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Title
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From Self-Doubt to Self-Driven: The Impact of Learning Toolkits on Girl’s Agency in Year 5 Math Students
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Author
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Melissa Apthorpe
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Year Published
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2025
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Tags
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Math
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Abstract
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Effective learning happens when girls take ownership of their learning, develop self-awareness and confidence in their abilities, and understand how they learn best. When they feel empowered to embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities for growth, their learning becomes more meaningful and impactful. Research has shown that girls tend to disengage from STEM related subjects, such as Mathematics, due to heightened anxiety and avoidance of challenges (Al Zahrani, 2019; Green, 2021). This action research study investigated the connection of understanding oneself as a learner to growth mindset, and the combined impact on student agency in girls aged 10–11 years old in a Year 5 Mathematics classroom. The intervention aimed to educate girls about how they learn and collaboratively build a toolkit of skills to increase student self-efficacy, engagement, and risk-taking in the classroom. Across the 16-week program, the participants were exposed to mini lessons, focussed on the conventions of learning and how to understand themselves as learners. The program was based on the notion of growth mindset, habits of mind, types of mistakes, approaching challenges, and receiving and accepting feedback. The research involved a mixed-methods approach to data collection through reflection, individual interviews, teacher observations, and surveys. Findings revealed that students engaged in richer discussions and actively embraced learning opportunities when they were equipped with an understanding of how they learn and were supported with strategies to enhance their learning experience and increase their learning agency.
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Publisher
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ICGS
