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Writing Mathematics Objectives

Mathematics lesson objectives

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lebogang.mens14
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66 views

Writing Mathematics Objectives

Mathematics lesson objectives

Uploaded by

lebogang.mens14
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Writing Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, every student should be able to:


 Differentiate a goal from a learning objective
 Recognize the reasons for writing a learning objective
 Identify the components of a learning objective
 Compose a learning objective using the A+B+C+D
 format

What is a Learning Objective?


A Learning Objective is a clear, concise and specific statement of observable
student behaviours that can be evaluated at the conclusion of the learning
activities and contributes to reaching the goal.

Example:
Suppose you want to teach the concepts in the following questions.
Solve the equations:

Observe that all are quadratic equations. Thus, it is important to express each
equation in the form a x 2 +bx +c=0 and check if the equation is factorizable.
Luckily, all the equations are factorizable.
We now write the objective to be achieved in the lesson as follows:
 By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to express each
quadratic equation in the form a x 2 +bx +c=0 and then solve the equation
by first factorising a x 2 +bx +c , getting 70% correct.
A Learning Objective is also known as a performance objective or competence
objective.

Why Do I Need to Write Learning Objectives?


By writing a learning objective, you are:
• Describing to the students what you value and expect them to be able do
(selecting content)
• Specifying the desired outcomes that can be tested (developing an
instructional strategy)
• Assessing the student’s performance and if the course instruction is effective
(linking to evaluation)

When writing an objective, the teacher must:


• Focus on student performance, not teacher performance.
• Aim at the terminal behaviour.
• Include one learning outcome per objective.

How to write a Learning Objective?


Objectives must be SMART. SMART is an abbreviation meaning:
S-Specific,
M-Measurable,
A-Attainable/Achievable,
R-Relevant / Realistic,
T-Time bound.

Specific—What exactly are we going to do for whom? The “specific” part of an


objective tells us what will change for whom in concrete terms. It identifies the
population or setting, and specific actions that will result. In some cases, it is
appropriate to indicate how the change will be implemented (e.g., through
training). Coordinate, partner, support, facilitate, and enhance are not good
verbs to use in objectives because they are vague and difficult to measure. On
the other hand, verbs such as provide, train, publish, increase, decrease,
schedule, or purchase indicate clearly what will be done.
Measurable—Is it quantifiable and can WE measure it? Measurable implies the
ability to count or otherwise quantify an activity or its results. It also means
that the source of and mechanism for collecting measurement data are
identified, and that collection of these data is feasible for your program or
partners.
Attainable/Achievable—Can we get it done in the proposed time frame with
the resources and support we have available? The objective must be feasible
with the available resources, appropriately limited in scope, and within the
program’s control and influence.
Relevant—Will this objective have an effect on the desired goal or strategy?
Relevant relates to the relationship between the objective and the overall
goals of the program or purpose of the intervention. Evidence of relevancy can
come from a literature review, best practices, or your theory of change.
Time bound—When will this objective be accomplished? A specified and
reasonable time frame should be incorporated into the objective statement.
This should take into consideration the environment in which the change must
be achieved, the scope of the change expected, and how it fits into the overall
work plan. It could be indicated as “By December 2010, the program will” or
“Within 6 months of receiving the grant ...”

Let us consider again our earlier objective, which is:


 By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to express each
quadratic equation in the form a x 2 +bx +c=0 and then solve the equation
by first factorising a x 2 +bx +c , getting 70% correct.

Specific – The objective is specific as it tells us that its target audience are
learners.
Measurable – The objective is measurable since we can easily see if learners
can factorise each left side of the equation. `Factorise’ is an action verb, the
action of which can be measured.
Achievable / Attainable – The objective is attainable since learners are
assumed to have learnt how to factorise expressions of the form a x 2 +bx +c
and to solve equations in factorised form in previous lessons. Also, the
condition given (i.e., 70% correct) is achievable. The objective would be
difficult to achieve if the target is 100%, for this would imply that each student
would get 100% for the objective to be achieved.
Relevant / Realistic – The objective is realistic since learners are able to do
what is being assumed, i.e., to factorise a x 2 +bx +c and solve
(mx-d)(nx-e)=0, where m,n,d and e are real values. This is assumed to have
been done in previous lessons.
Note: It would be unrealistic to expect learners to end up applying the
quadratic formula which they would not have done.
Time bound – The expression `By the end of the lesson’ gives the time frame
during which the objective should be attained.

Summary
• By writing learning objectives, the teacher is selecting the content,
developing the instructional strategy, assessing the student’s performance and
evaluating the instruction.
• A learning objective is a specific statement of observable student behaviours
that can be evaluated and contributes to reaching the goal.
• Learning objectives combine action verbs and content to describe the desired
behaviour.

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