Planning to Take More Mathematics Courses in High School: Who Does and Who Doesn't?

Abstract

What are the most common motives invoked by 9th graders when asked about their plans to take (or not) more mathematics courses during high school? How do beliefs about math course-taking affect students’ actual planning? To what extent is planning of math course-taking associated with high school students’ socio-demographic backgrounds? The study employs data from the High School Longitudinal Survey of 2009 to examine the issue of persistence in math course-taking during high school. The study shows that almost two-thirds of 9th graders plan to do math during all their high school years, although intentions to persist in math vary across racial and especially socioeconomic backgrounds. The study also demonstrates the importance of belief constructs such as math identity, internal motivation toward math learning and math utility on math course-taking planning. A better understanding of students’ motives to engage in high school math may help develop classroom practices that emphasize the long-term benefits of math learning.