Math Achievement Research Articles

PENINGKATAN HASIL BELAJAR MATEMATIKA SISWA KELAS VI SD NEGERI I MINGGARHARJO DENGAN PENERAPAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN PROBING PROMPTING PADA SEMESTER GANJIL TAHUN PELAJARAN 2022/2023

This research aims to find efforts 1) Improving mathematics learning activities through cooperative model of Probing prompting type. 2) Motivation of math learning outcomes. Learners are the subject of education, who actively shape mathematics learning achievement in themselves. In order to be able to obtain good math achievement, an attitude or motivation is needed as a teaching provision to learn well. The research used the Classroom Action Research method. Conducted as many as two cycles. The subjects in this study were grade VI students of SD Negeri I Minggarharjo even semester of the 2022/2023 academic year. Learning activities were measured by student observation instruments, while math learning achievement and student responses were taken from test results and field notes at the end of each cycle. The results of the analysis showed that the activity and achievement of grade VI mathematics learning at SD Negeri I Minggarharjo increased, which was marked by an increase in the average value of activity and student test results from cycle I to cycle II. The application of probing prompting model learning provides a positive response for students research aims to improve poetry creative writing skills using audio-visual media. The subjects of this.

Catholic and Public Schools Compared: Examining Achievement Growth in an Urban Center

Catholic school achievement studies often use national data to consider how Catholic and public school students compare. Catholic school governance resides at the school level and achievement comparisons likely vary by city. Catholic school research from the 1980s and 1990s suggested a Catholic school advantage, but few studies have sought to update this literature due to a lack of comparable data. We use standardized assessment data from the early 2000s to provide a citywide, point-in-time comparison of student achievement in math and reading in Catholic and public elementary schools. Matching methods allow us to measure differences, comparing similar students in similar schools, and we find no consistent differences during this period.

Foundations for future math achievement: Early numeracy, home learning environment, and the absence of math anxiety

BackgroundMathematics achievement is pivotal in shaping children's future prospects. Cognitive skills (numeracy), feelings (anxiety), and the social environment (home learning environment) influence early math development. MethodA longitudinal study involved 85 children (mean age T1 = 6.4 years; T2 = 7.9) to explore these predictors holistically. Data were collected on early numeracy skills, home learning environment, math anxiety, and their impact on various aspects of math. ResultsThe study found that early numeracy skills, home learning environment, and math anxiety significantly influenced math school achievement. However, they affected written computation, sequences, and comparisons differently. Early numeracy skills strongly predicted overall achievement and comparison subtest performance. ConclusionThese findings underscore the substantial role of math anxiety and home learning environment in children's math achievement. The study emphasizes the need to consider the selective impacts of these factors in future research, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of mathematics achievement determinants.

Helping or Hurting: The Effects of Retention in the Third Grade on Student Outcomes

We evaluate the effects of grade retention on students’ academic, attendance, and disciplinary outcomes in Indiana. Using a regression discontinuity design, we show that third-grade retention increases achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) and math immediately and substantially, and the effects persist into middle school. We find no evidence of grade retention effects on student attendance or disciplinary incidents, again into middle school. Our findings combine to show that Indiana’s third-grade retention policy improves achievement for retained students without adverse impacts along (measured) nonacademic dimensions.

The effect of mathematics self-beliefs on mathematics achievement: the case of undergraduate university students in Ethiopia

Background: This study aimed at exploring the influence of mathematics self-beliefs on mathematics achievement. Methods: Data was obtained on a random sample of 400 undergraduate students (M=245 and F=155) from three Ethiopian public Universities by using self-reported questionnaire. The instrument, which was adapted from Butler (2016), consists of measures of self-beliefs, expectancy-value, and achievement goal-related motivation. In addition, a 25-item Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was developed and validated to measure mathematics achievement. The internal consistency reliability of the MAT was found to be high (alpha =0.84). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed to assess systematic relationship between math self-beliefs and math achievement. Results: Results reveal that mathematics self-beliefs have a significant influence on mathematics achievement, whereas expectancy-value and achievement goal have no significant influence on mathematics achievement. Conclusions: Finally, the study outlines the implications for teaching and learning, and research.

A pilot study evidencing the effectiveness of a new maths intervention

AimThis study evaluated a maths intervention programme, devised by the first author from psychological research into maths learning, difficulties, and intervention.MethodUsing a case series design, the first author collaborated with a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo) and seven teaching assistants (TAs), who delivered the intervention to nine children (between four- and ten-years-old) of most concern to their teachers. Eight hours of training was provided for the adults, on the psychology of maths learning and use of a diagnostic assessment and intervention framework. Personalised intervention programmes were planned for the children. The adults worked one-to-one with the children, for 15–20 minutes a day, up to five times a week, over ten weeks. Researcher support and observational monitoring visits were provided each week. Pre- and poststandardised assessments were used to assess the intervention’s impact on the children’s maths achievement. Impact on the adults and children, and possible causal mechanisms, were explored through individual interviews.FindingsPre-/post-assessments, interview and observational data showed that children’s maths levels and attitudes had improved significantly. Thematic analysis evidenced that adults’ knowledge, skills, and confidence had increased.LimitationsLimitations include the small-scale nature of the study, coherence across structural elements (diagnostic assessment, framework, plans), lack of specific training on instructional methods, generalisability from out-of-class learning to classroom teaching, and problems associated with the operationalisation of mathematical constructs.ConclusionsThis study provides tentative evidence for the programme’s effectiveness, feasibility, and potential to address both moderate and severe maths needs, justifying larger-scale evaluation.

B - 102 Is Working Memory a more Accurate Predictor of Math Ability than Visuospatial Skills?

This study used the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) to compare working memory (WM) and perceptual reasoning (PR) as predictors of math ability measured by the Wide Range Achievement Test-Fourth Edition (WRAT-4) after controlling for age and education. The healthy adult sample (N = 417) derived from a de-identified database in the Neuropsychology Assessment Center (NAC) at Nova Southeastern University has a mean age of 27.9 and was predominantly white (61.45), non-Hispanic (84.9%), and female (57.1%). The mean education of the sample was 15.7years. In a multiple linear regression model, age, education, WM, and PR were used to predict math ability. These four factors combined accounted for 32.6% of the variance in the math scores. WM alone accounted for 20.8% of the variance (p < 0.001) while PR alone accounted for 9% of the variance (p < 0.001). Age did not significantly correlate with math scores. Education was significantly correlated but only explained 2% of the total variance (p = 0.008). WM and PR were positively correlated with math abilities. WM accounted for 63.6% of the variance in math scores explained by the model while PR accounted for 28.0%. This suggests that WM is better than PR as a predictor of math achievement. The results support the important roles of WM and PR in carrying out basic mathematical computations and how WM is a better predictor of math performance than PR. Keywords: math ability, visuospatial skills, working memory, adults.

Competing numerical magnitude codes in decimal comparison: Whole number and rational number distance both impact performance

A critical difference between decimal and whole numbers is that among whole numbers the number of digits provides reliable information about the size of the number, e.g., double-digit numbers are larger than single-digit numbers. However, for decimals, fewer digits can sometimes denote a larger number (i.e., 0.8 > 0.27). Accordingly, children and adults perform worse when comparing such Inconsistent decimal pairs relative to Consistent pairs, where the larger number also has more digits (i.e., 0.87 > 0.2). Two explanations have been posited for this effect. The string length congruity account proposes that participants compare each position in the place value system, and they additionally compare the number of digits. The semantic interference account suggests that participants additionally activate the whole number referents of numbers – the numbers unadorned with decimal points (e.g., 8 < 27) – and compare these. The semantic interference account uniquely predicts that for Inconsistent problems with the same actual rational distance, those with larger whole number distances should be harder, e.g., 0.9 vs. 0.81 should be harder than 0.3 vs. 0.21 because 9 < < 81 whereas 3 < 21. Here we test this prediction in two experiments with college students (Study 1: n = 58 participants, Study 2: n = 78). Across both, we find a main effect of consistency, demonstrating string length effects, and also that whole number distance interferes with processing conflicting decimals, demonstrating semantic interference effects. Evidence for both effects supports the semantic interference account, highlighting that decimal comparison difficulties arise from multiple competing numerical codes. Finally, for accuracy we found no relationship between whole number distance sensitivity and math achievement, indicating that whole number magnitude interference affects participants similarly across the spectrum of math achievement.

Building fraction magnitude knowledge with number lines: Partitioning versus analogy.

Understanding fraction magnitudes is foundational for later math achievement. To represent a fraction x/y, children are often taught to use partitioning: Break the whole into y parts and shade in x parts. Past research has shown that partitioning on number lines supports children's fraction magnitude knowledge more than partitioning on area models. However, partitioning may not take full advantage of children's prior knowledge or the structure of the number line. We tested an alternative fraction number line lesson that leveraged children's preexisting whole number knowledge using a domain-general learning tool: analogy. In a preregistered online experiment, second and third graders (N = 84, M = 8.83 years) were randomly assigned to an analogy lesson (e.g., if I know how big 3 is on a 0-4 line, I know how big ¾ is on a 0-1 line), a partitioning lesson on number lines, or a control lesson using square area models. Results showed that the analogy lesson was more effective for promoting fraction magnitude understanding than the control lesson, and it was at least as effective as the partitioning lesson. The analogy group, but not the partitioning group, significantly outperformed the control group with large-denominator fractions at retention (i.e., 1-week delayed posttest) and on transfer tests (i.e., fraction comparison). We also replicated past findings that fraction partitioning lessons are more effective on number lines than on area models, and this advantage was partially sustained after a 1-week delay. Overall, these findings highlight the power of domain-general analogy to support mathematical development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding the Influence of Teacher-Student Relationship on Mathematics Achievement: Evidence From Korean Students

Learning does not occur through one-way lecturing. Rather, it occurs through reciprocal interactions. This means that a student’s response to a teacher’s guidance is critical in their learning. Moreover, it has been known that student learning can be influenced by school mean SES (socioeconomic status) insofar as it impacts the shared learning environment. In the present study, we examine (1) the relationship between math teacher support and student motivation on student mathematics achievement; and (2) whether student motivation interacts with teacher support in learning mathematics and how those interactions affect student mathematics achievement across various school mean SES (low, medium, high). The Programme for International Student Assessment 2012 survey data for 5,033 South Korean students was used in this research. In this study, the results show that (1) the effects of math teacher support and student motivation differ by school mean SES; and (2) there is no interaction between student motivation and math teacher support. Therefore, the findings of this study indicate that school SES impacts the shared learning environment and has a strong influence on student response to math teacher support and the relationship between student motivation and math achievement. Based on these results, implications for teacher education to improve teacher support are suggested.

Tracking informal fraction knowledge and its correlates across first grade.

Young children have informal knowledge of fractions before learning about fraction symbols in school. In the current study, we followed 103 children in the Mid-Atlantic United States from the fall to the spring of first grade to characterize the development of individual differences in early informal fraction knowledge, as well as its relation to other mathematical and cognitive skills. Most children in our sample showed some early fraction knowledge at the beginning of first grade, especially with nonsymbolic fractions and halving, and this knowledge improved over the school year without explicit instruction in fractions. However, there were large individual differences in early fraction knowledge at the start of first grade, which explained significant variance in math achievement at the end of first grade, even when controlling for whole number knowledge and a variety of cognitive skills. Start-of-year whole number knowledge, but not spatial scaling or proportional reasoning, also predicted early end-of-year fraction knowledge. These data can inform activities for learning in the early years to foster both early fraction and integer knowledge in parallel, which may better prepare students for later formal instruction in fractions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

왜 다시 EBS인가?

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, concerns about learning loss and the soaring expenses of private education have become prominent social issues. In light of these concerns, the government is actively exploring strategies to enhance the integration of EBS lectures into the College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT). While previous studies have primarily focused on the initial impact of the 2010 college entrance exam policy, there remains a lack of research on the dynamic effects of the policy over time. Firstly, in order to estimate the effect of EBS lectures on the reduction in private education expenses, we employ the Correlated Random Effects approach - Panel Tobit Model along with other panel data models, using data from high school students in the Seoul Education Longitudinal Study (SELS). Additionally, we evaluate the outcome of EBS lectures compared to other educational goods such as school achievement.&#x0D; The results indicate that, except for the early stages of policy implementation, EBS lectures have significantly reduced private education expenses and positively influenced academic achievement in math and English courses. However, a continuous decline in EBS lecture participation rates and the preference of top-performing students for private education seem to diminish the overall impact of the policy. Accordingly, policy responses addressing these issues should be considered to maximize the effectiveness of the EBS lecture policy.

Tutum ve Öz-Yeterliğin Matematik Başarısı Üzerindeki Etkilerinde Matematik Kaygısının Aracı Rolüne İlişkin Keşfedici Bir Çalışma

Although the impacts of math anxiety, attitude toward math, and math self-efficacy on math achievement have been well-defined in the relevant literature, the interrelations among these predictors to explain math achievement are understudied. This study examined the structural relationships among math achievement, math anxiety, math self-efficacy, and attitude toward math. Within this scope, a full mediation model involving math anxiety as the mediator in the relationship of math achievement with attitude toward math and math self-efficacy was proposed. Data collected from 470 middle school students were used for the analyses. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods were used to investigate the proposed relationships. Moreover, various alternative models were tested to see whether the proposed model was empirically the best model to explain math achievement. The findings showed that the proposed model fit the data well and was superior to alternative models. Accordingly, attitude toward math and math self-efficacy had significant and positive indirect effects on math achievement as mediated by math anxiety. In conclusion, the study provided a meaningful model based on a strong theoretical and empirical background to explain math achievement.

From research to prototypes: Developing a digital game to foster fraction equivalence.

Fraction understanding is a significant predictor of future math achievement. In addition to more traditional instruction, digital game-based approaches have been found successful in facilitating conceptual understanding of fractions (including aspects such as part-whole relations represented as pie-charts, or measurement, i.e., magnitude in terms of number lines). Nevertheless, the number of existing games that address the aspect of fraction equivalence is limited and if so, these typically replicate common paper-and-pencil tasks like identifying and matching equivalent fractions. This, however, hardly takes advantage of the medium’s potential and affordances nor strives for intrinsic integration of the learning content with game mechanics. Seeking to overcome this shortcoming, the present article describes the development of a digital game fostering fraction equivalence. To do so, among others, we developed visual animations illustrating the transitions from circular part-whole representations (pie-charts) to magnitudes on a number line—drawing on previous research and games. In particular, a wheel is presented, whose circumference matches the length of the number line which it rolls along. Players can manipulate the number of spikes on the wheel reflecting the number of parts of the whole (e.g., 2 spikes halve the circle, while 4 cut it into quarters etc.). By rolling the wheel, the spikes puncture the number line thus segmenting it into equal parts, essentially transforming the aspects from part-whole relations to measurement (magnitude) on the number line. Additionally, as punctures of 2 and 4 spikes will coincide at the 1/2 - 2/4 location of a 0-1 number line, players can find equivalent fractions. The game under development will be evaluated with late primary/early secondary school students to test its game design, affordances, and possible impact on fraction understanding.

Integrated knowledge of rational number notations predicts children’s math achievement and understanding of numerical magnitudes

We propose that integrated number sense, the ability to fluidly translate and compare magnitudes within and across notations, is central to understanding of rational numbers. Consistent with this hypothesis, two studies of 6th through 8th grade students (N = 264 and N = 46) indicated that accuracy comparing magnitudes within and across notations predicted overall math achievement and fraction number line and arithmetic estimation accuracy. Cross-notation magnitude comparison accuracy (i.e., fraction vs. decimal, percentage vs. fraction, and percentage vs. decimal) accounted for variance in math outcomes beyond that explained by magnitude representations within individual notations. The findings also revealed a percentages-are-larger bias, in which percentages are perceived as larger than equivalent fractions and decimals in cross-notation comparisons. There were no differences by grade level, suggesting that such number sense does not necessarily develop with age. Explicitly promoting integrated number sense may help improve mathematics instruction.

The cost of being first: Belonging uncertainty predicts math motivation and achievement for first-generation, but not continuing-generation, students

Compared to continuing-generation students, first-generation college students face additional barriers to their sense of belonging in STEM disciplines and at selective institutions. We examined first-generation (N = 1293) and continuing-generation (N = 2150) students' perceptions of belonging uncertainty, math motivation, and math achievement at eight research and comprehensive universities. Results of the multigroup structural equation analyses suggested that first-generation students who had higher belonging uncertainty reported lower success expectancies and higher perceived costs for math. Less adaptive math motivational beliefs, in turn, predicted lower math achievement for first-generation students. For continuing-generation students, belonging uncertainty was unrelated to math expectancies, value, costs, and achievement. The multigroup analyses revealed significant differences in how expectancies and costs mediated the relationship between belonging uncertainty and math achievement for first-generation versus continuing-generation students. Results have implications for narrowing social class equity gaps in selective institutions and diversifying STEM. Educational relevance statementFirst-year college students commonly experience uncertainties about the quality of their relationships and social ties (i.e., belonging uncertainty), particularly in competitive academic environments. We examined belonging uncertainty, motivational beliefs, and achievement among first-time, first-year students enrolled in a math course in eight competitive higher education institutions. Findings revealed that for first-generation students, compared to continuing-generation students, belonging uncertainty more negatively and strongly predicted math motivation, and in turn, math achievement. These findings highlight the importance of designing belonging interventions that particularly support first-generation students' college experience as uncertainties about belonging had more negative consequences for this population. Our research has implications for narrowing equity gaps between first-generation and continuing-generation students in selective universities.

Income inequality is associated with heightened test anxiety and lower academic achievement: A cross-national study in 51 countries

BackgroundResearch on predictors of test anxiety has focused primarily on the role of psychological factors and the proximal environment. However, the role of the broader socio-ecological context, specifically, national income inequality, is seldom explored. AimsThe present study aimed to test whether national income inequality is associated with greater test anxiety and whether test anxiety is associated with lower academic achievement. DataWe analyzed data from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), drawing on responses from 389,215 students nested in 51 countries. MethodsMulti-level structural equation modeling was used. ResultsResults indicated that students in more unequal countries experienced greater test anxiety and had lower levels of achievement. Test anxiety, in turn, was associated with lower academic achievement in reading, math, and science. However, test anxiety did not mediate the effects of income inequality on achievement nor did income inequality moderate the relationship between test anxiety and achievement. ConclusionTaken together, the results of this study demonstrate the importance of taking socio-ecological factors such as income inequality into account when examining anxiety and achievement in academic settings.

A Comparison of Covariates, Equating Designs, and Methods in Equating TIMSS 2019 Science Tests

This research aimed to compare the equated scores by the methods based on classical test theory (CTT) and kernel equating, using covariates design (NEC) and anchor test design (NEAT). TIMSS 2019 science test scores equated by both Tucker, Levine true score, Levine observed score, equipercentile equating (pre-smoothing and post-smoothing) methods in CTT, and linear and equipercentile methods in kernel equating. Additionally, the covariates in NEC design were “home resources for learning,” “student confidence in science and mathematics,” “like learning science,” “instructional clarity in science lessons,” “math achievement,” “sex,” and “speaking the language of the test at home”. The equating results in NEC were compared with those in NEAT and EG. The participants comprised 1699 4th-grade students who attended the e-TIMSS 2019 in Canada, Singapore, and Chile. Results were analyzed according to equating errors and differences between equated scores. The research concluded that math achievement and home resources for learning could be used as covariates in NEC to equate the science test in case equating could not be done in the NEAT. However, when the other variables were used as covariates in NEC, the equated scores were very similar to the EG. Also, Tucker (CTT) and post-stratification (kernel) yielded similar equated scores in linear equating, and these methods were similarly different from kernel linear equating in EG. In equipercentile equating, the equated scores obtained from the post-smoothing (CTT) and EG were close to each other but slightly differed from post-stratification.

Meta-analysis of skill-based and therapeutic interventions to address math anxiety

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the impact of school-based therapeutic and math skill interventions on math anxiety symptoms and math achievement among K–12 students. Potential moderators included treatment type and study quality. A systematic search yielded 17 included studies representing 1786 primary and secondary students. The results suggested that therapeutic interventions reduced math anxiety symptoms (gav = −0.51) better than math skill interventions (gav = −0.32) and math skill interventions improved math achievement (gav = 0.76) more than therapeutic interventions (gav = 0.12). Moderator analysis indicated that when accounting for study quality, the differences between intervention type were not significant for either of the outcome measures (i.e., achievement and math anxiety). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

The Relationship of Family Functioning with Math Success in Middle School Students

The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between the functionality of the family in which the student is included and the success in mathematics. The research was conducted with 167 students studying in the 7th and 8th classes within the 2019-2020 academic year. The data was collected through the "Introductory Characteristics Form," "Family Assessment Scale," and "Math Achievement Test." Mann-Whitney U, Anova, Kruskal Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests were conducted the identifying statistics in the analysis. SPSS 20.0 program was used in data analysis. The dimension with the maximum non-functionality was found as "showing the necessary interest" in the Family Assessment Scale." The median mathematics score of the students is 52 (min-max:1.76-96). Mathematics achievement scores of children whose fathers were officer were found to be higher (p