IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/idb/brikps/6825.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Challenges in Educational Reform: An Experiment on Active Learning in Mathematics

Author

Listed:
  • Berlinski, Samuel
  • Busso, Matías

Abstract

This paper reports the results of an experiment with secondary school students designed to improve their ability to reason, argument, and communicate using mathematics. These goals are at the core of many educational reforms. A structured pedagogical intervention was created that fostered a more active role of students in the classroom. The intervention was implemented with high fidelity and was internally valid. Students in the control group learned significantly more than those who received treatment. A framework to interpret this result is provided in which learning is the result of student-teacher interaction. The quality of such interaction deteriorated during the intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Berlinski, Samuel & Busso, Matías, 2015. "Challenges in Educational Reform: An Experiment on Active Learning in Mathematics," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6825, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:6825
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Challenges-in-Educational-Reform-An-Experiment-on-Active-Learning-in-Mathematics.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helpman, Elhanan & Rangel, Antonio, 1999. "Adjusting to a New Technology: Experience and Training," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 359-383, December.
    2. Julian Cristia & Pablo Ibarrarán & Santiago Cueto & Ana Santiago & Eugenio Severín, 2017. "Technology and Child Development: Evidence from the One Laptop per Child Program," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 295-320, July.
    3. Julian Cristia & Pablo Ibarrarán & Santiago Cueto & Ana Santiago & Eugenio Severín, 2017. "Technology and Child Development: Evidence from the One Laptop per Child Program," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 295-320, July.
    4. Joshua Angrist & Victor Lavy, 2002. "New Evidence on Classroom Computers and Pupil Learning," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(482), pages 735-765, October.
    5. Machin, Stephen & McNally, Sandra, 2008. "The literacy hour," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(5-6), pages 1441-1462, June.
    6. Berlinski, Samuel & Busso, Matias, 2017. "Challenges in educational reform: An experiment on active learning in mathematics," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 172-175.
    7. Berlinski, Samuel & Busso, Matias, 2017. "Challenges in educational reform: An experiment on active learning in mathematics," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 172-175.
    8. Jeffrey R Kling & Jeffrey B Liebman & Lawrence F Katz, 2007. "Experimental Analysis of Neighborhood Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 75(1), pages 83-119, January.
    9. Roland G. Fryer, 2013. "Teacher Incentives and Student Achievement: Evidence from New York City Public Schools," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(2), pages 373-407.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Endrész, Marianna & Harasztosi, Péter, 2014. "Corporate foreign currency borrowing and investment: The case of Hungary," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 265-287.
    2. Roberto Alvarez & Erwin Hansen, 2017. "Corporate Currency Risk and Hedging in Chile: Real and Financial Effects," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 97976, Inter-American Development Bank.
    3. Blimpo, Moussa P. & Pugatch, Todd, 2021. "Entrepreneurship education and teacher training in Rwanda," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. Berlinski, Samuel & Busso, Matias, 2017. "Challenges in educational reform: An experiment on active learning in mathematics," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 172-175.
    5. Facundo Albornoz & María Victoria Anauati & Melina Furman & Mariana Luzuriaga & María Eugenia Podestá & Inés Taylor, 2020. "Training to Teach Science: Experimental Evidence from Argentina," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 34(2), pages 393-417.
    6. Sawada Yasuyuki & Mahmud Minhaj & Seki Mai & Le An & Kawarazaki Hikaru, 2017. "Individualized Self-learning Program to Improve Primary Education: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment in Bangladesh," Working Papers 156, JICA Research Institute.
    7. Martina Jakob, Konstantin Buechel, Daniel Steffen, Aymo Brunetti, 2023. "Participatory Teaching Improves Learning Outcomes: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Tanzania," Diskussionsschriften dp2310, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    8. Bianchi, Nicola & Lu, Yi & Song, Hong, 2022. "The effect of computer-assisted learning on students’ long-term development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    9. Rossi Jr, José Luiz, 2009. "Corporate financial policies and the exchange rate regime: Evidence from Brazil," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 279-295, December.
    10. Fidrmuc, Jarko & Hake, Mariya & Stix, Helmut, 2013. "Households’ foreign currency borrowing in Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 1880-1897.
    11. Anna Popova & David K Evans & Mary E Breeding & Violeta Arancibia, 2022. "Teacher Professional Development around the World: The Gap between Evidence and Practice [Training to Teach Science: Experimental Evidence from Argentina]," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 37(1), pages 107-136.
    12. Johnson, Helen & McNally, Sandra & Rolfe, Heather & Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer & Savage, Robert & Vousden, Janet & Wood, Clare, 2019. "Reprint of: Teaching assistants, computers and classroom management," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 17-32.
    13. Ibañéz, Francisco & Romero-Meza, Rafael & Coronado-Ramírez, Semei & Venegas-Martínez, Francisco, 2016. "Innovaciones financieras en América Latina:Mercado de Derivados y Determinates de la Administración de Riesgo," Panorama Económico, Escuela Superior de Economía, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, vol. 0(22), pages 7-38, Primer se.
    14. Marcelin, Isaac & Mathur, Ike, 2016. "Financial sector development and dollarization in emerging economies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 20-32.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Berlinski, Samuel & Busso, Matias, 2017. "Challenges in educational reform: An experiment on active learning in mathematics," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 172-175.
    2. Robert W. Fairlie & Jonathan Robinson, 2013. "Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Home Computers on Academic Achievement among Schoolchildren," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 211-240, July.
    3. Bulman, George & Fairlie, Robert W, 2015. "Technology and Education: Computers, Software, and the Internet," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt5265z87t, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    4. Bet, German & Cristia, Julián P. & Ibarrarán, Pablo, 2014. "The Effects of Shared School Technology Access on Students Digital Skills in Peru," IZA Discussion Papers 7954, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Hall, Caroline & Lundin, Martin & Sibbmark, Kristina, 2019. "A laptop for every child? The impact of ICT on educational outcomes," Working Paper Series 2019:26, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    6. Cardim, Joana & Molina-Millán, Teresa & Vicente, Pedro C., 2023. "Can technology improve the classroom experience in primary education? An African experiment on a worldwide program," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    7. Karthik Muralidharan & Abhijeet Singh & Alejandro J. Ganimian, 2019. "Disrupting Education? Experimental Evidence on Technology-Aided Instruction in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(4), pages 1426-1460, April.
    8. Patterson, Richard W. & Patterson, Robert M., 2017. "Computers and productivity: Evidence from laptop use in the college classroom," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 66-79.
    9. Julian Cristia & Alejo Czerwonko & Pablo Garofalo, 2014. "Does technology in schools affect repetition, dropout and enrollment? Evidence from Peru," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 17, pages 89-112, May.
    10. Beuermann, Diether & Cristia, Julian P. & Cruz-Aguayo, Yyannu & Cueto, Santiago & Malamud, Ofer, 2012. "Home Computers and Child Outcomes: Short-Term Impacts from a Randomized Experiment in Peru," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 4204, Inter-American Development Bank.
    11. Oliver Falck & Constantin Mang & Ludger Woessmann, 2018. "Virtually No Effect? Different Uses of Classroom Computers and their Effect on Student Achievement," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 80(1), pages 1-38, February.
    12. Comi, Simona Lorena & Argentin, Gianluca & Gui, Marco & Origo, Federica & Pagani, Laura, 2017. "Is it the way they use it? Teachers, ICT and student achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 24-39.
    13. Beland, Louis-Philippe & Murphy, Richard, 2016. "Ill Communication: Technology, distraction & student performance," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 61-76.
    14. Facundo Albornoz & María Victoria Anauati & Melina Furman & Mariana Luzuriaga & María Eugenia Podestá & Inés Taylor, 2020. "Training to Teach Science: Experimental Evidence from Argentina," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 34(2), pages 393-417.
    15. Henriksen, Alexandre Lauri & Zoghbi, Ana Carolina & Tannuri-Pianto, Maria & Terra, Rafael, 2022. "Education outcomes of broadband expansion in Brazilian municipalities," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    16. Constantin Mang, 2016. "Market Consequences of ICT Innovations," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 70.
    17. Di Mo & Linxiu Zhang & Renfu Luo & Qinghe Qu & Weiming Huang & Jiafu Wang & Yajie Qiao & Matthew Boswell & Scott Rozelle, 2014. "Integrating computer-assisted learning into a regular curriculum: evidence from a randomised experiment in rural schools in Shaanxi," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 300-323, September.
    18. De Melo, Gioia & Machado, Alina & Miranda, Alfonso, 2014. "The Impact of a One Laptop per Child Program on Learning: Evidence from Uruguay," IZA Discussion Papers 8489, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Johnson, Helen & McNally, Sandra & Rolfe, Heather & Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer & Savage, Robert & Vousden, Janet & Wood, Clare, 2019. "Reprint of: Teaching assistants, computers and classroom management," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 17-32.
    20. Hall, Caroline & Lundin, Martin & Sibbmark, Kristina, 2021. "A laptop for every child? The impact of technology on human capital formation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Technology; Curricular reform; Field experiments; Active learning;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:6825. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Felipe Herrera Library (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iadbbus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.