Evaluation of the Effect of Mathematical Routines on the Development of Skills in Mathematical Problem Solving and School Motivation of Primary School Students in Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Abstract

In recent decades, the dropout rate in Abitibi-Témiscamingue is a worrying phenomenon. An analysis of ministerial examination results identifies that students in Abitibi-Témiscamingue have specific difficulties with mathematical problem solving tasks. Among the activities that develop those skills, the daily routines in mathematics seem to be a preferred pedagogical approach. The main purpose of this project is to evaluate the effects of doing daily routines in mathematics on two indicators of student success in school: problem solving rates and school motivation. In order to realize the objectives of this research, we implemented two types of activities in classrooms. At first, we used daily routines, which imply five types of logic challenges. Second, we used board games in order to develop children problem solving skills. To meet those objectives, a pretest-posttest, with inequivalent control groups, was implemented. The results show that daily routines in mathematics help to develop problem solving skills of the students in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Moreover, those routines have an effect on the extrinsic motivation of primary school students in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.