Collaborative Learning Strategies In Math Amplify

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 2, 2025, 1:11 AM

collaborative learning strategies in math amplify

In math, there’s strength in numbers. This is especially true when students work collaboratively in groups! Let’s take a look at why—and how to make it happen in your classroom. Why is collaborative learning important? Just ask this third grader: “It is important to work together, because when you work together you can get smarter by other people’s ideas.” Let’s take a closer look at what math looks like in a collaborative classroom, why collaboration matters, and how teachers can build a culture of collaboration for their K–8 math students.

Kristin Gray, executive director of Amplify’s math suite, is a veteran math teacher. (The answer above came from one of her very astute third graders.) And according to her, collaboration in math is so much more than just kids chatting. Gray paints a picture of collaborative math learning in elementary math and beyond as kids who are: Math is a shared language—through it, we build our collective understanding of the world around us. That’s why math is best learned collaboratively. Read on to find out how to bring that collaboration into your classroom.

It’s tough to do math without sets, sums, and multipliers, so it stands to reason that it’d be tough to learn math solo, outside of a group. Indeed, research shows that math is best learned in a community. In this post, we’ll explain why that is, what it looks like in a classroom, and how you can create a community for your math students. There are many types of math communities: online interest groups, professional organizations, the Mathletes. In the context of a math classroom, a math community refers to the collaborative environment a teacher can create using both math strategies and social strategies (and by involving students’ parents and guardians). In a robust math community, all students feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and engaging in mathematical conversations.

This guidance is part of our Primary and Secondary 'Developing mathematical mindsets' collections. To complement this guidance, we hosted a teacher webinar. You may wish to watch the recording before or after taking a look at the guidance below. "The real satisfaction from mathematics is in learning from others and sharing with others. All of us have clear understanding of a few things and murky concepts of many more." Bill Thurston If we want to create an environment in our classrooms in which our students feel like they belong to a community of mathematicians, we will need to offer them opportunities to collaborate.

We want our students to experience the benefits of collaboration - becoming more resilient and less dependent on the teacher, and becoming confident that they can often achieve more by working together. If students are to work and learn together; share ideas and support each other, then we may need to think about the following: Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. Amplify Learning: A Global Collaborative is a book series about integrating instructional strategies with EdTech tools to amplify learning written and compiled by educators throughout the world.

Compiled and edited by two EdTech experts, innovators, and coaches, Matthew Rhoads and Becky Lim recruited K-16 educators from across the world to write a chapter of their area of expertise in integrating instructional... Dr. Matthew Rhoads is an EdTech and Instructional Leader. He plays numerous roles across education, ranging from being a consortium leader for adult education schools to a university lecturer specializing in EdTech tool instructional integration. In addition, he supervises Dual Language and English Learner teacher candidates and serves as a doctoral candidate chair, guiding emerging scholars through their doctoral research. His extensive knowledge and passion for education are further highlighted through his work as a ten-time author, educational consultant, blogger, and host of Navigating Education - The Podcast.

He is not only a thought leader in the field of EdTech but also a researcher committed to advancing instructional strategies integrated with EdTech and data-driven decision-making practices in education. Reflecting on my own experiences in higher-level math classes, I realize there were not many instances where collaboration or group activities were used. As I work to become the best teacher possible, I find that collaboration can be a very useful tool to get students engaged and to get a better understanding of the material throughout the... Most times, math is taught in a way where the teacher gives definitions, examples, and homework and then expects students to understand it all at a high level. Collaboration can help students actively learn the material with a different path than what the teacher may have taught. Collaboration in the classroom is more than just an instructional strategy, it is a powerful tool for deepening students’ understanding, promoting critical thinking, and developing communication and relational skills.

As educators, we strive to create environments that allow students to take ownership of their learning, rather than just receiving information from lectures. This is definitely the case in mathematics, where collaborative work enables students to engage with concepts more thoroughly and see things from different perspectives. Collaborative learning helps students get involved, supports learning from each other, and gives them chances to share their thoughts and reasoning. Kristin Gray (2025), a specialist in math education, points out that collaboration in the classroom is more than just working in groups. It means getting students to talk about their ideas, pushing them to look at different strategies, and using math concepts in their own ways. When students team up, they not only strengthen their grasp of the subject but also improve their communication and critical thinking skills (Gray, 2025).

A 2014 study by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) found that mathematical discourse among students helps build a shared understanding of concepts (Gray, 2025). Later, a 2018 NCTM study showed that when students analyze and compare their approaches to problem-solving, they develop a more inclusive classroom culture that values diverse ideas and contributions (Gray, 2025). Collaboration is a crucial element in preparing students for real-world situations where teamwork and communication are vital. Collaboration promotes critical thinking and communication skills. In a collaborative classroom, students are encouraged to communicate their reasoning, justify their answers, and engage in discussions. This process helps students develop metacognition, a skill that allows them to reflect on their thinking and the thinking of others (Walter, 2018).

By working together, students also learn to appreciate different problem-solving approaches, which can deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts and increase their confidence in their abilities. Collaboration promotes social development. As students interact with one another, they build relationships, learn to respect diverse viewpoints and become better listeners. These social skills are essential not only for academic success but also for personal and professional growth. Additionally, collaboration can reduce the sense of hierarchy in the classroom, as every student’s voice is valued and everyone has an opportunity to contribute (Gray, 2025). One effective approach to collaboration in the classroom is the “scribe protocol,” developed by a middle school teacher wanting to empower students through collaboration.

This strategy involves placing students into small groups, each with a designated scribe who records the group’s ideas on an upright whiteboard. The scribe’s role is to write down only what the group discusses, ensuring that all voices are heard. The scribe rotates after each problem, allowing every student to lead the group (Manfre, 2025). This method encourages active participation from all students. The group must communicate and collaborate to solve the problem, and each student is responsible for recording their group’s ideas. This fosters a sense of shared responsibility and helps all students engage with the content (Manfre, 2025).

The visual representation of the group’s work on the whiteboard also reinforces learning by providing multiple representations of the material, which aids in content retention (Manfre, 2025). Teachers can further support collaborative learning by using problem-based learning (PBL). In PBL, students work together to solve real-world problems, which encourages critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving. The teacher’s role in PBL is to facilitate learning by guiding students through the process, rather than delivering content directly (Gray, 2025). This method allows students to take ownership of their learning and encourages them to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. While collaborative learning places a considerable amount of responsibility on students, the teacher still plays a key role in the process.

Educators must create a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and contributing to conversations. Teachers should monitor group dynamics, intervene when necessary, and provide targeted feedback to guide students through the learning process (Manfre, 2025). Teachers can evaluate student learning through observation and by commenting on the work produced during group activities. Incorporating collaboration into the classroom does not mean abandoning direct instruction, it requires a transfer from a teacher-led to a student-led classroom. Teachers must provide opportunities for students to engage with content in meaningful ways, empowering them to become active participants in their learning (Gray, 2025). By doing so, students develop essential skills such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, all skills that will serve them well in both academic and practical settings.

New school year, new ways to put students at the center of math learning! We’ve got ‘em all in our free 2024 Math Symposium. Want to shift your math teaching practices this year, but not sure where to start? That’s a good problem to have! You can boost your instruction this fall with problem-based learning, technology in the math classroom, and more—all in ways that put students at the center. “All students need the opportunity to feel like they can figure out mathematics,” says Jennifer Bay-Williams, Ph.D., an author and professor of mathematics education at University of Louisville.

“That’s where they develop a math identity, [the idea] that they can do math. And they start feeling like, ‘I can figure this out.’” Bay-Williams spoke at our 2024 Math Symposium, along with other thought leaders and expert educators. Keep reading to see how their key takeaways can help you shift your math instruction this school year!

Collaborative Learning Strategies In Math Amplify

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