Author(s): Sophia Kramer
Mentor(s): Violeta Vasilveska
Institution UVU
Preliminary literature review showed that studies have been conducted following either elementary or middle/high school students' after-school math programs. However, this preliminary lit review did not provide any relevant comparison of the data collected from these students' groups. In this study, we conducted two after-school meetings with elementary and high school students in the Spring of 2024. During the meetings, students worked collaboratively on hands-on, discovery math activities. This hands-on learning experience was adjusted for different grade levels. Both student groups were given a pre-survey consisting of attitude questions. These survey questions assessed perceptions about learning that occurs in after-school (out-of-classroom) learning environments that encourage mathematical thinking and collaboration. At the end of each after-school meeting, students were given a post-survey (containing some questions matching the pre-survey ones). The collected survey data was compared to examine the different responses resulting from the two different age groups, maturity levels, gender, etc. Survey results were used to obtain observations about the effect of such after-school programs on student attitude toward math. In this presentation, we present the data collected during both after-school meetings, compare the collected data, and share obtained observations.