ALEKS Constructs as Predictors of High School Mathematics Achievement for Struggling Students

Educators in the United States (U.S.) are increasingly turning to intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) to provide differentiated math instruction to high school students. However, many struggling high school learners do not perform well on these platforms, which reinforces the need for more awareness about effective supports that influence the achievement of learners in these milieus. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors of the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), an ITS, are predictive of struggling learners\u27 performance in a blended-learning Algebra 1 course at an inner city technical high school located in the northeastern U.S. The theoretical framework consisted of knowledge base theory, the zone of proximal development, and cognitive learning theory. Three variables (student retention, engagement time, and the ratio of topics mastered to topics practiced) were used to predict the degree of association on the criterion variable (mathematics competencies), as measured by final course progress grades in algebra, and the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSATm) math scores. A correlational predictive design was applied to assess the data of a purposive sample of 265 struggling students at the study site; multiple regression analysis was also used to investigate the predictability of these variables. Findings suggest that engagement time and the ratio of mastered to practiced topics were significant predictors of final course progress grades. Nevertheless, these factors were not significant contributors in predicting PSATm score. Retention was identified as the only statistically significant predictor of PSATm score. The results offer educators with additional insights that can facilitate improvements in mathematical content knowledge and promote higher graduation rates for struggling learners in high school mathematics

Mathematics camps: A gift for gifted students?

We evaluate the short-run impact of a mathematics camp for gifted high school students. During the camp, studets work in teams, trying to solve advanced mathematical prob- lems with the help of manipulatives. We randomize participation in the camp and test the effects of such participation on problem-solving skills, personality traits, and career intentions. Results show that participants improve their problem-solving skills, especially in questions that require the use of logic. We also find positive effects on students’ person- ality traits: students declare to be less neurotic and more extroverted. Gifted students with relatively lower school math scores benefit more from the program. Finally, participating in the mathematics camp makes students more willing to go to university

Differentiated instruction in secondary education:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical-didactical approach that provides teachers with a starting point for meeting students' diverse learning needs. Although differentiated instruction has gained a lot of attention in practice and research, not much is known about the status of the empirical evidence and its benefits for enhancing student achievement in secondary education. The current review sets out to provide an overview of the theoretical conceptualizations of differentiated instruction as well as prior findings on its effectiveness. Then, by means of a systematic review of the literature from 2006 to 2016, empirical evidence on the effects of within-class differentiated instruction for secondary school students' academic achievement is evaluated and summarized. After a rigorous search and selection process, only 14 papers about 12 unique empirical studies on the topic were selected for review. A narrative description of the selected papers shows that differentiated instruction has been operationalized in many different ways. The selection includes studies on generic teacher trainings for differentiated instruction, ability grouping and tiering, individualization, mastery learning, heterogeneous grouping, and remediation in flipped classroom lessons. The majority of the studies show small to moderate positive effects of differentiated instruction on student achievement. Summarized effect sizes across studies range from d = +0.741 to +0.509 (omitting an outlier). These empirical findings give some indication of the possible benefits of differentiated instruction. However, they also point out that there are still severe knowledge gaps. More research is needed before drawing convincing conclusions regarding the effectiveness and value of different approaches to differentiated instruction for secondary school classes

Technology-enhanced Personalised Learning: Untangling the Evidence

Technology-enhanced personalised learning is not yet common in Germany, which is why we have tasked scientists with summarising the current status of international research on the matter. This study demonstrates the great potential of technology in implementing effective personalised learning. Nevertheless, it has not been assessed yet whether the practical implementation actually works: Even in countries such as the U.S., which lead the way in using techology in classroom settings, hardly any evaluation studies have been done to prove the effectiveness of technology-enhanced personalised learning. In the light of the above, the authors make recommendations for actions to be taken in Germany to make best use of the potential of technology in providing individual support and guidance to students

Community College Students\u27 Perceptions of Developmental Mathematics and Influences on Persistence

The increase in the dropout rates associated with developmental mathematics classes in 1 Texas community college provoked the need for this study. The purpose of this case study was to explore students\u27 reasons for dropping out of developmental mathematics and what might have helped them be successful. Tinto\u27s model of student attrition, which is characterized by students\u27 social and academic integration affecting their retention in the college, provided the conceptual framework for the study. The research questions addressed the students\u27 perceptions of both why they dropped out of developmental mathematics courses and what might have helped them to successfully complete those courses. A purposeful sampling process was used to select 7 developmental mathematics students who did not complete the course. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 7 developmental mathematics students. Emergent themes were identified through open coding, and the findings were developed and reviewed for trustworthiness through member checking, rich descriptions, and a code-recode process. Findings revealed that students needed help in acquiring a better understanding of the subject, in adapting to different teaching methods, and in finding available resources. A professional development training for mathematics instructors was created to share the why students drop out of developmental mathematics and to provide suggestions for improved teaching practices. Results from this study may lead to the positive social change by providing teachers with successful developmental mathematics strategies to improve student performance

Peer Tutoring in Middle School: How it Changes Student Achievement and Attitudes

Research literature shows that mathematics is a gatekeeper to success. Providing alternative opportunities for students to strengthen mathematical reasoning over algorithmic computations while problem-solving in a collaborative environment helps to prepare students to compete locally and globally. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate how an afterschool Peer Tutoring Club (PTC) affected academic performances and attitudes of Grade 6, at-risk or “at-promise,” (Samuels, 2020), middle school mathematics students. The gap found in literature revealed a need for additional research involving rigorous multistep problem-solving within peer tutoring programs. This study collected data from 46, 1-hour, afterschool peer tutoring sessions between December 2017 and May 2018. Six PTC tutees were selected as participants. The participants received cross-age and same age peer tutoring while utilizing a district aligned curriculum that consisted of multistep problem-solving. This dissertation addressed the gap found in literature by collecting qualitative and quantitative data from four instruments: (a) district’s math pre/posttest, (b) Attitudes Toward Math Inventory (ATMI), (c) participants’ work, and (d) participants’ exit interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. The data was triangulated to answer the two research questions. The findings from the PTC study supported theory and empirical study evidence that peer tutoring improved academic achievement and attitudes toward math

Academic Performance Among First-Year College Freshmen Following Participation in a Summer Bridge Program

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the academic outcomes of first-year academically underprepared TN Promise-eligible college freshmen who participated in a college bridge program. A comparative research design was applied to existing data, including first-semester GPA, first-semester credit completion rate, first college-level mathematics course GPA, first college-level English course GPA, and fall-to-fall persistence rates. A random sample of 412 first-time freshman college students from five cohorts was analyzed using descriptive statistics for eight research questions. These findings indicated that there were no significant differences among college bridge participants and non-bridge participants. Non-bridge program participants performed slightly better than bridge program participants for all research questions, including first-semester GPA, first-semester credit completion rate, first English course GPA, and first mathematics course GPA. Similar results were also found for research questions that analyzed underrepresented participants. However, despite finding that non-bridge participants achieved minor but consistently higher performance outcomes, the fall-to-fall persistence rates for bridge participants and non-bridge participants were nearly identical. Additional analyses indicated that low-income bridge participants slightly outperformed their low-income non-bridge peers in first-semester GPA and credit completion rate, and first-generation bridge program participants and first-generation non-bridge participants performed almost identically, though no statistical significance was found. This study documented the short-term academic effects that college bridge programs can have on academically underprepared college freshmen. These findings resemble similar findings from existing bridge program research that likewise did not find improvements in student performance or outcomes. Additionally, this study along with ambiguous findings from previous research, might indicate that bridge program efficacy is highly reliant on program design, purpose, and target populations, and the concept is not a universal approach to prepare students academically and socially for the curricular expectations of postsecondary education. Implications for future research and recommendations for policymakers are discussed

Creating a college-going culture : accountability models and measuring institutional rigor in secondary schools.

This dissertation is an examination of approaches Kentucky high schools have taken in an effort to prepare their graduates to be college and career ready. This dissertation consists of three separate articles. The first explores Kentucky college readiness reform efforts at the secondary school level since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. The need for an educated population is critical to a strong economy and citizenship. Creating that educated population has been a focus for centuries but in the recent history the United States has taken a different approach. Since 2002, No Child Left Behind has directed how and on what schools have focused through high stakes accountability. As the United States moves into the next version of high-stakes accountabilities there are opportunities for schools in the state to learn from previous successes and mistakes. Kentucky has a history of reform since the 1990’s and has been working to improve the level of education for its citizens. Beginning in 1990 with the Kentucky Education Reform Act and all the way through the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act, Kentucky has striven for a well-educated workforce. The progress has been slow and often times short sighted. The first article of this dissertation will explore the changes that have been adopted in the education system of Kentucky and look to illustrate the impacts these decisions have had on teaching and learning in the state, with specific focus on high schools’ efforts to support their students’ being college and career ready. The second article in this dissertation will examine a walk through process implemented in twenty-one high poverty Kentucky high schools that were part of the GEAR UP Kentucky project. The process was designed to provide feedback to schools on how they were doing in preparing their students for postsecondary as well as building a stronger college-going culture. The process contained two parts the walkthrough itself and a self-analysis all schools did to reflect on practices and policies that support rigorous instruction and expectations for all students. The results of the study indicated that school rigorous instruction ratings developed from the process correlated moderately with measures of college readiness and college success, indicating that rigor may be able to be measured in a manner feasible within the complex everyday tasks of school administrators. The last article explores the opportunities that Kentucky schools have beginning in 2018 as the new Every Student Succeeds Act accountability system is implemented. The new policies at the federal level provide more flexibility for states define college and career readiness. Kentucky’s response has been approved and provides schools and districts opportunity to create experiences for students to allow them to show what they know and are able to do, rather than just how well they do on standardized assessments. This article focuses on suggested policy recommendations for districts to consider based on the results from article 2