Date of Defense

12-8-2017

Date of Graduation

4-2018

Department

English

First Advisor

Amy Bentz

Second Advisor

Tabitha Mingus

Third Advisor

Kim Ballard

Abstract

Even though the idea of implementing writing in a mathematics classroom is far from new and the benefits from doing so are hardly nonexistent, this concept is often not found in modern secondary mathematics classrooms. Writing about mathematics allows students to organize and communicate their thinking, gain a better conceptual understanding of mathematical topics, develop a stronger sense of mathematical procedure, move beyond surface-level thinking, and place abstract ideas into context. Writing can also be used by teachers as a formative assessment to explicitly determine if students are struggling conceptually or procedurally in a mathematics classroom to then adjust instruction appropriately.

There are many forms that writing can take in a secondary mathematics classroom, several of which are included in this thesis. In particular, writing could be used in the form of a journal entry, as a learning log, as part of a portfolio assignment, or as part of the Writing to Learn Mathematics (WTLM) process, where students are writing about a concept as they are learning it. As such, writing in a mathematics classroom does not necessarily involve students writing lengthy essays but can take place on a smaller scale.

Despite the benefits writing in a mathematics classroom offers for students, there are still concerns raised about the topic which are addressed in this thesis, such as the amount of time involved. This thesis aims to explore the numerous benefits that both students and teachers can gain as well as addressing potentially drawbacks to this method. Furthermore, this thesis intends to gather pre-existing research and methods being used in mathematics classroom to demonstrate what actual implementation of CCSSM would resemble in a high school Geometry classroom.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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