A Critique Of Research Conducted By Kathleen Kostos And...

Introduction This paper is a critique of research conducted by Kathleen Kostos and Eui-kyung Shin. The research article describing this research project is titled: Using Math Journals to Enhance Second Graders’ Communication of Mathematical Thinking (Kostos, 2010). In this study, math journals were used in Ms. Kostos’s second grade classroom to determine if their use would increase the student’s abilities to communicate their mathematical thinking. Research Problem Ms. Kostos is a second grade teacher. During her time as a teacher she has seen the math standards and expectations for students evolve from just getting an answer, to thinking about how a problem is solved and communicating that process to others, while using the†¦show more content†¦The research question is very clearly stated on page 224 of the article, â€Å"†¦the research question that guided this study was how the use of math journals affected the second grade students’ mathematical thinking through math communication† (Kostos, 2010). The researchers were able to pinpoint a problem and a possible solution for the evolving math standards. Ms. Kostos’s hypothesis included the idea that through writing in math journals, students would be able to express their thoughts and feelings about math and use these thoughts and feelings as a basis for better math communication among the teacher and their peers. It is evident in the artic le that a variety of literature was studied while researching this subject. The authors do an outstanding job of including the standards from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), in a way that is organized and easy to understand. Other reputable sources are also sited. Methodology A mixed approach was used during this research study. The use of math communication skills in the classroom is complex and requires a wide variety of data and approaches to effectively study the topic. The idea of communication is best studied using a qualitative approach while progress in math skills is best shown through quantitative data. Combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches and using a mixed method approach for this study