Higher Mathematics Achievement Research Articles

Assessing the Potentials of Compurized Adaptive Testing to Enhance Mathematics and Science Student’t Achievement in Secondary Schools

This study focuses on Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT), designed to provide Mathematics and Basic Science teachers in secondary schools with an innovative method of assessment, that can enhance student’s achievement. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Three research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Using purposive sampling technique, a sample size of four hundred (400) Junior secondary three (JSS3) students and four private schools with computer laboratories in Akwa Ibom State were selected for the study. Each group had 100 members with mixed Mathematical and Basic Science competencies of high, medium, and low. The instrument for data collection was a Mathematics and Basic Science Computerized Adaptive Test (MABSCAT) developed by the researchers, tested, and modified after trial testing.Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA was used to analysed the data. Results indicated that: test lengths, testing times, and Mathematical and Basic Science competencies were significantly different at p=0.05 among four groups of stopping criteria (SEE ≤ 0.20, SEE ≤ 0.30, SEE ≤ 0.40 , and SEEm- SEEm-1 ≤ 0.005); test lengths and testing times were significantly different at p=0.05 among the three groups of Mathematical and Basic Science competencies (low, moderately high, and high); and there were 72.25 %, 16.75%, and 8% of the students having a moderately high, low, and high Mathematics and Basic Science achievement respectively. It was recommended among others that, Government should establish item banks, CAT should be introduced in assessment of learning for the actual abilities of the students to be tested with sufficient accuracy.

Prospective secondary teachers’ noticing of students’ thinking about the limit concept: pathways of development

AbstractResearch has shown that there is a need to examine prospective teachers’ development trajectories related to noticing expertise. An important content in the Spanish high school curriculum (16–18 years old) is the limit concept. Given the importance of this concept in the curriculum and the difficulties some prospective teachers have, developing their noticing of students’ mathematical thinking of this concept in teacher education programs is crucial to achieve high school student mathematics achievement. This study examines how prospective secondary school mathematics teachers (PTs) notice students’ mathematical thinking about the limit concept as they participated in a teaching module. PTs had to anticipate and interpret students’ mathematical understanding and make instructional decisions to support students’ conceptual progression using information about high school students’ understanding of the limit concept. We examined PTs changes related to how they anticipated, interpreted and made instructional decisions during the teaching module. We identified a change in how PTs conceived the understanding of the dynamic limit concept: from all-or-nothing dichotomy to progression; and a change in the instructional decisions they made: from decisions focused on changing the type of discontinuity to conceptual decisions. These changes allow us to characterise development noticing pathways. Our findings also help to identify the teaching module characteristics that support the development of PTs noticing.

The Effect of Students Self-Confidence on Mathematics Achievement in High School in Korea

This study looked into how students' self-confidence affected their performance in mathematics in South Korean high schools. This study employed an ex-post facto quantitative methodology with a correlational design on a sample size of 288 respondents selected using Yamane formulae. Students and math teachers from Daeyeon High School made up the sample size. To gather quantitative data, a mathematics achievement test and a confidence questionnaire in mathematics were employed. The null hypothesis, according to the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient computation formula, is that there is no statistically significant correlation between students' self-confidence and mathematical achievement. The study discovered a statistically significant positive correlation (r=723, p=0.000) between math achievement and student confidence. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the independent variables in the model account for 70.8% of the variance in the dependent variable, indicating their critical role in high school mathematics achievement for students. Furthermore, it was concluded that there is a significant positive attitude towards students' mathematics achievement when it comes to their self-confidence. The study concluded that since student confidence is directly correlated with mathematical achievement, math teachers should help students solve mathematical problems in order to help them build self-confidence for better achievement

Motivational Profiles of High Achievers in Mathematics: Relations with Metacognitive Processes and Achievement Emotions

The current study aimed to explore alternative motivational profiles of high achievers in Mathematics, within the framework of the Situated Expectancy-Value Theory. Furthermore, it aimed to examine the profiles’ potential differences in relation to self-reported metacognitive processes, such as metacognitive awareness and experiences, and achievement emotions related to Mathematics. A comprehensive evaluation in Mathematics was conducted on a total of 492 ninth-graders, including students from regular junior high schools, experimental junior high schools, and an academically advanced summer program. The assessment involved a battery of school-type mathematical tasks, resulting in the identification of 141 high achievers. Cluster analysis, based on students’ expectancies for success, subjective value, and perceived cost in relation to Mathematics, revealed five motivational profiles labeled as follows: Cluster 1. Higher Motivation, Cluster 2: Higher Expectancies, Value, and Cost, Cluster 3: Lower Expectancies, Cluster 4: Lower Value, and Cluster 5: Lower Motivation. Differences were found among the five profiles in terms of students’ reported metacognitive awareness and their emotions of enjoyment, pride, anxiety, shame, and boredom toward Mathematics. Students with the Higher Motivation profile appeared to be the most adaptive across all of the examined variables, while students with the Lower Motivation profile reported less favorable levels of motivational and affective variables than most others. However, high achievers did not differ significantly regarding their metacognitive accuracy. Examination of the gender distribution within the clusters did not reveal any differences in gender representation.

Effect of flipped classroom learning approach on mathematics achievement and interest among secondary school students

This study aimed at determining the effect of flipped classroom approach on mathematics achievement and interest of students. Given this, a quasi-experimental design was used, specifically non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The study’s population comprised six hundred and seventy-three seniors in class one (SS 1) from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area in Enugu State. The study’s participants were a sample of 86 learners selected from two schools purposively. Each school had two SS 1 classes, divided into experimental and control groups via balloting. Data were gathered through the instrumentality of the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) and Mathematics Interest Inventory (MII), which have reliability scores of 0.88 and 0.79, respectively. Prior to and following a six-week course of treatment, each group completed a pretest and posttest. SPSS, a statistical tool for social sciences, was applied to analyse the acquired data. The mean and standard deviation were utilised to report the study’s questions, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was utilised to evaluate the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. Results established that learners taught mathematics utilising flipped classroom approach had higher mathematics achievement and interest scores than their peers taught using the conventional approach. Results also revealed that the achievement and interest scores of male and female learners who received mathematics instruction using flipped classroom approach were the same. Considering the findings, recommendations were given, among others, that mathematics teachers should use the flipped classroom approach to assist learners in boosting their achievement and interest in mathematics, especially in geometry.

The role of basic number processing in high mathematics achievement in primary school

While symbolic number processing is an important correlate for typical and low mathematics achievement, it remains to be determined whether children with high mathematics achievement also have excellent symbolic number processing abilities. We investigated this question in 64 children (aged 8 to 10), i.e., 32 children with persistent high achievement in mathematics (above the 90th percentile) and 32 average-achieving peers (between the 25th and 75th percentile). Children completed measures of symbolic number processing (comparison and order). We additionally investigated the roles of spatial visualization and working memory. High mathematics achievers were faster and more accurate in order processing compared to average achievers, but no differences were found in magnitude comparison. High mathematics achievers demonstrated better spatial visualization ability, while group differences in working memory were less clear. Spatial visualization ability was the only significant predictor of group membership. Our results therefore highlight the role of high spatial visualization ability in high mathematics achievement.

The Relationship of Affective Factors in Mathematics Learning Amid Pandemic Covid-19

Although mathematics is commonly viewed as cognitive discipline, the affective factors in mathematics learning should not be neglected especially when it comes to learning amid pandemic Covid-19. Undoubtedly this pandemic emergency has caused many uncertainties in students and has affected their mathematics achievement. Thus, this quantitative correlational study aims to investigate the relationship between the affective factors such as mathematics anxiety, attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics self-efficacy towards mathematics achievement among secondary school students amid pandemic Covid-19. To examine the relationship between the variables, survey questionnaires were constructed to collect data through snowball sampling. The questionnaires were distributed to closest acquaintances and shared via link at messaging applications to students from few different schools who currently attending their secondary level within Puchong area. A total of 81 respondents from the questionnaires. The items used to measure the variables chosen are within a high internal consistency range (???? ? 0.9), such as mathematics anxiety (0.921), attitude towards mathematics (0.915) and mathematics self-efficacy (0.932). Mathematics achievements were measured through self-reported grade by the students. The data obtained is then analysed through Pearson correlation analysis through the Statistical Package of Social Science, SPSS. Result revealed that there were moderate positive relationships between all three affective factors chosen with mathematics achievement (???? = 0.4 < ???? ? 0.59, ???? < 0.01) such as mathematics anxiety (0.524), attitudes towards mathematics (0.426), mathematics self-efficacy (0.502). These results suggest that high in the affective factors result in high mathematics achievement and vice versa.

Keep DRAGging ON: Is solving more problems in DragonBox 12+ associated with higher mathematical performance during the COVID‐19 pandemic?

AbstractPrior research has shown that game‐based learning tools, such as DragonBox 12+, support algebraic understanding and that students' in‐game progress positively predicts their later performance. Using data from 253 seventh‐graders (12–13 years old) who played DragonBox as a part of technology intervention, we examined (a) the relations between students' progress within DragonBox and their algebraic knowledge and general mathematics achievement, (b) the moderating effects of students' prior performance on these relations and (c) the potential factors associated with students' in‐game progress. Among students with higher prior algebraic knowledge, higher in‐game progress was related to higher algebraic knowledge after the intervention. Higher in‐game progress was also associated with higher end‐of‐year mathematics achievement, and this association was stronger among students with lower prior mathematics achievement. Students' demographic characteristics, prior knowledge and prior achievement did not significantly predict in‐game progress beyond the number of intervention sessions students completed. These findings advance research on how, for whom and in what contexts game‐based interventions, such as DragonBox, support mathematical learning and have implications for practice using game‐based technologies to supplement instruction. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic DragonBox 12+ may support students' understanding of algebra but the findings are mixed. Students who solve more problems within math games tend to show higher performance after gameplay. Students' engagement with mathematics is often related to their prior math performance. What this paper adds For students with higher prior algebraic knowledge, solving more problems in DragonBox 12+ is related to higher algebraic performance after gameplay. Students who make more in‐game progress also have higher mathematics achievement, especially for students with lower prior achievement. Students who spend more time playing DragonBox 12+ make more in‐game progress; their demographic, prior knowledge and prior achievement are not related to in‐game progress. Implications for practice and/or policy DragonBox 12+ can be beneficial as a supplement to algebra instruction for students with some understanding of algebra. DragonBox 12+ can engage students with mathematics across achievement levels. Dedicating time and encouraging students to play DragonBox 12+ may help them make more in‐game progress, and in turn, support math learning.

Well-being and mathematics achievement: What is the role of gender, instructional clarity, and parental involvement?

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between satisfaction with life and mathematics achievement among a nationally representative sample of Grade 9 learners in South Africa. Using the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2019) based on a sample of 20,829 learners (females = 11,067 and males = 9,719), and employing structural equation modelling (SEM), we examined the nature of the relationship between satisfaction with life and mathematics achievement, considering the role of gender, parental involvement, and instructional clarity. Our findings showed that satisfaction with life is positively related to mathematics achievement, but is not moderated by gender. Additionally, instructional clarity contributes to, and is a partial mediator of, the relationship between life satisfaction and mathematics achievement. This suggests that greater instructional clarity is positively associated with high achievement in mathematics, over and above the relationship with satisfaction with life. By contrast, parental involvement negatively mediates this relationship, suggesting that mathematics achievement is negatively associated with certain forms of parental involvement, such as setting time aside for homework; and checking if homework is done. Given the tested linear relationship between life satisfaction, instructional clarity and mathematics achievement, the results of the study suggest that if wellbeing is improved and existing instructional practices are constantly reviewed, mathematics scores could be positively affected. In addition, the emerging finding on the negative role of parental involvement in the hypothesised mediated relationship suggests that learners could benefit from properly tailored, and government-sponsored, afterschool tutoring.

Determining the Relationship Between 11th Students' Attitude Towards Mathematics and Their Achievement in Mathematics

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between high school students' attitudes and their mathematics learning achievement. This study uses a survey method. The population in this study includes is grade 11th student at public senior high schools in Pandeglang Regency and Serang City, Indonesia. Sample of this study is 12 schools that determined by stratified proportional random sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire and students' mathematics reports. Analysis of the data used is Spearman rank correlation analysis and chi-square test. The results showed that there was a weak but significant positive relationship between students' attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics learning achievement. This can indicate that there are some students who have high learning achievement in mathematics tend to have attitudes towards mathematics in the medium or low category

The Influence of Learners’ Mindsets on Their Mathematics Learning

This paper explores and describes learners’ mindsets and their influence on mathematics learning. I draw on Dweck’s mindsets theories and Illeris’ social learning theory to understand learners’ mindsets and their relations to the learning of mathematics. A qualitative research method was employed, and data was collected from one High School in Gauteng Province, South Africa. An in-depth interview of ten learners was conducted. The interview covers a range of questions relating to mindsets and mathematical learning. A discursive analysis was used to analyze learners’ interviews. The findings of the study reveal that high achievers in mathematics learning demonstrate growth mindsets within the three dimensions of learning, and low achievers demonstrate fixed mindsets within the cognitive and emotional dimensions, and growth mindset within the social dimension. It is therefore concluded that mindsets are socially constructed and have an influence on the learners’ achievements in mathematics. Based on this finding, for effective learning of subjects like mathematics, there is a strong need for interventions to support learners’ development of growth mindsets, particularly within the cognitive and emotional dimensions of learning.

Inquiry-Based Approach and Achievement in Mathematics Pro-cess Skills among Pre-School Children in Kajiado North Sub-County, Kajiado County, Kenya

This study was designed to determine the effect of an inquiry-based approach on pre-school learners’ acquisition of mathematics process skills. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design to determine the differences in performance between control and experimental groups. A post-test was administered to both experimental and control groups, and the scores were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test. Findings showed that activities involving inquiry-based approach were a precursor to higher achievement in mathematics. The study recommended of inquiry-based approach for application in teaching pre-school mathematics and other related activity areas based on its advantages in pre-school learners’ achievement in mathematics.

Early childhood predictors of black children's achievement: Home, early care and education, and neighborhood contexts

The present study used an integrative theoretical model and a strengths-based conceptual framing to guide longitudinal analyses of how three early childhood contexts—home, early care and education (ECE), and neighborhood—were related to Black children's (n = 138) achievement from early childhood (54 months) through adolescence (15 years). We find that high-quality early childhood home environments were robustly predictive of high verbal and mathematics achievement through adolescence. For ECE, however, we found no significant associations, with few Black children experiencing sustained time in high-quality care. For neighborhoods, we found that Black children's achievement was highest in the least affluent neighborhoods and in racially-integrated neighborhoods with a moderate concentration of Black families. Implications for further study of Black children's developmental strengths are discussed.

Examining high achievement in mathematics and science among post-primary students in Ireland: a multilevel binary logistic regression analysis of PISA data

In Ireland, while, on average, students have performed well on national and international assessments of mathematics and science, the low proportions of high achievers in these subjects are noteworthy. Given these patterns and the multifaceted benefits in individual and societal terms that expertise in mathematics and science has been associated with, policymakers in Ireland have begun to place an increasing emphasis on high achievement in these subjects. This emphasis has coincided with ongoing efforts during the last decade to raise interest and improve academic performance within the realm of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.Despite this policy attention, research on high achievement in mathematics and science nationally, but also internationally, has been particularly scarce. In an attempt to provide research evidence that could add further impetus to the ongoing efforts, this study examines high achievement in mathematics and science among post-primary students in Ireland using data from the 2012 and 2015 cycles of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Specifically, the study aimed to evaluate the contribution of various contextual characteristics stemming from students, their families, teachers, and schools in the prediction of high achievement in mathematics and science within a two-stage analysis that included a series of bivariate tests and multilevel binary logistic regression modelling.The results showed that variables related to students’ self-beliefs, engagement, and socioeconomic background were consistently associated with high achievement in mathematics and science. Overall, the significant role of students’ homes and families in predicting students’ chances of being high achievers in the two subjects was highlighted. In turn, this indicated that further efforts to enhance collaboration between teachers, schools, and parents may be warranted if progress in the area of high achievement in mathematics and science is to be made. The implications of these findings for policy and practice within the Irish context, the limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The mathematical, motivational, and cognitive characteristics of high mathematics achievers in primary school.

The mathematical, motivational, and cognitive characteristics of high mathematics achievers in primary school.

Effects of Culture on the Balance Between Mathematics Achievement and Subjective Wellbeing.

Previous studies suggested that culture have impact on students' mathematics achievement and subjective wellbeing, but few investigated the effects of culture on the balance between them. Drawing on Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, this study investigated the effects of culture on balance between students' mathematics achievement and subjective wellbeing. Results showed the significant effects of cultural dimensions of long-term orientation vs. short-term orientation and indulgence vs. restraint. Students from countries of high long-term orientation and low indulgence culture were more likely to get both high mathematics achievement and high SWB. Besides, wealth-related variables (family SES and GDP per capita) and gender were also found to influence the odds ratio of balance. The findings confirmed the effects of national culture on the balance between mathematics achievement and SWB. Based on the findings, this study discussed the effects of long-term orientation and restraint culture and Confucian heritage culture's potential benefit. The results indicate that mathematics educators should consider cultural differences in educational practice and stress the importance and meaning of mathematics learning.

Predicting Mathematics Performance by ICT Variables in PISA 2018 through Decision Tree Algorithm

Considering the large volume of PISA data, it is expected that data mining will often be assisted in making PISA data more meaningful. Studies show that different dimensions of ICT may reveal different relationships for mathematics achievement. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the success of the decision tree classification algorithms in predicting the effect of ICT on students' mathematics performance. The population of the research consists of 15-year-old students studying in Turkey. The sample of the study consists of 6570 students who participated from Turkey and gave adequate answers to the ICT Familiarity Questionnaire in PISA and whose mathematics score was calculated. The J48 algorithm is more successful in classifying students with low mathematics achievement than classifying students with high mathematics achievement. The rate of correctly predicting mathematics achievement with weighted average values and variables related to ICT is 66.1%. ENTUSE [ICT use outside of school (leisure)], ICTCLASS [Subject-related ICT use during lessons] and USESCH [Use of ICT at school in general] variables are the most effective variables. It is thought that the reason for the difference in the effect of the use of information and communication technologies for entertainment purposes on mathematics achievement is since the level of recreational use can have a positive effect up to a certain level, while excessive use can be harmful.

High Achievement in Mathematics and Science among Students in Ireland: An In-Depth Analysis of International Large-Scale Assessment Data Since 2000

ABSTRACT National policy initiatives in Ireland, such as Project Maths and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Policy Statement have sought to increase the engagement and performance of students in mathematics and science. The current study investigated the performance of students in Ireland in these areas and in reading in international large-scale assessments (Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA], Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS], and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study [PIRLS]), with a view to better understand the performance of high-achieving students, relative to their counterparts in other countries in general, and in countries with similar average performance. Lower than expected proportions of high achievers were noted and a pattern of relative underachievement was observed among high achievers – those performing at the highest levels of proficiency, and those performing at key benchmarks, including the 75th and 90th percentiles – in mathematics and science to a greater extent than in reading. These issues were found to be consistent over time, and more prevalent at post-primary level, compared with primary level. The findings of this study are discussed with reference to individual and societal costs, and specific issues that need to be investigated further are identified.

Middle School Students' Mathematical Resilience and Perceptions of Mathematics: A Cluster Analysis Approach

The primary purpose of the present study was to examine whether Turkish middle school students' perceptions of mathematics teachers, perceptions of mathematics learning, and their mathematical resilience can be used to divide students into clusters with similar profiles. The sample consisted of middle school students with ages ranging from 11 to 15. Two-step cluster analysis was used to create profile groups. As a result of cluster analysis, two distinct profiles were revealed. The results showed that clusters -formed in the present study differentiated according to students’ perceptions of mathematics teachers, learning mathematics, their mathematical resilience, and their mathematics achievement. Students in cluster 1 have higher mathematics achievement, value mathematics, perceive mathematics teachers as knowledgeable and supportive people, perceive learning mathematics as a fun process requiring effort. Students in cluster 2 have lower mathematics achievement. They perceive mathematics teachers as the source of anxiety and learning mathematics as a difficult process. They also have low belief levels that mathematics ability can be improved in comparison to cluster 1.

Investigation of Working Memory Performances of Children with Low Early Mathematics Achievement

This study examined the working memory performance of children with low early mathematics achievement in comparison with their peers and analyzed the relationships between these skill areas. The distribution of children with low, average and high early mathematics achievement according to their working memory levels was also examined. The participants consisted of 100 kindergarten children with typical development and average and above-average intelligence. The Colored Progressive Matrices Test (CPM) was used to determine nonverbal intelligence levels, the Test of Early Mathematics Ability, Third Edition (TEMA-3) to evaluate early math skills and the Working Memory Scale (WMS) to determine working memory performances of the children. Children were divided into three groups of low, average and high achievement according to their early mathematics achievement assessed by the TEMA-3. It was found that the working memory performances of children with low, average and high achievement in early mathematics differed significantly. The working memory performance of children with low early mathematics achievement was significantly lower than their peers with average and high achievement. The results of the relationships between early math skills and working memory showed that early math skills and working memory components, except for visual short-term memory, were correlated to a small and medium degree. The distributions of working memory levels of the groups were examined and the results showed that children with low early mathematics achievement had low and average working memory performance, while children with high early mathematics achievement mostly had average and high working memory performance. However, none of the children with low early mathematics achievement showed high working memory performance. The results are discussed within the framework of the literature.