How to Write a Math Case Study

Math studies can aid both your practices as a teacher as well as the performance of your students.

Case studies provide important information to teachers regarding any number of potentially problematic classroom situations, ranging from student interaction to how students are assessed. Writing a case study of an educational situation with a math class requires you to carefully articulate your research goals, methods and conclusions. Though difficult, writing a math case study will help you hone your craft and work towards perfecting best teaching practices.

Instructions

1. Outline the main point, research methods and sample groups in the "Purpose" section of your math case study. For example, you might indicate that you are attempting to identify the best method for teaching multiplication and division by employing different methods over a three-week period in a third grade math classroom.

2. Provide an overview of the case study's components. Describe the research methods in detail, highlighting both benefits and detriments of the method. Compare your chosen method to alternative methods and explain why you chose the method you did. Describe the sample group in detail, including demographic information about the students, the school, the district, the county and the state. Define any and all key terms you used in the "Purpose" and "Overview" sections, as well as all key terms you will use throughout the case study.

3. Describe the quantitative results from your research. For example, if students average a higher score on all tests administered in week two when compared to their test scores from week one, provide the score averages.

4. Analyze the results of your research, focusing more on those factors that could have influenced the results, as opposed to any conclusions you can draw from the results. By analyzing potentially influencing factors prior to drawing conclusions, you can avoid the accusation that your case study is overly biased or that you conducted the study with preconceived notions.

5. Draw conclusions from your results. Provide alternative and competing conclusions if possible. For example, you might conclude that students scored higher in the second week of testing because they were more familiar with the subject material. Alternatively, you might conclude that students scored higher in the second week of testing because of the specific method you employed during that week was more effective.

6. Suggest courses of action based on your conclusions. These action plans can relate to either your methods of research (researchers should avoid biased surveys) or to the subject of your research (teachers should teach multiplication tables with flash cards).

Tips & Warnings

• Depict information in charts or graphs when possible. Graphic representation makes information more accessible to the readers of your case study.

References

• "Technical Communication: Seventh Edition"; Paul V. Anderson; 2010