FACTORS LEADING TO GAINS IN MATHEMATICS DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE: AN ANALYSIS BY GENDER AND ETHNICITY

Abstract

Research studies generally focus on mathematics achievement in college across various ethnic and gender subpopulations and have suggested that various factors such as mathematical ability, persistence, anxiety, attitudes, backgrounds, and exposure have been explanatory factors of mathematics achievement. This study explores nontraditional associating factors for the accruement of mathematical skills during the first year of college, including the role of factors pertaining to academic and social involvement, student study behavior, student perceptions of the quality of teaching, financial support, and awareness of prejudice. It involved testing a model of mathematics gain on a nationally representative sample of first-year college students by both gender and ethnicity. Results indicate that although many of the factors tested contributed to math gains for the entire sample, there were many marked differences when analyzed by gender or ethnicity. Measures of commitment and enrollment in higher level mathematics courses was found to best explain gains in mathematics. An interesting link between gains with full-time enrollment and commitment to completing the degree was also found. Another finding was that an environment perceived to be free of racial and gender related prejudices had positive implications toward mathematical gains for most students. Contains 50 references. (JRH) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Gains in First Year College Mathematics 1 File=c: \my document\nctla\valifin: date of last revision: November 20, 1996 Factors Leading to Gains in Mathematics During the First Year of College: An Analysis by Gender and Ethnicity* Linda Serra Hagedorn Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis University of Southern California School of Education Waite Phillips Hall 701 E Los Angeles, CA 90089-0031 M. Vali Siadat Department of Mathematics Richard J. Daley College 7500 S. Pulaski Chicago, IL 60652 Amaury Nora College of Education Farish Hall 401 University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-5872 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY At ./ TO THE EDUC IONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U.S. DEPARTIVENT OF EDUCATION (Mice of Educational Research and Improvement UCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION I CENTER (ERIC/ document has been reproduced as received from the person Or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality o Points of view or opinions stated in thiS docu. ment do not necessarily represent Offic.al OERI position or policy Ernest T. Pascarella University of Illinois at Chicago Policy Studies ('M/C 147) 1040 W. Harrison St. Chicago, IL 60607-7133 * This investigation was conducted as part of the National Study of Student Learning (NSSL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. NSSL was supported by Grant No.: R117G10037 from the U.S. Department of Education to the National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York City, April 1996. Running head: Gains in First Year College Mathematics BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 Gains in First Year College Mathematics 2