Elementary Students' Mathematics Curiosity

Abstract

This investigation aimed to determine the best pedagogical approach to sustain mathematics curiosity among elementary students. It reports a comparative pedagogy of three popular modes of course delivery— face-to-face, online, and blended— in terms of their potential to excite students' curiosity. A design study was conducted in a government-run Indian elementary school among 200 fifth-grade students randomly divided into three groups taught in three different modes. Students' levels of curiosity were tested before and after the experimentation. The pre- and post-test data were analyzed quantitatively using one-way ANOVA. Findings revealed that students who taught in the blended mode exhibited the highest level of curiosity compared to the rest of the two modes. The difference in curiosity level between the blended and the face-to-face mode was intense while the difference between the blended and the online mode was weak. Therefrom, the authors conclude that the blended mode could be the most effective pedagogical approach for elementary mathematics to keep students curious.