Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 1

Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups

Dystyny Agas, Alyssa Oshiro, Maila English, Sydney Kurihara, Lina Galicha

University of Hawai’i West O’ahu

EDEE 490 / EDEE 492

S. Kamai/ K. Nakahara

April 17, 2023,

Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 2

Abstract

As teachers in the classroom, you always want to ensure that your instruction methods are

engaging and extended to all students of different academic levels and abilities. In order to

measure the engagement of whole class instruction compared to small group instruction, we have

conducted a live lesson study process, with the research question being, “How can small groups

increase, specifically, mathematical engagement?” Through this study, we have found that

students are more likely to be engaged during small group instruction with classmates, hands-on

learning, and one-on-one time with the teacher. This increases student engagement.
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 3

Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups

Small group instruction provides an opportunity for students to interact and engage in

student-led learning and enrichment activities. During small group instruction, students are able

to communicate with each other and hear different ideas and thoughts about the content being

taught. This discussion can provide enrichment opportunities for the students and still allow for

students to communicate within an environment where they feel comfortable. Most small group

activities will also be situated where the activities are student-led, rather than teacher-led. For

some stations, teachers can also provide enrichment activities for higher-level students. Through

all activities, students are being self-directed and participate in student discussions about the

content. This provides a more engaging setting for students to work in rather than a whole class

setting where all students may not be able to participate and share out their thoughts and ideas.

What is engagement? Engagement, in our point of view, is the ability of students to communicate

through lessons and activities in order to better understand the topic of study. We wanted to focus

on engagement in small groups that lead to successful lesson plans in a classroom. We wanted to

see if students were more involved and motivated in their learning and if activities, group work,

and one-on-one instruction were added within the classroom.

Literature Review

The literature that was reviewed was meant to lead us beyond surface-level research. The

goal was to understand how small-group learning engages students. Our focus was pinpointing

what types of small groups increase engagement. We set out to discover the benefits, and even

the cons, of small group learning. Upon deeper research, we discovered that many studies were

in favor of small groups. Most studies even showed the striking success of small groups. To our
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 4

surprise, there was much research done in this specific area of study. We gained valuable intel

regarding our topic and how to increase student engagement.

The Benefits of Small Group Instruction

One of the general findings in the articles, as a whole, is the tremendous increase in

student engagement through small groups, specifically in mathematics. Mathematics is one of the

subjects that build on from the basics (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) to different

concepts. With this in mind, we wanted to create a strong foundation for the students so they can

exceed moving forward to the next grade level. We learned that mathematics is not a

“one-day-and-done” lesson to be taught. More so, it is not a “one-and-done” skill that can be

taught. Mathematics should be treated as a spiral learning curve that needs to be reiterated day by

day with different skills that reinforce the concepts. Some skills include but are not limited to,

multiplication, addition, division, fractions, etc. These skills can be retaught and refreshed within

students and the different small groups. One of the benefits of small groups is having the

flexibility to create different groups based on the individualized need of the classroom. We found

that small groups, and different hands-on learning activities in small groups, will help students

retain information. “Students need to feel engaged in math learning for the instruction to hold,”

stated Baroody, Curby, et. al. in their journal article, To What Extent Do Teachers–Student

Interaction Quality and Student Gender Contribute to Fifth Graders’ Engagement in

Mathematics Learning?. Students need to be engaged in order to retain what is being taught to

them. They need to feel like they are a part of something deeper, rather than just completing a

“math drills'' worksheet. As mentioned in this article, “engagement is the glue that holds

instruction together.” Where students can be engaged and learn with their hands and where

students will thrive in their learning. True growth and true learning are dependent on applying
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 5

what has been taught through different hands-on materials and activities. Small groups have

proven to be one of the best ways to incorporate this type of learning. Students desire to be

engaged and desire to learn as much as possible. However, as seen in many different settings,

learning is attained where engagement exists. Therefore, engagement is vitally important in any

classroom setting. The research done throughout this lesson study has proved the benefits of

engagement through small-group instruction.

Quality of Student-Teacher Interaction

The first main theme of our research boiled down to the interaction between students and

teachers. The quality of this interaction should be top-notch. The quality of teacher-student

interaction will result in the contribution of the engagement of the students. Student participation

and discussion in the classroom are equally important in creating a welcoming and engaging

atmosphere. Students desire to be heard and desire to understand, study shows that when students

are able to discuss their findings and discuss their confusion, students can grow (Fernandez, Ing,

et. al. 2014). The target of the first couple of articles identifies the classroom environment that

enhances or diminishes student engagement. Understanding the classroom environment will

produce results that show what leads to engagement and what decreases it. These articles relate

to the main topic of the lesson study. It relates because this information will be helpful in

understanding that classroom environment and organization also plays a key role in student

engagement. The organization of the classroom and the organization of the instructional part is

essential. To portray mathematics in a way that is desirable and fun to learn, will help students

better grasp its importance. They need to be engaged and motivated to do things in a different

way.

Intensive Instruction: One-to-one Instruction Approach

Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 6

The next main theme of our research was intensive instruction and why it is important.

These next several articles were very similar because they focused on one-to-one instruction

between the teacher and tier one and two students. When students in tiers one and two were

given adequate instruction by the teacher, it decreased the call for more intensive instruction.

However, if students were denied their one-to-one instruction, it resulted in even more intensive

educational assistance that could be avoided if students were focused on one-to-one instruction

(Fuchs and Vaugh, 2014). Response to intervention (RTI) is a great example and source of

one-to-one instruction. When students seem to struggle more, RTI is there to help provide

students with differentiated instruction. Teachers are able to come to the student's level and see

eye to eye. This requires a greater response from the teacher. However, this type of instruction

and compassion is not impossible. The belief that small groups aid in RTI strategies is one that is

held dearly. Small groups help students break down concepts and barriers. They were able to be

hands-on with their learning which in turn, increases their engagement (Sharrieff, 2022).

Our research thus far has led us to become more appreciative of and value the methods

and strategies of small-group instruction. We have seen the evidence firsthand in our own

classrooms and we were eager to share our findings and the benefits throughout this paper. We

firmly believe and stand with students and their desire to learn and be engaged. Our desire for

this paper, as teachers and students, is that the audience will see and understand the need for

engagement in all subject areas, specifically mathematics.

Method

In coming to an agreement for the topic of this paper, the lesson study group collaborated

and discussed the areas students were struggling with in the different grade levels each was

assigned. Within the group of five, four candidates majored in elementary education, while one
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 7

candidate majored in secondary education, with a specialty in math. They worked with students

in fourth, fifth, and eleventh grade. After sharing our thoughts, we realized each of us came up

with different answers. This made the choice of topic difficult to choose as we needed to find a

topic that fits each of the grade levels.

The student teacher that specializes in secondary education, focuses and usually works in

small groups. The student teacher recognized that students engaged well in a small group setting

rather than a whole group. A few of the student teachers explained that comprehension and word

problems are some challenges they face. However, we took notice that the students are able to

comprehend and understand their work with the assistance of a teacher. We discovered that the

core of all motivation in learning is engagement. Students that are most motivated to learn are

those that are engaged in the topic. Engagement occurs when students understand how the topic

of study is relatable to their lives. This allows students to see the importance of the topic and

therefore be thoroughly engaged. We realized that putting the students in small groups and

allowing them to have “fun” in their learning, could ultimately increase their engagement. This

became our phenomenon. This is how we agreed on a topic of study. Engagement is the key for

lessons to be successful. If students are engaged, students can then truly take hold of the concept.

In the first few weeks of observing the students in their classrooms, the student teachers'

biggest challenge was the lack of student engagement through whole-group learning. It was

decided that increasing student engagement through small groups would be the focus as this

applied to all students

As the group discussed a location for the study observations, it was decided that it would

take place at Nanakuli Elementary School in a fourth-grade classroom and that the fifth-grade

long-term substitute teacher would conduct the lesson. We then set out to plan our lesson further.
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 8

We wanted to focus on the types of activities and lessons that would help increase student

engagement. We decided that having more hands-on learning would be very beneficial in our

lesson. This is where our small groups were born. We had four main small group stations, which

will be mentioned throughout this study. One station focused on equivalent fractions through a

card game. Another station had a board game that helped students in multiplying numbers.

Another station consisted of an individual worksheet and the last station was one-on-one

instruction with the lead teacher.

Context & Participants

The school in which this lesson study took place was Nanakuli Elementary School

located on the Waianae Coast. Home of the Golden Sunshines, Nanakuli values creating a

community of learning that is one ʻohana full of Aloha, Resilience, Culture, and Compassion.

Striving to provide foundational education, the building of relationships, and preparation for

becoming global citizens. The Title 1 school is considered a small campus with the average

student population being 363 students. Each grade level averages two classes each with 20-23

students. The elementary school provides instruction in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. With most

students attending the school being Native Hawaiian and the neighborhood being mostly

Hawaiian Homestead, the school integrates Hawaiian culture into the campus community.

Nanakuli Elementary utilizes a variety of support resources in order to enhance

standard-based instruction while also ensuring SEL is integrated into the learning. Also, great

support is given to students in need, whether its behavior, learning needs, or in-class physical

adjustments, Nanakuli takes great regard to support all students at all levels. The school

continues to promote proactive classroom management strategies as well as a positive

intervention that pushes for student motivation and engagement when at school in the classroom.
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 9

For the lesson study, a fourth-grade classroom was used to conduct the lesson. The class

is made up of 23 students all ranging in different learning levels. There are a variety of low,

medium, and high learners. The classroom itself is an active learning environment, with

intentional learning opportunities and strategies being used to reach all learning needs. For

students with learning needs, there are three that have a hard time reading so when it comes to

text, they need assistance with reading. And then there is one student with behavior needs, in

which careful and intentional interaction is considered when teaching. When it comes to this

class of students, they are very participative in their learning, they engage well when prompted,

and overall show positive behavior during instruction. When it comes to math, there is a bit of

separation in engagement when doing whole-class instruction, so the teacher in the classroom

ensures to implement learning strategies and activities that get the students to be more engaged

with the content. Just like most classrooms, these students at times do become disengaged and

with the integration of different strategies, the students are more motivated to learn and have a

more engaged learning experience. The class is also really flexible with trying new things, so

with the lesson focus being on small groups and centers this was a good class to test for

engagement.

During this live lesson study, there were many obstacles faced due to unforeseen

circumstances. On the day of the lesson, Nanakuli Elementary had a power outage, and our

group had to become flexible with the lesson plan we had created. Before the day of the lesson,

the mentor teacher of the classroom prompted our group to come up with a backup plan to use in

case the power did go out, which it did. Because our lessons include a range of technology, we

now had to think of ways to supplement those so that our lesson could be carried out. So our

group went to action and created another activity to switch out for our technology center and we
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 10

wrote all our slides on the board. Another obstacle that we faced was students being pulled from

the classroom throughout the day due to the outage, this affected how we originally planned to

group students. Hours before our lesson was set to take place, we were continuously adjusting

our lesson to fit the situation.

When it came to the live lesson study taking place, we had a total of five people present

besides the students which were only 16 present. There were five student teachers, Dr. Stephanie

Kamai (professor), and our knowledgeable other Deanna Konno who is the class's primary

teacher. The environment in which we set during the lesson was that the student teachers were

spread out across the room in different corners to observe the student engagement from all

angles. Each student teacher besides the one teaching the lesson was given a list of students to

observe throughout the lesson both in the whole class and in small groups. The teachers were

prompted to not engage with the students unless truly necessary. The overall live lesson

environment was very engaging as the students focused on the teacher that was teaching the

lesson, and throughout the observation, we were able to gather a good amount of data that

supported our lesson study focus.

Data Collection

After our live lesson study our group took the time to debrief and go over the different

aspects of the lesson. Within the lesson, four different stations were set up for independent work,

hands-on activities, partner work, and meeting with the teacher.

In the independent workstation, students needed to complete a worksheet by creating

equivalent fractions and representing them with pictorial models on their worksheets (see

Appendix E). The observers noticed students being very focused and on task with their assigned

worksheets. Observers also noticed that some students at the independent station were attempting
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 11

to reduce fractions on the worksheet as an extra step. Students showed that they could go a step

further and do “advanced” work. After going through students' worksheets, when the lesson was

over, we noticed that students did very well on this worksheet. In terms of engagement, the

students were very much engaged with the worksheet, they worked independently, observers saw

this through how the student focused on the worksheet, completed all the questions without

many diversions from the work, and actively used what they learned to do the worksheet. Having

one worksheet as a station proved to be better as opposed to having the worksheet be the main

source of work during a lesson.

Within the hands-on activity station, students played a board game where they moved

their spaces after creating equivalent fractions (see Appendix F.). In this activity, the observers

noticed that most groups who came to this station were not as focused, and did not have proper

modeling of what needed to be done. The engagement with this activity was fairly low, though

the students showed interest at the beginning we could see them stray as they later got confused

about what to do exactly to play the game, the students would ask for help or become distracted.

However, students had good discussions during this activity and certain lower students did really

well in this activity. To improve this activity, the teacher could explain the activity more clearly

and go over an example for students to visually see what needed to be done. We were impressed

with the students' conversations and problem-solving thinking during this activity.

In the third station, students worked together in pairs with task cards. Students were

expected to create fractions for each other, then prompt each other to create equivalent fractions

to match. In this station, observers noticed a lot of conversation between the students. Struggling

students were asking questions about the next steps and how to solve their problems. Other

students offered different solutions and ways of trying to find equivalent fractions. Observers
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 12

saw that students were working well together and if one did not understand, another stepped in to

help. As for engagement, the students were not engaged the whole time as the students were still

confused about the instructions, but once students were given clarifying instructions students

were able to engage in the activity well. This was shown through active participation by flipping

the cards and writing down the fractions and conversing with their peers in creating the

equivalent fractions. This station helped students apply what they were learning in a different

way. They worked together to create equivalent fractions and did quite well.

Finally, in the last station, the students worked in small groups with the teacher. This

activity was also hands-on. Within each small group, a higher-level student helped the

lower-level students solve the given problem. Listening to the conversation between the two

students was very interesting. The conversation provided an opportunity for enrichment for each

student. Students were able to learn together and feed off of each other. Conversations and

enrichment opportunities like this one, can sometimes only be reached through student

interaction. There’s only so much a teacher can do. Group work and peer conversations are a big

part of learning and growing together and developing critical thinking. This station was the most

beneficial because the teacher was able to assess each student and see where each student is. The

teacher was also able to break things down further if students needed extra assistance. The

engagement in the small group setting was very high as the teacher kept the students engaged

through prompting and having the students stay active throughout the 10 minutes, we were able

to see students writing on their whiteboards and finding equivalent fractions as well as

participating in the discussion which showed us great engagement. This station proved to be the

most effective and beneficial and students seemed to learn the most from this station. Students

also showed improvement coming from this station.

Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 13

Data from the exit ticket we provided to students at the end of the lesson, showed the

students were able to successfully show an equivalent fraction through modeling. We believe that

this is due to the fact that students were engaged in each section and gathered some type of

learning and understanding in order to complete the exit ticket. From the data collected we had a

total of 11 MEʻs and 4 MPʻs with two students leaving before taking the exit ticket.. Exit ticket

wise we had data that showed us that by the end of the lesson as well as the teaching weak

students had solidified equivalent fractions. But are group also agreed that his exit ticket may

have not effectively assessed the students as it didnʻt really connect to what was worked whole

groups and in small groups fully, instead we should have assessed students modeling the fraction

and finding an equivalent which would have been more accurate to what was specifically

reviewed in the lesson. And for our focus question we more so assessed on student engagement

throughout the lesson and stations through physical and behavioral cues more so than the exit

ticket.

We believe each station led students to be better at their work and understanding of the

concept of equivalent fractions. Each group was a step in the right direction that built upon prior

knowledge and knew knowledge that helped students to be successful on their exit ticket.

Analysis

After reviewing the students' interactions in their small groups, their exit tickets, and

through our group discussion of what we observed throughout the lesson, we were able to

determine that the majority of the students reached the success criteria. The majority of students

showed their understanding of equivalent fractions. After small groups, we came back together

as a class and had a closing discussion. Students were more involved and motivated in our

closing discussion and we were impressed with their improvement from this lesson. As
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 14

mentioned, the success criteria consisted of students being able to determine and model

equivalent fractions. It also consisted of students being able to explain why fraction a/b is

equivalent to another fraction.

To assess the students’ exit ticket, the scale was based on a score of 6, which is 2 points

for each question. For the students who scored a rating of 6/6, this showed that they had reached

each success criterion successfully. Those students would receive an ME (Meets with

Excellence), the highest achieving grade. We were able to achieve this grading from the number

of students that we had present. With most of the class receiving a ME or MP we were able to

determine that the students were able to model fractions that are equivalent. Assessing from a

low, medium, and high standpoint we identified that when it came to the lower students their

scores were around 3 points and this was due to not creating equal parts of the model properly

and shading in the wrong amount of pieces (see Appendix A.). Our medium student who

received 4 points drew most of the fractions in equal parts but some overdrew the parts making

their models wrong, this was likely to do miscounting (see Appendix B.). And the high student

was able to properly create equal parts of the model and shade in the right amount stated by the

fraction (see Appendix. C). Analyzing this was able to determine student comprehension of

modeling equivalent fractions, though this did miss out on the point of whether the students

could determine other equivalent fractions which would have been a good data point to assess.

When it comes to student engagement we were able to analyze that a major contribution

to our results and success was the small groups. Since small groups were our focus, we believe

this was definitely a major contribution to their success. Rather than having direct instruction and

a worksheet, students were given the experience of moving around and doing different activities.

This caused students to have a better understanding of the concept of equivalent fractions.
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 15

Students were more engaged through the small group/ centers as they had the opportunity to

work with peers as well as move around the classroom. Especially, with this specific class having

a variety of learning needs it was important to have a variety of different learning centers that in

some way fit our learners. And with these small groups, students who had certain learning needs

were able to engage well with certain centers more than others as it fits how they best learn.

Through each station, students were able to visually see how equivalent fractions are put together

and how it works. With these stations, we saw that they built upon each other so much that

students were successful in each station.

In our debrief of the lesson study with our professor Dr. Stephanie Kamai, and our

knowledgeable other Deanna Konno, we came to a similar conclusion that engagement was

apparent more so in certain centers/small groups compared to others. From an observational

standpoint, it was seen that certain students worked best in specific stations as it fits their

learning style best and further engaged the students throughout the center rotations. For instance,

our low students who are more on the kinesthetic side of learning enjoyed doing the board game,

as this game was a hands-on activity that got the students to find equivalent fractions and move

across the gameboard in order to win really motivated the learner to use what they learned whole

group to support themselves in a small group, and these were the students that finished the game

or got through most of it compared to others. Dr. Stephanie Kamai shared that when she

observed a student in particular at this station it was noticed that this student really worked

through the problem in order to determine equivalence but at points would get influenced by a

peer that may have said a different solution, taking note of that it may be more helpful if the

student was given an activity that allowed for a kinesthetic learning style but was more

independent rather than collaborative. Even modifying the game to where the student did the
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 16

board game by themselves. The in-class teacher Deanna Konno pointed out that she also

observed that when students were in independent small groups doing the individual work she

noticed sufficient engagement with the worksheet as students were able to problem-solve for

themselves without much distraction from a whole class setting or peer collaboration, though

students were given the opportunity to do so. When it came to the worksheet our high flyers did

well with this center as they completed the main worksheets as well as the supplementary

worksheets that we provided if they finished quickly. There was clear engagement as students

proactively did the worksheet by keeping to the task and successfully completing it.

Findings

Upon completing our live lesson study, our group debriefed different significant events

that happened before, during, and after the live lesson study. Before completing our lesson study,

we had run into a complication of having no power at the school. Due to the poor weather during

the week, Nanakuli Elementary School lost power for the remainder of the day. This event

required us to alter our original lesson plan and create an alternative activity for where we had

originally planned for use of technology.

It was evident that our plans abruptly being switched, left our group a bit flustered.

However, when we walked into the classroom each person was tasked with a role on which part

of the lesson plan needed to be set up. Our group came together and worked very swiftly in

setting up the lesson regardless of the problems that were encountered. During the lesson study

the ‘observers’ walked around the room and monitored several focus students during whole

group instruction. As we walked around it was clear to see that some students during the whole

class lesson were not thoroughly engaged. Although they were physically participating in the
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 17

whole group activities, they did not elect to participate in contributing to the discussion portion,

raising their hand, and participating.

After switching from whole-class instruction to small groups, the observers walked

around and monitored specific groups. As the observers listened to the small groups, we were

able to hear some peer discussion going on. Students who were not willing to participate in

whole group discussions opted to ask their peers questions when they didn’t understand

something in their small group setting. Listening in closer to the discussion that had gone on

between a few students, it sounded like they had tried to solve problems using the inverse of

multiplying fractions to create equivalent fractions. Instead, some students had mentioned if they

weren’t able to build a large fraction with the fraction bars, another student suggested trying to

try and reduce the fraction so that they could have enough pieces to build the equivalent fraction.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some of the other students did not work as well in

the small group setting. When we first started off with our first rotation there was a group that

didn’t understand how to play the equivalent fractions game that was left at their station. While

running into this problem, the students working within the group became off task for a few

minutes and needed to be redirected by the teacher. During our live lesson study debrief we

suggested that modeling how to play the game could have helped avoid this, and set expectations

for what we wanted from the students. This was part of the findings that we came across.

The findings that resulted from this lesson study were the success of small groups. We

noticed that students were thoroughly learning and applying the concept that was being taught.

Students were using critical thinking and problem-solving to work together in each small group.

Students also did surprisingly well on the individual worksheet as well. We believe that students

did well in the individual worksheet because they were given a set time to complete the
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 18

worksheet, as opposed to direct instruction with only a worksheet being given. Having various

groups throughout the lesson, allowed students to be more involved and independent in their

individual worksheets. Since students were given the opportunity to move around in different

stations, it allowed more focused time in each station and for each task. It was found that having

small groups keeps students engaged in their learning and growing. The ability to move around

to each small group definitely contributes to this engagement. This was another part of our

findings that was discussed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we identified different areas of small groups that need improvement. We

also identified key areas that are beneficial to all learning classrooms. We have discovered that

small group instruction is effective and keeps students engaged when used appropriately. Our

group has come to identify the word ‘engagement’ as a means to show how interactive the

student is with the activity/work they are doing and the conversations they are having with each

other. As the observers walked around the classroom they were able to look specifically at a

focused group of students and the interactions within that specific group. Throughout our

research and live study, we have come to the conclusion that a lesson with hands-on engagement,

movement, and activities creates a better learning environment. It allows students to move

around and “change the scenery” within their atmosphere. Students were more engaged in the

lesson because students were able to be hands-on with the learning props.

At the beginning of instruction, students were less engaged and seemed uninterested.

However, once the concepts of small groups were introduced, students came out more motivated

and grasped a better understanding of the topic. Students showed their understanding of the

concept when we tested students with an exit ticket. This provided us with the information
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 19

necessary to assess where students ended. The process of small groups assisted us in getting the

students where they desire to be. The desire was for students to be able to participate in hands-on

learning in order to achieve successful engagement. We observed the conversations that each

group had with each other. Students were helping each other and problem-solving together. They

found more ways to take the activities deeper and discovered other ways to solve the problems.

Since students were able to have interactions with each other, we believe it caused the small

group experience to be more productive and efficient.

Students provided us with feedback that was helpful to our research. All students learn

differently. Therefore, different learning opportunities need to be provided daily, in order for

students to better grasp the concept being taught. Small groups contribute to various student

needs and it's detrimental to a successful learning environment. Students do not want to sit at

their desks all day. For all ages, movement and interaction with peers is absolutely vital. We have

found that small groups include these key things. Throughout this study, we have come to the

discovery of this key- “learning grows where engagements exist”. We have seen this in play in

our different classrooms with all different grade levels and learning styles. We have never been

happier with the results that were obtained and the knowledge gained. Our data gives us

reassurance that small groups increase engagement, specifically in mathematics, and in the

classroom.
Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 20

Appendix

Appendix A: Student Sample Exit Ticket (Low)

Appendix B: Student Sample Exit Ticket (Medium)

Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 21

Appendix C: Student Sample Exit Ticket (High)

Appendix D: Student Sample of Individual Work from Small Group

Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 22

Appendix E: Supplemental Material used in Teacher-led Small Group

Appendix F: Game Board activity used in Hands-on center

Engaging Small Minds: Increasing Student Engagement through Small Groups 23

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