

Authors

• Candace A. Walkington, Southern Methodist University

• Matthew L. Bernacki, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Meghan Greene, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Brooke Istas, Cowley College