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The Impacts Of Tracking In Middle School Mathematics, With Particular Emphasis On Small Private Schools, Jared Hanson

Teaching and Learning (MA) Theses

Most studies of the efficacy and equity of tracking in middle school mathematics focus on programs implemented in large public schools or entire school districts. They do not consider the impacts of how tracking might affect middle school students at a small private school. This study therefore seeks to determine how the theories, findings, and conclusions in the existing research may be applied in the context of a small private school. It begins with an extensive review of the literature that discusses the history and impacts of tracking, focusing on academic achievement, self-esteem and self-concept, and discrimination along racial and …

The Effects Of The Avid Program On Rural Student Growth In Middle Grades Mathematics, James Allen

All Dissertations

From this mixed method study, I present my findings on the effects of selected aspects of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program on rural middle school students’ mathematics achievement. Previous research on the AVID program has focused on implementation in urban schools, although rural communities’ student populations continue to grow.

Most research on AVID’s success in urban settings show positive correlations between how long students participate in the AVID program and their college readiness. Other research about predictors of college success shows students who do not enroll in advanced level mathematics courses in middle school are less likely to …

Understanding The Latinx Student Experience In A First-Year, Non-Remedial, Terminal College Math Course: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study, Ross Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Working with Latinx students, a semester long study was conducted in the Spring of 2021 to better understand student’s perception of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices (CRTP) at Mountain State University (MSU). The course sections selected are a part of a larger first year, non-remedial, terminal mathematics courses designed to provide students with smaller teacher to student ratios as well as opportunities to earn credit towards graduation. Instructors in two of the sections received special training around CRTP, while instructors in the other two sections did not receive this training. Findings demonstrate that simple adjustments to instructional practices had a statistically …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Women In Undergraduate Stem Degree Programs, Vernon H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the lived experiences of African American women in STEM undergraduate degree programs at a 4-year degree granting institution in the southernmost part of central Virginia. The central problem is that there is disparity between the number of African American women with STEM degrees and that of other races in the STEM job market. The existing literature has gaps in the research of African American women’s perception of undergraduate STEM programs. Further, the researcher posits there is a lack of consideration for diversity that is detrimental to the United States; …

Creating Project-Based Math Curricula: A Narrative Inquiry, Marcie Hull

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study is a narrative inquiry about the participant’s experiences, in three individual case studies, involving teachers of high school mathematics engaged in the creation of a project-based learning curriculum, in a one-to-one laptop school. The researcher analyzed data from field notes, digital artifacts, and teacher interviews to document how math teachers are creating curriculum in an inquiry-driven, project-based, technology-infused instructional model. Findings from restorying and the analysis of three-dimensional space —regarding teacher lore —reveal themes about math teacher curriculum conflicts in skill-building, application of iterative design thinking, and structures inherent to project-based learning. Rich, thick description of the cases, …

Instructional Leadership Of Elementary School Principals Regarding Proficiency In Mathematics, Melvinia Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary school principals, as instructional leaders, are critical to improving

mathematics proficiency. The research problem was that elementary school principals are

inconsistently applying instructional leadership to support mathematics teachers' efforts

to improve students' proficiency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to

understand how elementary school principals apply instructional leadership to support

mathematics teachers in their efforts to improve student proficiency in mathematics. The

conceptual framework was the instructional leadership model of Hallinger and Murphy,

which defines three main dimensions of instructional leadership: (a) the school mission,

(b) the instructional program, and (c) the school climate. The research question …

Understanding The Effects Of Mathematics Professional Development On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Mathematics, Mike Flynn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Negative mathematics perceptions may affect how teachers teach the subject, how much time they spend on the subject, and how well they teach it. The problem that grounded this study was that although anecdotal evidence showed that teachers’ experience with professional development (PD) courses in mathematics teaching improved their perceptions of mathematics, there was a lack of data regarding how PD affects changes in teachers’ perceptions. The study purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of what elements of a PD course have the greatest effect on improving teachers’ perceptions of mathematics. Piaget’s constructivist and Vygotsky’s socio-constructivism theories made up …

Enabling And Threatening Factors Affecting Persistence. A Qualitative And Quantitative Study On Rural First-Generation Stem Students’ And Stem Faculty's Perspectives., Travis A. Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study focuses on the factors that enable and threaten rural first-generation STEM students’ persistence. Limited empirical studies are available that focus on rural first-generation STEM majors’ persistence. Quantitative analysis was conducted using Kruskal Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests to determine any significant differences with the survey results. Content and thematic analysis was conducted on the student and faculty interviews to determine themes of enabling and threatening factors affecting persistence.

Enabling factors affecting persistence were found to be: Drive or Motivation, Experiences and skills, and Support. These were both faculty and student interview themes whereas a …

Teachers' Perceptions About Instructing Underachieving K-5 Students On Mathematical Word Problem-Solving, Crystal Yvette Baldwindouglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The state of Maryland has implemented the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) operations & algebraic thinking and number & operations-fractions with emphasis on students in Grades K-5 acquiring the ability to solve word problems for state and curriculum math assessments. However, since the implementation of CCSSM, 30% of elementary students in a Maryland school district have demonstrated underachievement (basic or below basic level) on problem-solving sections of the state and school standardized tests. This qualitative case study, guided by Polya's model of the four phases of mathematical problem-solving, was conducted to address this problem. The research questions addressed …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities' Impact On Math Critical Thinking Pedagogy, Elizabeth Ann Daly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. educational leaders struggle with declining mathematics achievement among students as compared to other countries. The problem for this study was low standardized mathematics scores in one district in a major city in the Southwestern United States. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed method project study was to analyze the effectiveness of professional learning communities (PLCs) on the mathematics critical thinking pedagogy among teachers in 2 elementary schools. The conceptual framework focused on work by Olivier, Hipp, Huffman, and Hord on the efficacy of PLCs for improving teacher pedagogy. Research questions addressed in this study were designed to explore …

Beyond Teacher Knowledge: Connections Between Content Knowledge, Mindset For Learning, And Teaching In Two-Year College Mathematics Faculty, Lucy Hernandez Michal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Addressing thousands of students entering unprepared to enroll in college freshman mathematics courses is a challenge two-year college mathematics faculty face every semester. The study addresses this challenge through a mixed methods sequential nested multi-case design to investigate what faculty need, beyond teacher knowledge, to teach mathematics effectively to students. The three-part study measured the mindset learning profile and content knowledge of a sample of mathematics faculty at a two-year college. The quantitative and qualitative data provided references to select four faculty typologies to interview and observe. Interviews reflected faculty perceptions of teaching and learning. Class observations captured images of …

Perceptions Of Faculty Using Mymathlab In Traditional, In-Seat Math Classes, Kathleen Gromilovitz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

MyMathLab, an online interactive and educational system by Pearson Publisher, was implemented in 2 lower-level, traditional in-seat algebra courses to provide supplemental, instructional support to students in the fall of 2015 at the college under study. After the first year of use, no significant change in student success was reported, although more students passed intermediate algebra without first taking elementary algebra. The problem addressed in this study was that student results suggested there might be benefits to using MyMathLab that should be investigated. Knowles' theory of andragogy was used in this qualitative case study to gather perceptions of 7 2016-2017 …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Mathematics Teachers' Formative Assessment Feedback, Ryan Rathje

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Formative assessment is supported by research as a process to enhance student learning. A vital aspect in the process is the role of feedback which, based on its use, can support or hinder student learning. The problem addressed in this study was based on the concern of a high school administrator that teachers in the school were not using formative feedback in a manner that supported student learning. The purpose of this instrumental qualitative case study was to explore and understand the assessment and feedback practices of mathematics teachers in a private high school setting. The conceptual framework for this …

Descriptions Of Differentiated Instruction In Mathematics In A Title 1 School District, Sheril Bulley-Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an urban Title 1 school district, the average number of Grade 3-5 students who scored proficient or advanced on the state standardized assessment was 37.3% below Grade 3-5 students countywide and 19.4% below Grade 3-5 students statewide. Low mathematics scores may indicate a gap in practice that affects student achievement. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to examine teachers' descriptions of instructional strategies implemented to mediate instruction for students who struggle in mathematics. This study was based on the conceptual framework of Tomlinson's differentiated instruction (DI), a means of accommodating the varied ways that students learn. The …

Elementary Teachers' Affective Relationship With Mathematics And Its Influence On Mathematics Instruction, Kelly Kreitzer Sutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a South Carolina school district, approximately 45% of 3rd-5th grade students performed poorly on the state mathematics test. K-5 teachers attended district training to improve mathematics instruction and content mastery, but the training omitted teachers' affective domain in teaching. Teachers' affective relationships with mathematics (ARM) affects content delivery, instructional decisions, and teachers' confidence levels and motivation. The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to investigate whether teachers' years of experience, grade levels taught, or past mathematics experiences influenced K-5 teachers' ARM, as measured by the ARM survey, and to explore teachers' perceptions of their ARM in instruction. …

Sustainable Change In Public School Districts, Angela Cheri Franklin

Education Dissertations

Reform is a reality for many school districts and schools. When faced with reform movements, districts and schools must address both the immediate implementation and the sustainability of the reform. This dissertation study is informed by two theories centered on reform implementation and sustainability: Organizational Learning Theory by Leithwood, Aitken, and Jantzi (2006) and Coburn’s (2003) Theory of Sustainability. Current empirical research in this field identified particular factors that lead to successful implementation of reform and long-term sustainability. A monitoring tool was used to investigate factors such as: vision for reform, decision making, professional development, innovation and change, effectiveness of …

The Impact Of After School Tutoring On Math Achievement: Perceptions Of African American Males And Those Who Teach Them, Eric L. Brown

Dissertations

Despite increases in overall academic achievement, African American males continue to struggle in the area of mathematics. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that eighth grade African American males had the lowest levels of mathematics success of all subgroups in 2013, with only 13% performing at or above the proficient performance level in math. An approach to increasing the academic achievement of African American males has been to provide extended learning time beyond the typical secondary education experience. After school programs are one such example. Many studies indicate that after school programs have had some positive …

A Study Of Fourth-Grade Students' Perceptions On Homework Environment And Academic Motivation In Mathematics, Stefanie Harmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem at an elementary school is teachers' lack of knowledge and information on the perceptions and motivation of students to complete independent mathematics homework. The purpose of this study was to identify students' perceptions regarding their homework environment and academic motivation in mathematics. The study's conceptual framework, attribution theory, supported the examination of drivers of motivation for participants related to homework completion. Guiding research questions, supported by Keller's ARCS model, focused on the identification of students' perceptions of homework attention, relevance, curiosity, satisfaction, and their preferred homework environment. This qualitative research study obtained data from semistructured interviews with 44 …

The Relationships Between Parent Involvement And Reading And Mathematics Achievement For Students With Disabilities : An Analysis Of Ecls 1998-99 Data, Brian K. Bellair

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Parent involvement in education has long been viewed as a pathway to increased student achievement. Although much research exists with regard to this topic, little examines this relationship specifically for students with disabilities in grades 1-5 despite being required by both the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Representing nearly 13% of the school-age population demands a more in-depth examination of the potential for parent involvement to impact the achievement of an already disadvantaged subgroup. This study uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study 1998-99 (ECLS) publicly available data set to investigate the …

How Social Presence On Twitter Impacts Student Engagement And Learning In A Grade 8 Mathematics Classroom, Shelly Vohra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media for personal use has evolved rapidly among adolescents, changing the way they communicate with each other. However, little research has been conducted about how teachers use social media in the classroom to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how social presence on Twitter impacts student engagement and learning when a mathematics teacher integrates this social media tool into an instructional unit. The conceptual framework was based on social presence theory developed by Short, Williams, and Christie. This qualitative study used a single case study design. Participants included 6 students and 1 classroom …

Evaluating High School Mathematics Performance Measures And Student Attributes For Predicting Remedial Mathematics Success And Student Retention In College, Sherri L. Stepp

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate multiple high school student attributes and performance measures that could be considered for use in predicting success in developmental mathematics courses and college-level math courses at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. This study also evaluated the predictive ability of the same high school student attributes and performance measures in determining first-year fall-to-fall retention rates for successful math students.

The study population consisted of first-time freshmen who entered the case study institution in the fall semesters of 2010 through 2014 and graduated from West Virginia public high schools. The population was stratified …

Predictors Of U.S. Teachers' Use Of Metacognition In Mathematics Instruction, Regina Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American schools have been struggling with improving achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for decades. For the last four decades, the overall mathematics performance of 17 year-olds on the National Assessment of Educational Progress has not shown any significant improvement. Mathematics teachers can use metacognitive techniques to make immediate adjustments in instruction that may assist students in becoming more skillful problem solvers. The purpose of this study was to provide new knowledge about the potential predictors of mathematics teachers' use of the six subfactors of the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory for Teachers. The inventory was administered to 120 K-12 grade …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Manipulatives During Middle School Math Instruction, Angela L. Vizzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Colorado school district, school personnel and parents were concerned that middle school math proficiency levels were low for 2011-2014 and math teachers were not using manipulatives in their classes to increase math performance. The district's math coordinator did not foresee providing specific professional development (PD) for math manipulative use to address these concerns. Without this PD, math teachers may be ill-quipped to teach math concepts when using manipulatives, which, in turn, could lead to further poor math performance. The purpose of this qualitative bounded collective case study was to explore middle school teachers' perceptions of PD and perceived …

Factors For Success In Community College Online Gateway Math, Lisa Marie Borzewski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that student success rates in online classes are lower than in comparable face-to-face courses. Yet, the research is unclear as to whether student demographic and academic history variables are related to the lower success rates. At a large community college in Florida, low success rates for students in the online Intermediate Algebra course led to delays in the continuation of required coursework and graduation for many students and the factors associated with low success rates were largely unknown. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the associations between several student variables and student success in …

Understanding The Relationships Among Students' Goal Orientations, Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, And Accelerated Academic Success In The Redesign Of Developmental Mathematics, Kelly Ann Hogan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The low success rates of increasing numbers of underprepared students taking developmental mathematics classes 'often minority and economically disadvantaged' are challenging community colleges across the United States. These students, who must start in the lowest levels of precollege mathematics courses, are unlikely to pass the first course and earn a credential. Using a mastery goal orientation theoretical framework, a quantitative, survey research design was used to ascertain any correlations between students' goal orientations, self-efficacy, test anxiety, and success in a new model of learning. Survey data were used to answer 3 research questions: (a) the relationship between success and students' …

Predicting Mathematics Teachers' Acceptance Of Reflective Blogging To Improve Instruction, Diana Sue Fesmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An internal district audit identified that a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged Southwestern school district has a lack of congruent and consistent implementation of the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. Innovative and cost-saving avenues for professional development (PD), such as reflective blogging, foster teacher learning to reconcile the enacted curriculum with the intended curriculum. This correlational study investigated the predictive power of technology acceptance and motivation constructs on reflective mathematics teachers' social media use intention and participation in informal, virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP). The framework that guided this study is the unified acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory. …

Gender Differences, Learning Styles, And Participation In Higher Mathematics, Hilary Elizabeth Seifert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students' lack of participation in higher-level mathematics courses is a pressing concern. In a small rural district in Alaska, many high school students elect to opt out of taking higher-level mathematics once the minimum requirement is reached. According to Bandura's self-efficacy construct, a learners' motivation is influenced by their self-beliefs and affect towards learning. Moreover, research on student learning experiences in mathematics suggests a gender difference, with girls preferring that less abstract conceptual knowledge be taught through hands-on activities. As mathematics instruction is traditionally taught through lecture and demonstration, both of which are preferences of the assimilator learning style, this …

A Program Evaluation Of My MathTm: Improving Student Computational Fluency Through Inquiry-Based Instruction, Andrea Townsend

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This program evaluation study addressed a critical deficiency in early childhood math proficiency for a local urban school district. To strengthen students' skills in mathematics, the district adopted the Common Core State Standards and piloted an inquiry-based instructional program called My Math. The purpose of this project study was to determine the extent to which My Math met the goals of improving Grades K-2 students' math proficiency. The conceptual framework was based on theories of multiple intelligences, social learning, and foundations of social development. The National Program Evaluation Standards were used to guide the program evaluation. The research questions centered …

The Influences Of Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Identity, Interest, And Parental Involvement On Stem Achievement In Algebra For Female High School Students, Nicol R. Howard

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the predictability of STEM achievement in Algebra for female high school students utilizing mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics interest, mathematics identity, and parental involvement. This study employed data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09/12) which consisted of 3,938 female eleventh-grade participants randomly selected from 944 public and private high schools during the fall 2009 academic year. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression indicated that mathematics identity was the strongest predictor of STEM achievement for female high school students, regardless of race. In spite of this significant relationship, STEM achievement outcomes …

Effects Of Embedded Study-Skills Instruction On High School Students' Attitudes Toward Mathematics, Alberta Diahann Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The target school used embedded study skills in Algebra I classes to improve attitudes toward mathematics. The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to examine the effect of embedded study-skills instruction on students' attitudes toward mathematics. Metacognitive theory was used for this study's framework. Participants were 28 Grade 9 and 10 students who repeated Algebra I. Quantitative data from the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory assessed students' pre- and post-instruction attitudes toward mathematics in 4 domains. Data were analyzed using 4 independent samples t tests for students who did and did not receive embedded instruction. Qualitative data were collected …