The relationship between the students’ academics achievement and their socioeconomic level: cross regional comparison

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the effects of familial variables (education of the parents and family income) on the academic achievement (in mathematics, reading skills and science) of 15-year-old students in Turkey with respect to regional diversity. The study was carried out based on the data obtained from the PISA 2006 research in Turkey. The independent variables of the research are education level of the parents, and average annual income; the dependent variables are the students’ proficiency levels in science, mathematics and in reading skills. The general result of the research is that familial variables affect students’ academic achievement. Familial variables affect students academic achievement in mathematics most and their reading skills least. As regional developmental level decreases, effects of familial variables on academic achievement decrease as well

AFRICAN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS AND PERCEPTIONS OF EXTANT CULTURALLY RELEVANT PEDAGOGY AND ETHNOMATHEMATICS

African American students\u27 severe underachievement in mathematics in comparison to their peers has been framed as an achievement gap that continues to widen despite the efforts of many education scholars and leaders. Throughout history in the United States, mathematics education has been designed, developed, and delivered within a Eurocentric philosophy. Consequently, African American students have been at a systemic disadvantage in terms of perceiving the cultural relevance of mathematics; which has served as a detriment to their academic success. By merging ethnomathematics and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) into a theoretical framework, this study investigates these issues and proposes a shift in mathematics education toward a more culturally aware approach. In this study, it is argued that implementing a multicultural education approach such as ethnomathematics into the mathematics curriculum coupled with employing culturally relevant pedagogical practices will increase relevance in the mathematics education for African American students. The purpose of this study was to gain African American high school students’ perception of mathematics, as well as their cultural awareness and its relation to mathematics education. To gain students’ perceptions about mathematics education from a cultural respect, 375 students in grades 9-12 completed three online surveys which were (1) a four-item demographic questionnaire (age, gender, grade, ethnicity), (2) the 40-item Attitude Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI), and (3) the 12-item Students Perception about Cultural Awareness (SPCA) survey. This study incorporated a quantitative, correlational research design. To address research questions one and two, Pearson correlations were conducted to examine the associations between the variables of interest which were (1) Value, (2) Enjoyment, (3) Sense of Security, (4) Motivation, and (5) Cultural Awareness. Variables (1), (2), (3), (4) were derived from the ATMI survey through factor analysis while variable (5) was constructed from the SPCA survey. To address research question three, a MANOVA was conducted to assess for differences in attitudes toward mathematics and perceptions of cultural awareness by ethnicity. For research questions one and two, it was found that there was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of interest. For research question three, it was found that there was not a statistically significant difference in the variables of interest by ethnicity. In further analysis of the data, it was found that many African American students have a substandard attitude of value, enjoyment, sense of security, and motivation toward mathematics. Nonetheless, these students had a high sense of cultural awareness and cultural pride. Generally, the students felt that the incorporation of culture into mathematics would assist in raising their achievement to some degree. This study highlights recommendations to educational leaders to learn about the culture of their students, allow that data to inform policy decisions, and lead a shift to the approach of mathematics education toward the theories of ethnomathematics and CRP

Modeling mathematics achievement using hierarchical linear models

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of student-level and school-level variables on mathematics achievement in four countries including Finland, South Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey. Based on eighth grade students’ responses to a student questionnaire and a mathematics test, and school principals’ responses to a school questionnaire, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 dataset was analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Models. The results revealed that students’ having educational resources at home, their self-confidence in mathematics, and schools’ emphasis on academic standards were the common variables that influenced mathematics achievement in all four countries. On the other hand, no significant effects of education levels of parents (except education levels of mothers in Turkey), fights or physical injuries to other students, and lack of resources for mathematics instruction on students’ mathematics achievement were found in these countries. Implications of the results are discussed

The Relationship of Selected Variables in Mathematics Achievement of Teacher Education Applicants

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between the variables of (1) sex, (2) attitudes toward mathematics, (3) college grade point average (GPA), (4) American College Test (ACT) mathematics scores, (5) number of mathematics courses taken, and the variable of (6) mathematics computation scores on the California Achievement Test (CAT) Form 6 - Level 19. A population of 220 applicants for admission to teacher education at East Tennessee State University were available for the study. Academic records of the students were searched for the following information: (1) sex of the subjects, (2) college grade point average, (3) ACT mathematics scores, (4) number of previous high school mathematics courses, (5) number of previous college mathematics courses, and (6) CAT mathematics computation scores. Attitudes toward mathematics was measured utilizing the Revised Aiken-Dreger Mathematics Scale. The following relationships were examined: (1) difference between the CAT mathematics computation scores of males and females, (2) correlation between the variables of attitudes toward mathematics and CAT mathematics computation scores, (3) difference between scores of males and females on the test of attitudes toward mathematics, (4) correlation between the variables of college grade point average and CAT mathematics computation scores, (5) difference between the college grade point average of males and females, (6) correlation between the variables of ACT mathematics scores and CAT mathematics computation scores, (7) difference between the ACT mathematics scores of males and females, (8) correlation between the variables of weighted number of mathematics courses taken and CAT mathematics computation scores, and (9) difference between the weighted number of mathematics courses taken by males and females. The findings of the study revealed that: (1) There was no statistically significant difference between the CAT mathematics computation scores of males and females. (2) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of attitudes toward mathematics and CAT mathematics computation scores. (3) There was no statistically significant difference between scores of males and females on the test of attitudes toward mathematics. (4) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of college grade point average and CAT mathematics computation scores. (5) There was no statistically significant difference between the college grade point average of males and females. (6) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of ACT mathematics scores and CAT mathematics computation scores. (7) There was no statistically significant difference between the ACT mathematics scores of males and females. (8) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of weighted number of mathematics courses taken and CAT mathematics computation scores. (9) There was no statistically significant difference between the weighted number of mathematics courses taken by males and females. Based upon the findings of the study, the following conclusions were warranted: (1) The study failed to support the hypotheses that differences existed between male and female teacher education applicants in regard to their (a) CAT mathematics computation scores, (b) attitudes toward mathematics, (c) college grade point average, (d) ACT mathematics scores, and (e) weighted number of mathematics courses. (2) The study revealed that in regard to teacher education applicants there existed a definite correlation between the variables of (a) attitudes toward mathematics and CAT mathematics computation scores, (b) ACT mathematics scores and CAT mathematics computation scores, (c) college grade point average and CAT mathematics computation scores, and (d) weighted number of mathematics courses taken and CAT mathematics computation scores

Variables influencing the mathematics performance of first-year tertiary students : a case study

The need to understand which factors most strongly affect performance in first-year mathematics programs at Khon Kaen University (KKU), in North Eastern Thailand, provided the main focus of the study which is described. First-year mathematics students in the 1990-1991 academic year, from four KKU faculty groups (Medicine and Nursing, Agriculture, Science and Education, and Engineering) were involved in this study. Research literatures addressing variables which were likely to influence performance in early tertiary mathematical study, and variables associated with difficulties in learning mathematics at the transition from upper secondary school to tertiary studies, were reviewed. The first major aim of the study was to identify the variables which were good predictors of first-year mathematics performance at KKU. Results from stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that the following predictor variables were statistically significant and entered the regression equations for most Faculty groups: School Mathematics Achievement, Self-Esteem, Study Habits in Mathematics, and Faculty of Study. Other predictor variables that sometimes entered regression equations (depending on the Faculty group) were Socio-Economic-Status, Mathematics Language Competence, Mathematics Confidence, Attitude Towards Mathematics, and Gender. Depending on Faculty group, the statistically significant variables accounted for between 11% and 74% of scores on fist-year KKU mathematics examinations. The predictor variables contributed much more to the variance of scores on first-semester mathematics examinations than to the variance of scores on second-semester mathematics examinations. It was also found that scores on the Direct Entry Examination Mathematics test (administered by KKU) and the School Mathematics Achievement test (developed and administered by the author) had stronger correlations with first-year KKU mathematics performance than did scores on the National Entry Examination Mathematics tests (administered by the Thai Ministry of University Affairs). Scores on the three pre-university mathematics achievement test instruments were better predictors of first-semester mathematics performance than of second-semester mathematics performance. It was found that the mean Mathematics Confidence of male students was statistically significantly higher than that of female students, but there were no statistically significant gender differences in Mathematics Misplaced Confidence. Only about 30% of the main sample ( 30% of the male and 30% of the female sample groups) had appropriate confidence in mathematics, that is, they thought their answers were correct when they were, in fact, correct, and they thought they were wrong when they were, in fact, incorrect. So far as Faculty performance differences were concerned, Engineering students had the highest Mathematics Confidence scores, followed by the Medicine and Nursing group of students and the Science and Education group students. Agriculture students had the lowest mean Mathematics Confidence score. No statistically significant differences occurred in Mathematics Misplaced Confidence between different Faculty groups. The second main aim of the study was to investigate why many first-year students experienced difficulties in coping with their mathematics units. A small group of senior secondary mathematics teachers, university mathematics lecturers, and first-year mathematics students were interviewed during the first semester of the 1990-1991 academic year. Interviews were conducted by the author according to a questionnaire format, and were aimed at identifying factors causing difficulty in the transition from senior secondary to university mathematical study. The analysis of the quantitative data together with the interview data indicated that the major sources of difficulty were associated with: (a) students\u27 mathematical abilities; (b) curriculum content; (c) course organisation; (d) students\u27 study habits; (e) instructional styles; and (f) assessment procedures. The results of the investigation are discussed in the light of the relevant literature and related research. The study concludes with recommendations which are addressed to mathematics teachers and education administrators in senior secondary schools in Thailand, to the Thai Ministry of Education, and to the KKU Department of Mathematics

CONNECTION AND MATHEMATICAL DISPOSITION TOWARD ADVANCED MATHEMATICAL THINKING IN APOS MATHEMATICS LEARNING

This study aimed to analyze the effect of mathematical connection and mathematical dispositions of students towards Advanced Mathematical Thinking in APOS mathematics learning and the most influence on Advanced Mathematical Thinking. This research is quantitative research. The data analysis used multiple linear regression. Variables in the research include dependent variable was the Advanced Mathematical Thinking and independent variables were mathematical connection and mathematical disposition. The research was conducted at the University of Kanjuruhan Malang, Faculty of Science and Technology in Mathematics Education. The respondents were Mathematics Education students who took a course in calculus (limit), the number of students was 30. The results of the research showed that mathematical connections and mathematical dispositions effect on Advanced Mathematical Thinking in APOS mathematics learning with percentage of 88,2%; From those results it can be concluded that mathematical connection and mathematical dispositions influence the Advanced Mathematical Thinking in APOS mathematics learnin

Why do early mathematics skills predict later mathematics and reading achievement? The role of executive function

A robust association between young children’s early mathematical proficiency and later academic achievement is well established. Less is known about the mechanisms through which early mathematics skills may contribute to later mathematics and especially reading achievement. Using a parallel multiple mediator model, the current study investigated whether executive function (integration of working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility) can explain the relations between early mathematics skills and elementary school mathematics and reading achievement. Data in this longitudinal study were collected from 243 children during the last year of early childhood education and care (kindergarten ages 5 and 6 years), 1 year later in first grade, and 5 years later when the children were in fifth grade. Background variables (maternal education, age, sex, and immigrant status), kindergarten baseline skills, and mediating effects of first-grade mathematics, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and possible omitted variables were controlled. Results showed that first-grade executive function mediated the effects of kindergarten mathematics on fifth-grade mathematics and on reading achievement. These findings suggest that executive function may work as a mechanism that may help to explain the frequently found strong association between children’s early mathematics skills and later mathematics and reading achievement.publishedVersio

Factors Influencing Special Education Teachers\u27 Mathematics Teaching Efficacy

This research examined the relationship between secondary special education teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy and the number of years of teaching experience, years of co-teaching experience, and number of math content coursework taken at the undergraduate level. Students with special needs continue to score significantly lower than their general education peers on Virginia’s standards of learning mathematics tests. A quantitative, non-experimental correlational research design was used in this study. The targeted sample consisted of approximately 120 collaborating special education teachers in two school districts in southeastern Virginia. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) was measure mathematics teaching efficacy and teacher mathematics content knowledge was measured by a survey of courses taken. A Spearman’s rho correlation test was used to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed among the variables. The study found a positive relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy and years of mathematics co-teaching experience rs = .451, p = .01 and a positive relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy and total math courses taken rs = .297, p = .014. There was no relationship found between mathematics teaching efficacy and years of teaching experience. Results support increased efforts are needed to provide content specific education for special education teachers in the area of secondary mathematics

Mathematics professional development needs of general education and special education teachers

The Mathematics Professional Development Inventory (MPDI) was designed to assess the teachers\u27 rating of areas they need math content knowledge, professional development need of mathematics content knowledge, an academic area in which they need more knowledge, an academic area in which they feel they do not need more knowledge, their ability to teach mathematics, professional development need for teaching mathematics, their need for more strategies for teaching mathematics, and an area in which they do not need more strategies for teaching mathematics. This quantitative study used a non-parametric test to examined the relationship between variables of teacher demographics (mathematics teachers who teach at least 1 mathematics class), comparisons between teachers who teach in elementary schools and teachers who teach in secondary schools, comparisons between general education and special education teachers, and comparisons between elementary special education and secondary special education teachers on their math professional development needs. The study was conducted in two school systems in Maryland. Chi-Square analysis demonstrated statistically significant differences in the needs identified by special education teachers, math teachers who teach math all day compared to those who teach a variety of subjects, teacher\u27s years of experience, and the number of mathematics classes that were taken