TY - JOUR

T1 - Implementation Support Improves Outcomes of a Fluency-Based Mathematics Strategy: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

AU - Owen, Kaydee

AU - Hunter, Stacey

AU - Watkins, Richard

AU - Payne, Joshua

AU - Bailey, Tom

AU - Gray, Cameron

AU - Hastings, Richard

AU - Hughes, Carl

PY - 2021/7/3

Y1 - 2021/7/3

N2 - The Say-All-Fast-Minute-Every-Day-Shuffled (SAFMEDS) strategy promotes fast and accurate recall. The existing literature suggests that the strategy can help learners improve academic outcomes. Through a cluster randomized controlled trial, we assessed the impact of implementation support on children’s mathematics outcomes during a teacher led SAFMEDS intervention. Following training and prior to baseline assessments, we randomly allocated schools to receive either no (n = 31) or ongoing (n = 33) support from a researcher. Support consisted of three in-situ visits and email contact. Assessors remained blind to the condition of the schools throughout. We analyzed the outcomes of children (nSupport = 294, nNoSupport = 281) using a multi-level mixed effects model; accounting for the children nested within schools. The results suggest that implementation support has a small effect on children’s fluency of arithmetic facts (Mathematics Fluency and Calculation Tests (MFaCTs): Grades 1-2, d = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.40; MFaCTs: Grades 3-5, d = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.42). These results are larger than the average effect sizes reported within professional development literature that apply coaching elements to mathematics programs.

AB - The Say-All-Fast-Minute-Every-Day-Shuffled (SAFMEDS) strategy promotes fast and accurate recall. The existing literature suggests that the strategy can help learners improve academic outcomes. Through a cluster randomized controlled trial, we assessed the impact of implementation support on children’s mathematics outcomes during a teacher led SAFMEDS intervention. Following training and prior to baseline assessments, we randomly allocated schools to receive either no (n = 31) or ongoing (n = 33) support from a researcher. Support consisted of three in-situ visits and email contact. Assessors remained blind to the condition of the schools throughout. We analyzed the outcomes of children (nSupport = 294, nNoSupport = 281) using a multi-level mixed effects model; accounting for the children nested within schools. The results suggest that implementation support has a small effect on children’s fluency of arithmetic facts (Mathematics Fluency and Calculation Tests (MFaCTs): Grades 1-2, d = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.40; MFaCTs: Grades 3-5, d = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.42). These results are larger than the average effect sizes reported within professional development literature that apply coaching elements to mathematics programs.

KW - Fluency

KW - Mathematics

KW - Coaching

KW - Randomized Controlled Trial

U2 - 10.1080/19345747.2021.1875526

DO - 10.1080/19345747.2021.1875526

M3 - Article

VL - 14

SP - 523

EP - 542

JO - Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness

JF - Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness

SN - 1934-5747

IS - 3

ER -