8th Grade Mathematics Research Articles

Exploring the mediating role of teacher expectation on whole class participation

Teacher expectation mediates the interaction between teacher and students, and teachers tend to differentiate their interaction with their students based on their expectation. In this study, I explore the mediator role of teacher expectation to the participation of ongoing mathematical discussion. Academic interaction between an 8th grade mathematics teacher, and her students ( n = 20) academic interactions were recorded ( n = 20) and analyzed by using EQUIP during two grading periods. Results of this study reveal that the majority of academic interaction happens between a teacher and a small subset (high expected) of students. High expected students had much more opportunities than all the other students to participate to the ongoing mathematical discussion.

The eTIMSS and TIMSS Measurement Invariance Study: Multigroup Factor Analyses and Differential Item Functioning Analyses with the 2019 Cycle

In this study, measurement invariance and differential item functioning (DIF) studies of the TIMSS 2019 4th and 8th-grade mathematics and science achievement tests were conducted for the country groups participating in both TIMMS and eTIMMS. The study sample consisted of 9560 responders of the first booklet of the 2019 cycle. Multiple Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) was utilized to test measurement invariance, and Mantel-Haenszel (MH), Logistic Regression (LR), and SIBTEST were used for the DIF analyses. The measurement invariance results indicated strict invariance between groups for all subtests which included 111 items in total. In the DIF analyses, for the 4th and 8th-grade mathematics subtests, only three items showed moderate DIF with MH, and four items showed DIF with SIBTEST. For the 4th-grade science subtest, one item showed moderate DIF with both MH and SIBTEST. However, in the 8th-grade science subtest, no items showed DIF with MH and LR methods, while four items showed moderate DIF with SIBTEST. Overall, MH and SIBTEST techniques were in agreement, whereas LR method produced inconsistent results and showed disagreement with these two methods. The results of the measurement invariance analysis and the LR method were consistent and indicated equivalency of TIMMS and e-TIMMS scores.

Resources of curriculum materials that induce teachers' professional knowledge of the additive conceptual field

Assuming that curriculum materials reverberate the knowledge of teachers, we sought to identify and discuss features of the materials, related to the additive field, which induce professional knowledge in Mathematics. Through a documentary analysis of three 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade Mathematics Teacher's Manuals, the addition and subtraction problems were mapped and analyzed; the texts presenting the material and the units corresponding to the mapped problems were analyzed, as well as the specific guidelines for working with these problems. Considering the Conceptual Fields Theory and the Knowledge of Knowledge of Curriculum Embedded Mathematics as references, we identified a variety of problem classes, as well as guidelines on the different meanings of operations. We observed weaknesses in the approach taken in the 2nd grade Manual corresponding to the addition and subtraction approach, to the detriment of the other Manuals. We noted the absence of explicitly stated information in the three manuals, which may have an impact on the way teachers read and interpret the guidelines, and evaluate the problems, implying the teaching knowledge mobilized or constructed.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN 8TH-GRADE STUDENTS' MATHEMATICS SELF-EFFICACY PERCEPTIONS AND THEIR MOTIVATION AND ANXIETY LEVELS

This study seeks to examine the relationships between 8th-grade students' mathematics self-efficacy perceptions and their motivation and anxiety levels. The correlational survey model was used in the study. The population of the study consists of 9811 8th-grade students studying at 64 public schools in Batman province in the 2020-2021 academic year. The sample consists of 550 students from 10 secondary schools selected via the random method among 9811 students. Personal Information Form, Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, Motivation Scale for Mathematics Lessons, and Mathematics Anxiety Scale were used as data collection tools. Independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson product-moment correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. The relationship between mathematics self-efficacy perception, mathematics lesson motivation, and mathematics anxiety was calculated by path analysis. As a result, a positive and moderately significant relationship was found between students' mathematics self-efficacy perceptions and their motivation for mathematics lessons while a negative and moderately significant relationship was found between mathematics self-efficacy perceptions and mathematics anxiety. It was also determined that there was a negative and moderately significant relationship between students' motivation for mathematics lessons and their mathematics anxiety. The Path analysis revealed that as 8th-grade students' mathematics self-efficacy perceptions increase, their motivation for mathematics lessons increases, and their mathematics anxiety levels decrease.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0808/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Enhancing 8th grade students' mathematical understanding

The low mathematical comprehension among 8th-grade students at MTs Al-Hidayah Purwokerto was the driving force behind this research. Factors contributing to this low ability include the use of conventional learning media, which is less attractive to students, leading them to easily become bored and encountering greater difficulty in understanding lessons. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of using educational game-based learning media to enhance students' mathematical understanding skills in 8th grade. An experimental approach was employed in this study, with a population consisting of 56 students from the 8th grade at MTs Al-Hidayah Purwokerto. Saturated sampling was conducted, encompassing all 8th-grade students as the research sample. Consequently, Class 8A, comprising 28 students, was designated as the experimental group, while Class 8B, with 28 students, served as the control group. The conclusive outcomes of the research indicate that the use of educational game-based media effectively improves students' mathematical understanding abilities. The N-Gain value for the experimental group is 0.83, which falls within the high category, whereas the N-Gain value for the control group is 0.37, categorized as medium. Thus, it can be inferred that educational game-based media is effective as a learning medium for 8th-grade mathematics material at MTs Al-Hidayah Purwokerto.

Do teachers’ beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics affect students’ motivation and enjoyment of mathematics? Examining differences between boys and girls across six countries

Mathematics teachers’ beliefs are central to mathematics teaching and student learning. Because different aspects of motivation and affect—particularly enjoyment—primarily develop within the classroom context, examining how different teachers’ beliefs may affect student outcomes in mathematics is imperative. The current study examines teachers’ beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics in connection to students’ motivation (i.e. intrinsic value, utility value and perceived competence) and enjoyment of mathematics across different settings by considering students’ mathematics achievement, gender and classroom composition (i.e. socioeconomic and behavioural). Data were collected from 3rd- and 4th-grade mathematics teachers (N = 686) and their students (N = 11,782) in six countries (i.e. Norway, Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Estonia and Serbia). A two-level structural equation modelling technique (TSEM) (i.e. student level and classroom level) with random slopes was employed to address our research questions. The results indicate that students’ intrinsic value and perceived competence positively relate to their enjoyment of mathematics in all six countries. Teachers’ beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics moderate the within-classroom relationship between boys and girls and the motivation and enjoyment of learning mathematics in Portugal and Norway. Unlike boys, girls consistently perceive themselves as less competent in mastering mathematics, even in primary school. Classroom socioeconomic composition had a more pronounced influence on teachers’ beliefs in Sweden, Norway and Serbia. In relation to teachers’ beliefs, classroom behavioural composition was relevant in Estonia and Sweden. In Finland and Norway, classroom composition was essential to boys’ and girls’ differential motivation and enjoyment of mathematics learning.

Between the clicks

Adaptive learning technology has the potential to tailor learning to suit individual students’ needs, desires and competence level. However, qualitative close up studies of students’ interaction with adaptive technology are rare. This study explores 4th grade mathematics students’ use of adaptive learning technology through screen recordings supplemented with analysis of data generated and tagged by the adaptive engine. The study explores how different types of students, i.e. students with varying mathematical competence levels, motivation and self-efficacy towards mathematics, interact with an adaptive learning material, what learning paths emerge for different types of students in their interaction with the adaptive learning resource and how student self-efficacy is affected by the interaction. Implications for both future design and teacher use of adaptive learning materials are discussed.

The common curricular base and the systematic gap: an evaluation of the contents of the 6th grade mathematics textbooks of the public schools of Santarém-PA, Brazil

The implementation of the National Common Curriculum Base (NCCB) had a significant impact on the content and pedagogy of mathematics textbooks in primary and secondary schools. These skills and competencies emerge vertically as goals in a content proposal common to all Brazilian schools. Specifically, in the teaching of mathematics, the lack of a referent that incorporates a priori forms (mathematical symbols) transforms the act of teaching-learning into a dynamic of transmission of systematically empty contents, devoid of real and applicable meaning. This absence of real-world, culturally relevant examples in textbooks affects students' learning experiences. Therefore, this study analyzes two mathematics textbooks for the 6th grade of primary school and assesses their alignment with the new NCCB guidelines. We chose the Fraction and Numerical Expression content for comparison. We cut out and describe the relationship between the skills and competencies of the new NCCB and the exercise proposals of each book from the perspective of the contents. The analysis reveals a dissociation between content and reality in the book Taláris (mathematics for primary school – last years) promoted by a systematic void derived from the absence of examples that relate to real-life situations. Finally, it is pointed out that the responsibility of adapting the contents to the multiple realities and demystifying the values lies with the teachers. This highlights the need for teacher training and qualification in the face of new challenges in schools in Santarém – PA, Brazil.

Investigating the status and skills of Afghan students using the Cognitive Diagnostic Model (CDM) of Afghanistan's 8th grade mathematics.

Cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) are multidimensional multivariate verification flow models with complex structure. In this research, these models were used to investigate the status of eighth grade high school students in mathematics using the TIMMS questionnaire. The cognitive diagnostic test based on 13 attributes including 32 questions was conducted on a sample of 274 students who were selected based on the multi-stage cluster sampling method among the students of Firuzkoh city. IRT and RESMA models were used to determine the psychometric properties of the questions. Data analysis using DINA and DINO models in cognitive diagnostic mathematics modeling showed that 13 attributes explain the mathematical performance of eighth-grade students. The result shows that Afghan students have a weak mastery level in most features compared to 45 other countries (the countries that were included in the TIMMS questionnaire) also, general results show that the examinees perform better in the field of numbers (0.49), while they perform worse in data and chance (0.12 ). Moreover, some difference exists in estimating item parameters under the DINA and DINO model, such as Item 3 and Item 27. One possible explanation is that the DINA model is completely compensatory while the DINO model is fully non-compensatory. Similar to the results under the DINA model, the SEs of guessing parameters are lower than those of slipping parameters under the DINO model.

The Effect of Actionbound Application on Academic Success and Attitude on 6th Grade Field Measurement

This study aims to examine the effects of activities prepared using the Actionbound application on students' academic achievement and mathematical attitude in the field measurement subject in the 6th-grade mathematics course. The study was designed using a quasi-experimental design with a control group from quantitative research methods. The study group of research consists of students studying in two different 6th grades of a secondary school in the central district of Elazığ province in the school year 2022-2023. The achievement averages of the branches in the previous semester were used in forming the experimental and control groups and in ensuring the equivalence of the branches. The research, which was conducted in parallel with the MoNE curriculum, was applied simultaneously to the experimental and control groups. The research, which used parametric testing procedures due to the normal distribution of the data, was analyzed using the SPSS package program. The results show that the digital learning game developed using Actionbound improves performance and attitude, but does not cause a significant difference between the groups. It is recommended to extend the application period of the study and continue the study for one semester.

Standard Setting with Artificial Neural Networks: TIMSS 2015 Mathematics Case

This study aims to demonstrate the optimal way to determine the cut-off score to be used to interpret the total scores obtained from an achievement test or scale using the Artificial Neural Networks method. To this end, the multiple-choice item responses in the Booklet-11 Mathematics subtest at the 8th grade level in the TIMSS 2015 Turkey sample dataset were used to determine the cut-off score for the achievement test. The item responses in the “Students Like Learning Mathematics Scale” in the TIMSS 2015 8th grade Mathematics Student Questionnaire were used to determine the cut-off score for the scale. The data were accessed from the TIMSS international database and the data were analyzed in MATLAB R2017b software. As a result of the study, the most appropriate cut-off score to be used for the evaluation of the total scores obtained from the TIMSS 2015 8th grade level Booklet-11 Mathematics subtest was determined as 45.5 out of 0-100 points with the Artificial Neural Network analysis method. The overall level of agreement between the cut-off score and the pass/fail classification based on 400 points, which is the lowest level of the TIMSS International Benchmark, was determined as 81%. The most appropriate cut-off score to be used for the evaluation of the scores obtained from the Students Like Learning Mathematics Scale (SLLSS) in the TIMSS 2015 8th grade student survey was determined as 19.6 out of 9-36 points. The overall level of agreement between the cut-off score and the classification of students who like/don’t like learning mathematics using the criterion based on the expression given in the original scale description was found to be 83%. The results concluded that the validity of the standard-setting studies conducted with the artificial neural network method was high. As a result, researchers are recommended to use the Artificial Neural Networks method to determine the cut-off score to be used in the interpretation of the total scores obtained from the achievement test or the total scale scores obtained from the scales.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PROBLEM STRUCTURE IN 6TH GRADE MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOKS IN TURKEY AND İRAN

In this study, the relationship between real life and the problems in 6th-grade mathematics textbooks in Turkey and Iran has been examined comparatively. The research analyzed the problems in the textbooks according to the PISA context category. In this study, which was determined as document analysis, one of the qualitative research approaches, the collected data were analyzed by content analysis. As a result of the findings, it was determined that the questions related to daily life in the 6th-grade mathematics textbooks represented in both countries were quantitatively less than the total number of questions. According to the PISA context category of the problems in the Turkish and Iran textbooks, it is seen that the most personal problem and the least scientific and professional problem types are included. It is thought that the problems in the textbooks should be higher to embody mathematics, to enable students to better interpret where and how they should use mathematics in real life and be more successful in international exams. It is suggested that the problems in the textbooks should be associated with real-life situations and more space should be given to scientific and professional categories.

What drives academic peer effects in middle school classrooms in China: Peer composition or peer performance?

This quasi-experimental study estimates academic peer effects in China's middle school (7th–9th grade) classrooms, using data from a large-scale nationally representative survey of middle schoolers in China. Our study design circumvents endogenous sorting by focusing on 52 schools that randomly assigned incoming 7th graders to different 7th-grade classes. Further, reverse causality is addressed by regressing students' 8th-grade test scores on their (randomly assigned) classmates' average 7th-grade test scores. Our analysis reals that all else equal, a one-standard-deviation increase in (8th-grade) classmates' average 7th-grade test scores raises an individual student's 8th-grade mathematics and English test scores, respectively, by 0.13–0.18 and 0.11–0.17 standard deviations. These estimates remain stable when peer characteristics examined in related peer-effect studies are included in the model. Further analysis reveals that peer effects work through raising individual students' time spent studying per week and their confidence in learning. Finally, classroom peer effects are found to be heterogeneous across subgroups: larger for boys, academically stronger students, students attending better schools (i.e., schools with smaller classes and urban schools), and students with relatively disadvantaged family backgrounds (e.g., lower levels of parental education and family wealth).

The analysis of TIMSS 2015 data with confirmatory mixture item response theory: A multidimensional approach

In this study, we illustrated an application of the confirmatory mixture IRT model for multidimensional tests. We aimed to examine the differences in student performance by domains with a confirmatory mixture IRT modeling approach. A three-dimensional and three-class model was analyzed by assuming content domains as dimensions and cognitive domains as item groups. We estimated the item performance differences among the students through structural parameters. There were 463 students from Turkey and 880 students from Canada who participated in the TIMSS 2015 4th-grade mathematics assessment. Results for Turkey indicated, students in Class 2 had better performance in knowing and reasoning compared to those in Classes 1 and 3. Students in Class 2 and Class 3 were similar in applying math concepts compared to students in Class 1. For the Canadian sample, students in Class 2 had better performance in knowing, applying, and reasoning compared to those in Class 1 and 3. Also, Class 3 students were better at applying domain than Class 1. Also, mean values were obtained for all content domains in the two countries. Confirmatory mixture IRT modeling approaches appear to differentiate students’ mathematics competencies.

DO PRIMARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOKS CONNECT TO REAL LIFE? : THE CASE OF GERMANY AND TURKEY

The main purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship between real-life activities in German and Turkey primary school 4th-grade mathematics textbooks, according to the classification proposed by Gainsburg (2008). For this purpose, document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The data source of the research is "Fredo 4 Mathematics" in Germany and "Primary School 4th Grade Mathematics Textbook" in Turkey. In the research, descriptive analysis was used in the analysis of the data, and the results were reflected in frequency and percentage tables. The results of the research show that the activities in the mathematics textbooks of both countries are mostly "classical word problems" and the problems include real contexts. It has been revealed that the mathematics textbooks of both countries are strong in terms of activities such as "applied mathematical representations", and the number of activities in the type of real data analysis should be increased.

3~4학년군 수학 교과서의 문제 만들기 과제 유형에 따른 학생들의 반응 분석

In order to enhance students' mathematical problem solving competency, the 2015 revised mathematics curriculum emphasized problem posing as a sub-factor of problem solving competency. In this study, we analyzed task types of problem posing in the 3rd and 4th grade mathematics authorized textbooks and students' responses to the representative types of problem posing task. As the results of analysis, even though they are the same lesson units, the number and types of problem posing tasks in the units varied by publishers, and there are differences in students' responses to each type. From the results of this study, some implications for constructing problem posing tasks in elementary mathematics textbook and teaching problem posing were suggested.

Does subsidized public health insurance for parents improve children's human capital and close achievement gaps?

Between 2009 and 2018, many states dramatically changed income eligibility limits for parental Medicaid. We examine whether increasing parental Medicaid eligibility had spillover benefits on children's development. We study the effects of state-level changes in parental income limits for Medicaid on 3rd through 8th grade mathematics and English-language arts (ELA) achievement using county-level administrative test score data. We find that a 50-percentage point increase in parental Medicaid income limits, roughly equal to the average state increase in eligibility over this period, is associated with a 1.5% reduction in the socioeconomic achievement gap for math and a 3% reduction in the white-black math achievement gap. Math test scores improved significantly following parental Medicaid eligibility expansions among black students residing in poorer counties, with little estimated change in test scores for black students in higher income counties. We find no effect in ELA achievement gaps or white-Hispanic test score gaps. Our findings suggest that means-tested policies that improve parental and family wellbeing have important spillover benefits to children's educational achievement and can help reduce inequities in children's human capital development.

A Mixture Rasch Model Analysis of Mathematics Achievement

Purpose: This study aims to determine distinct latent classes in 8th-grade students' mathematics achievement 
 Design: The research study group consisted of 435 students who received the first booklet at the TIMSS 2015 8th grade mathematics achievement test. A mixture of Rasch model analysis was used to find the best-fitting model.
 Findings: When model fit indices were evaluated, the model fitting the data was found to be MRM with the two latent classes. According to this model, students in latent class 2 are more successful in mathematics than students in latent class 1. The vast majority of the items are found easier in latent class 2. 
 Highlights: In addition, the cognitive domain of the more accessible items for students in both classes is “knowing, while items that are difficult for both groups are in the “applying” cognitive domain.

Teaching Mathematics through Micro-Learning in the Context of Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge

In light of technological development worldwide, the focus has been on how different types of digital technology can be used to provide activities that will enhance students' mathematical learning. Micro-learning is an innovative approach that will accelerate digitalization in mathematics teaching, attract students to mathematics, and combine technology and mathematics education. The study aims to reveal the effect of micro-learning teaching of the middle school 6th-grade mathematics lesson "Ratio" on students' conceptual and procedural knowledge. In the study carried out within the scope of qualitative research, the case study research design was preferred. In the study group, ten students studying in the 6th grade of middle school were studied. In the research, the conceptual and procedural knowledge definitions of the "Ratio" subject created by the researchers were created by reviewing the literature, and the status of the interview was examined based on the data obtained at the end of the study. During the data collection phase of the research, the Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge Test (CPKT) developed by the researchers and interviews with two students were used. The collected data was analyzed by content analysis. After the micro-learning teaching in the e-learning environment, it was seen that there was a 76% success rate in the procedural knowledge of the students, in which they generally acquired the conceptual knowledge of the "Ratio" subject. Thus, it has been demonstrated that micro-learning can be used in mathematics lessons.

Реалізація технології проєктного навчання в курсі математики 6 класу НУШ

The effectiveness of project-based learning technology has been proven by advanced pedagogical experience, while some aspects of the process of implementing this technology, which is provided for by the Concept of the New Ukrainian School, require clarification and improvement. In the submitted article, the authors present the methodical development of a system of educational projects for the implementation and deployment of the 6th grade mathematics course: «Time Absorbers», «Volunteer Activity», «Journey along the Rivers of Ukraine», «Ukrainian Borscht», «Golden Intersection», «Journey across the Air Ocean», «Green clothes of the plane», «World of professions and mathematics». The system of educational projects is presented in the textbook «Mathematics. 6th grade» (in two parts) by S. Skvortsova and K. Niedyalkova, according to which each section or topic ends with an educational project that has its own topic, purpose and structure. The purpose of each educational project is determined, first of all, by the requirement of the formation of subject mathematical competence, the need to generalize and systematize the educational material. Each educational project developed by the authors has as structural components a motivational component, the creation and setting of a problem situation, advice on the implementation of the project, and reflection. The authors of the article present some results of the testing of the presented methodology; an analysis of the survey of sixth-graders of the Odesa Lyceum «Mriya» who participated in the experiment was conducted. The authors demonstrated that project-based learning allows for the integration of the content of various educational fields based on key competencies, in particular, competence in the field of natural sciences, engineering and technology, information and communication, environmental, cultural competencies, innovativeness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy, among others. Under the condition of successful implementation of project-based learning, students’ motivation to study the subject improves and the level of educational achievements increases. Keywords: mathematics, basic school, New Ukrainian school, project learning, integrated learning, activity approach, formation of key competencies.