Student learning and instructional tasks in different curricular contexts: A longitudinal study

This paper compares the longitudinal effect of instructional tasks on algebra learning that used a Standards-based curriculum [Connected Mathematics Project (CMP)] to that of classrooms that used a traditional curriculum (non-CMP). CMP was developed based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards and can be characterized as a problem-based curriculum. CMP teachers were more than three times as likely to implement high-level instructional tasks than non-CMP teachers. Increases in the cognitive demand were associated with enhanced growth rates in problem solving, computation, and equation solving. Notably, when controlling for the cognitive demand of the instructional tasks, the advantage of the CMP curriculum over the non-CMP curricula on students’ growth in problem solving disappeared. However, non-CMP curricula had an advantage on students’ growth over the CMP curriculum after the cognitive demand of the instructional tasks was controlled.