Our partner organization, the National Math Foundation, led the first iteration of a unique math intervention program known as the Mighty Multiplication Project. The project’s main goal is to enhance students’ learning of multiplication by incorporating physical activity into lessons. The program’s kinesthetic multiplication strategies strive to increase student achievement, academic success, and self-confidence.
Find out what we learned from the first iteration of this research-based math intervention!
The Mighty Multiplication Project studied the effectiveness of kinesthetic learning strategies on 3rd through 5th grade students’ multiplication fluency and attitudes toward math. The intervention took place over 8 weeks during spring 2023 and included 27 teachers and their 492 students from across the United States. These participants used Math & Movement floor mats and activities to supplement their multiplication lessons.
Studies have found that elementary students who do not have a solid understanding of multiplication often struggle later in their academic careers and with financial responsibilities in adulthood.
“Multiplication is a foundational mathematical skill and must be utilized in order to solve various higher order mathematical concepts,” the project overview by the National Math Foundation reads. “Adding physical movement to current teaching strategies bridges the gap for many struggling students and provides a new way for all students to become more engaged learners in the math classroom.”
Over the 8-week math intervention, students utilized the following Math & Movement floor mats:
Participating teachers received two hours of online training covering the project’s goals, expectations from researchers, and kinesthetic teaching strategies for mastering multiplication. Additionally, teachers were provided with a project information guide and checklist, and a project implementation guide.
Teachers also had access to the following digital resources for use in their lessons:
Students completed a pre and post-test at the beginning and the end of the math intervention to assess their multiplication fluency and changes in math attitudes. The test included 20 fact recall questions, 5 conceptual understanding questions, and 13 self-efficacy questions.
Teachers also completed a survey before and after the math intervention to determine changes in their own attitudes toward teaching multiplication. Furthermore, teachers used an Activity Log to track the type of activities completed weekly with the class, the amount of time spent on each activity, and observed student engagement levels.
Teachers were expected to administer the student pre and post-tests, use the Math & Movement materials to the best of their ability during lessons, and record student interactions with the materials. They were not expected to follow a specific curriculum.
This math intervention program did not include a control group; All participants used kinesthetic strategies in multiplication lessons. This version of the Mighty Multiplication Project was informed by a pilot phase conducted by the National Math Foundation in partnership with Bridgewater College.
The pilot project found that multiplication fluency increased significantly after the implementation of kinesthetic learning strategies, compared to the control group who only participated in traditional learning strategies. Likewise, there was a significant increase in multiplication self-efficacy and self-confidence in students after using kinesthetic learning strategies.
Here’s what we learned from this iteration of the Mighty Multiplication Project.
Consistent with the pilot project findings, students who participated in kinesthetic activities demonstrated statistically significant improvement in math learning outcomes compared to students participating in traditional activities.
The researchers also found a correlation between the frequency of kinesthetic activities utilized and the extent of learning improvement. The more time spent on kinesthetic activities, the more multiplication fluency increased.
The average score of teacher responses increased from pre to post-intervention surveys, but there was no significant statistical difference found across all questions. This suggests that kinesthetic multiplication strategies might have had some positive effects on teacher self-efficacy.
Overall, the project found a positive correlation between the average weekly time spent on kinesthetic activities and teacher self-efficacy scores. The more time that teachers spent doing kinesthetic activities, the higher they scored themselves on their ability to help struggling students with multiplication and their own multiplication ability.
The full project report acknowledges some limitations and possible inferences of the Mighty Multiplication Project, including teacher bias, relatively small sample size, and students’ previous knowledge of multiplication. The research team is considering these factors as they plan for future iterations of the math intervention.
Overall, the project was a success and received positive feedback. One teacher shared some comments from their students: “It was awesome!”, “Thank you for the project. It was so fun,” and “I really liked it. I wish we could do it ten more times.”
“This was a wonderful research project and I felt very excited and proud to be a part of it,” another participating teacher shared. “I will use the materials for years to come. My students require more than 8 weeks to master multiplication facts so I will extend the project. The data collection is a great resource for tracking progress.”
Kirby Schoephoerster, the lead researcher on the National Math Foundation team, stated that there will be more research conducted in the future.
“This is just the start – the what and how. We know that the intervention improved multiplication fluency and self-efficacy,” Kirby said. “We don’t know why exactly yet – but we’re getting there next!”
Click the button below to download a short two-page handout summarizing the results of the Mighty Multiplication Project. Share the data with other teachers and administrators!
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