The near-peer mathematical mentoring cycle: studying the impact of outreach on high school students’ attitudes toward mathematics

College students may be seen as near-peers to high school students and high school students are often able to see themselves in the college students who are but one step ahead. This nearness in maturity and educational level may place college students in a particularly powerful position when it comes to reaching out to high school students to promote higher education in math and science. In this study college students gave dynamic mathematics outreach presentations, MathShows, to minority and low-income high school students in a mid-sized public school district on the U.S. border with Mexico. The study investigated the impacts of this sort of outreach work on high school students’ attitudes towards mathematics using a mathematics attitudes survey. Results, obtained from N = 306 participants, showed statistically significant improvements in almost all components of mathematical attitudes, with less of an effect on the component of self-confidence in doing mathematics. Differences in impacts by specific student subgroups are all discussed.     

Gender, technology and attitude towards mathematics: a comparative longitudinal study with Mexican students

In this paper the results of a comparative longitudinal study investigating changes in girls’ and boys’ attitudes towards mathematics, and self-confidence in mathematics are presented. A 5-point Likert scale, AMMEC, was used to measure attitudes towards mathematics (AM), computer-based mathematics (AMC), and self-confidence in mathematics (CM). A total of 430 students using technology for mathematics and 109 students not using it were monitored for 3 years. At the beginning of the study, the participants were aged about 13 years. The statistical analyses of the data showed few gender differences in the way students’ attitudes and self-confidence changed over the 3 years. Significant gender differences favouring boys were found in attitudes towards mathematics in grades 8 and 9 for the group using technology. For the group using technology, significantly more boys than girls got high scores in attitudes towards computer-based mathematics in grade 7. Significantly, more girls using technology than girls not using it got high scores in grade 8. The use of technology did not have a positive impact on students’ self-confidence. Regardless of whether they used computers or not, from grades 7 to 9, there was a decrease in the self-confidence in mathematics of both boys and girls. To enrich these results and detect possible gender differences in the way attitudes were constructed, 12 girls and 13 boys were interviewed at the end of the study. The analysis of the arguments they presented to explain and justify their attitudes towards mathematics, computer-based mathematics, and their self-confidence in working in mathematics provided evidence of important gender differences in the ways in which boys and girls construct their attitude, indicating how their constructions reflect the gender stereotypes within Mexican society.     

Parents’ Attitudes Toward Mathematics and the Influence on Their Students’ Attitudes toward Mathematics: A Quantitative Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate parents’ attitudes toward mathematics, their students' attitude toward mathematics, and the influence of the parents’ attitude on the students' attitude toward mathematics. Data analyses revealed statistically significant positive correlations between parents’ and students’ attitudes toward mathematics. Additionally, parents’ mathematics attitude significantly predicted students’ attitudes toward mathematics (n=146). By understanding the influence of parents’ attitudes on students’ attitudes toward mathematics, school efforts can be geared toward fostering favorable attitudes toward mathematics among parents.     

Gender Differences in Mathematics Attitudes of Secondary Students

The merger of an all-female Catholic secondary school with a similar all-male school provided the setting for this two-part study. Gender differences in mathematics attitudes of secondary students, and differences in mathematics attitudes of the female students before and after the merger were investigated. Traditional male/female differences were found in the areas of self-confidence, usefulness of mathematics, and classroom behavior. The female students' attitudes remained positive, but their predictions about the mixed-sex classroom were confirmed.     

Non‐Traditional Preservice Teachers and Their Mathematics Efficacy Beliefs

In Florida, recent legislative changes have granted community colleges the ability to offer baccalaureate degrees in education, frequently to non‐traditional students. Based on information obtained from the literature covering preservice teachers' math knowledge, teachers' efficacy beliefs about math, and high‐stakes mathematics testing, a study examined a population of preservice teachers in a new Florida teacher preparation program. The research investigated relationships surrounding non‐traditional preservice teachers' characteristics such as: ages, high‐stakes math failures, lower division mathematics history, and math methods course performance, in relation to their efficacy beliefs about mathematics. Results revealed that preservice teachers' ages, lower division mathematics history, and math methods course performance, did have a significant relationship with their math efficacy beliefs, as measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI); the variable of high‐stakes math failures did not. Additionally, a multiple regression model including the aforementioned variables did predict preservice teachers' MTEBI scores, but did not generalize to the greater population. The findings from this study can assist new teacher preparation programs in isolating variables that identify preservice teachers who are at risk for poor mathematical attitudes; can posit avenues for fostering positive math beliefs in preservice teachers; and can recommend further research in this area.     

Enhancing Formative Assessment Practice and Encouraging Middle School Mathematics Engagement and Persistence

In the transition to middle school, and during the middle school years, students' motivation for mathematics tends to decline from what it was during elementary school. Formative assessment strategies in mathematics can help support motivation by building confidence for challenging tasks. In this study, the authors developed and piloted a professional development program, Learning to Use Formative Assessment in Mathematics with the Assessment Work Sample Method (AWSM) to build middle school math teachers' understanding of the characteristics of high‐quality formative assessment processes and increases their ability to use them in their classrooms. AWSM proved to be feasible to implement in the middle school setting. It improved teachers' practice of formative assessment, especially in their feedback practices, regardless of their pedagogical content knowledge at entry. Results from focus groups suggested that teachers were better able to implement ungraded practice and student self‐ and peer‐assessment after AWSM, and that students were more willing to engage in complex problem solving.     

Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Mathematics Among Third- and Fifth-Grade Students: A Descriptive Study

A survey on attitudes toward mathematics of third- and fifth-grade students enrolled in a large urban school district was conducted in the spring of 1994 as part of a review of the mathematics program. Student responses to survey items were analyzed with respect to gender and grade level. Although girls and boys were equally likely to indicate that they like mathematics, in both Grades 3 and 5, boys were more likely than girls to report being good at mathematics. This result has often been reported for older students but has rarely been explored in younger children. Some gender and grade differences were observed in students' attitudes towards the specific strands of mathematics. Both girls and boys in Grade 5 were more likely than students in Grade 3 to believe that mathematics was relevant to their lives. Virtually all children thought that both girls and boys needed to study mathematics. No gender or grade differences in students' beliefs regarding the process of learning mathematics were observed. The results support the need for further research to identify variables that influence the development of student perceptions and attitudes toward mathematics during elementary school.     

The Effect of Journal Writing on Achievement in and Attitudes Toward Mathematics

A teaching experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of journal writing on achievement in and attitudes toward mathematics. Achievement variables included conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, problem solving, mathematics school achievement, and mathematical communication. Subjects were selected from first intermediate students (11–13 years) attending the International College, Beirut, Lebanon, where either English or French is the language of mathematics instruction. The journal-writing (JW) group received the same mathematics instruction as the no-journal-writing (NJW) group, except that the JW group engaged in prompted journal writing for 7 to 10 minutes at the end of each class period, three times a week, for 12 weeks. The NJW group engaged in exercises during the same period. The results of ANCOVA suggest that journal writing has a positive impact on conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, and mathematical communication but not on problem solving, school mathematics achievement, and attitudes toward mathematics. Gender, language of instruction, mathematics achievement level, and writing achievement level failed to interact with journal writing. Student responses to a questionnaire indicated that students found journal writing to have both cognitive and affective benefits.     

Development of an attitude-towards-using-mathematics scale for high-school students and an analysis of student attitudes

ABSTRACT

This research has been carried out in two stages and has two main objectives. The first aim of the study is to develop a Likert-type scale which is used to determine the attitudes towards the use of mathematics in real life. The second aim is to examine the attitudes of high school students about the use of mathematics in real life according to different variables used in the developed scale. The research was carried out according to the correlational research method, and the participants comprise the sample of 340 and 356 students for the scale development and implementation stages of the study, respectively. As a result of the research, a structure consisting of 23 items and three sub-factors was determined for the scale. In the second stage of the study, it was observed that the student attitudes were at the level corresponding to the ‘undecided’ option of the scale, and they differed significantly according to gender and grade level variables. In addition, it was found that there was a positive and significant relationship between the students’ attitudes towards the use of mathematics and their mathematics achievement.     

Indicators of middle school students' mathematics enjoyment and confidence

A study involving 916 students spanning grades 5–8 was conducted to investigate indicators that may contribute to enjoyment and confidence in mathematics. For this group of middle school students, mathematics enjoyment, mathematics confidence, and attitudes toward school were found to generally decline across grade levels. Mathematics enjoyment and confidence were also found to differ significantly based upon student preferences for future careers. Gender differences as well as similarities regarding predictors of mathematics enjoyment and confidence were identified. Specifically, the best predictor for end of year mathematics enjoyment for males was beginning of year attitude toward school, while the most significant predictor of end of year enjoyment for females was beginning of year dispositions toward mathematics (semantic perception). A strong relationship between mathematics enjoyment and confidence overall was found, with indications that activities that increase mathematics enjoyment contribute to increased confidence, and also that activities that increase mathematics confidence contribute to increased enjoyment.     

Student Attitudes and Calculus Reform

This paper compares the attitudes about mathematics of students from traditionally taught calculus classes and those from a “reformed” calculus course. The paper is based on three studies, which together present a consistent picture of student attitudes about calculus reform. The reformed course appeared to violate students' deeply held beliefs about the nature of mathematics and how it should be learned. Although during their first months in the reformed course most students disliked it, their attitudes gradually changed. One and 2 years after, reform students felt significantly more than the traditionally taught students that they better understood how math was used and that they had been required to understand math rather than memorize formulas.     

Inquiry Teaching and Learning: The Best Math Class Study

This research reports on prospective middle school teachers' perceptions of a “best mathematics class” during their involvement in an inquiry‐designed mathematics content course. Grounded in the prestigious Glenn Commission report ( U.S. Department of Education, 2000 ), the study examined the prospective teachers' perceptions of effective mathematics instruction both prior to and after completing the inquiry course. Pre‐essay analysis revealed that students could be grouped into one of two categories: the Watch‐Learn‐Practice view and the Self as Initiator view. Post‐essay analysis indicated that over two thirds of all students involved in the study changed their views of a best math class after the inquiry courses. The Watch‐Learn‐Practice group's changes focused on developing reasoning skills and learning how one “knows” in mathematics. The Self as Initiator group noted expanded roles for the students, particularly emphasizing the importance of going beyond basic requirements to think deeply about the why and how of mathematics and expanded views of the benefits of group learning.     

Investigating the impact of an urban community school effort on middle school STEM-related student outcomes over time through propensity score matched methods

This study investigates the impact of an urban community school reform initiative that focuses on an immigrant and refugee population in middle school. A 6th–8th grade cohort of students in the community school are followed over time and compared to a propensity score matched group on overall GPA, mathematics, and science academic outcomes and traditional college preparedness indicators. Further, a deeper dive into the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity was examined on all outcomes. Findings revealed that students in the urban community school demonstrated significantly more preparedness to enroll in college and move into a STEM field if they desired compared to the matched students. All gender/racial groups in the community school performed significantly higher than those in the matched group. Further, all gender/racial groups of students in the urban community school defied standard academic achievement drops common over time in middle school, and instead increase overall, math, and science grades from 6th to 8th grade.     

Student's Attitudes Toward School and Classroom Science: Are They Independent Phenomena?

The purpose of this study was to examine 5th, 7th, and 10th graders' attitudes toward school and classroom science by means of questionnaires. In particular, the study hoped to determine (a) what students' attitudes are, (b) whether a relationship exists between these school and classroom science attitudes, and (c) what relationships grade level, gender, ethnicity, school/community type, expected GPA and science grade, and personally satisfying GPA and science grade have with students' attitudes toward school and classroom science. The results indicated that, although a statistically significant relationship did exist between students' attitudes toward school and toward classroom science, the relationship had no practical meaning. Females were slightly more positive about school than males. No gender differences were found with respect to classroom attitudes. Fifth graders held significantly more positive attitudes toward science than upper-grade students. None of the other variables was found to have any practical relationship to either of the attitudes.     

Post-primary students’ images of mathematics: findings from a survey of Irish ordinary level mathematics students

A questionnaire survey was carried out as part of a PhD research study to investigate the image of mathematics held by post-primary students in Ireland. The study focused on students in fifth year of post-primary education studying ordinary level mathematics for the Irish Leaving Certificate examination – the final examination for students in second-level or post-primary education. At the time this study was conducted, ordinary level mathematics students constituted approximately 72% of Leaving Certificate students. Students were aged between 15 and 18 years. A definition for ‘image of mathematics’ was adapted from Lim and Wilson, with image of mathematics hypothesized as comprising attitudes, beliefs, self-concept, motivation, emotions and past experiences of mathematics. A questionnaire was composed incorporating 84 fixed-response items chosen from eight pre-established scales by Aiken, Fennema and Sherman, Gourgey and Schoenfeld. This paper focuses on the findings from the questionnaire survey. Students’ images of mathematics are compared with regard to gender, type of post-primary school attended and prior mathematical achievement.     

Factors associated with middle-school mathematics achievement in Greece: the case of algebra

This study presents a subset of factors and their association with students’ achievement in school algebra. The participants were students who had enrolled in 2007 at the ninth year of Greek public education (third year of middle school). A total of 735 students participated (aged 14–15 years) from 37 public secondary schools. The sample consisted of 378 girls (51.4%) and 357 boys (48.6%). A written algebra test and a questionnaire including demographic survey items were used to collect data. The results show that attitude towards mathematics (ATM) and the current teacher rating of mathematics performance were identified as the more significant predictors of algebra achievement, contributing by 18.1% and 24.7%, respectively, in total variance of mean at the end of ninth grade.     

Studying advanced mathematics in England: findings from a survey of student choices and attitudes

The UK Government has set a goal that the “vast majority” of students in England will be studying mathematics to the age of 18 by the end of the decade. The policy levers for achieving this goal include new Core Maths qualifications, designed for over 200,000 students who have achieved good grades at the age of 16 but then opt out of advanced or A level mathematics. This article reports findings from a cluster-sampled survey of over 10,000 17-year-olds in England in 2015. Participants’ views on post-16 mathematics are presented and discussed. The main finding is that they are strongly opposed to the idea of compulsory mathematical study, but are less antithetical to being encouraged to study mathematics beyond 16. We consider how attitudes vary by gender, prior attainment, study patterns and future aspirations. The article considers the implications of these findings in the current policy landscape.     

Science-Related Attitudes of High-ability Students

This study compared college-age student attitudes toward junior high/middle school science classes, teachers, and the value of science content. Subjects represented two groups: academically talented college students majoring in the sciences, and equally talented nonscience college students. The data were compared with responses from noncollegiate young adults, reported in an earlier investigation (Yager & Penick, 1986). Results indicated that science students expressed the most favorable impressions of school science instruction, followed by nonscience students, and then by noncollegiate adults. Although science student attitudes were positive overall, many high-ability students indicated that their secondary science classes were neither exciting nor relevant to daily living. Curricular implications for enhancing students' attitudes are discussed.     

Undergraduate Engineering Majors' Beliefs About Mathematics

This study examined the mathematics beliefs of college students in 10 undergraduate mathematics classes at a large engineering school in the Midwest. The beliefs of 254 engineering majors were measured by the Indiana Mathematics Belief Scales and compared to the beliefs of elementary education majors and remedial college mathematics students obtained from earlier studies using the same instrument. The results were interpreted in terms of the students' daily attitudes towards their mathematics classes and corresponding academic and demographic parameters. The study showed that in many respects, the beliefs of the engineering majors were not that different from the other populations. The correlations among beliefs for the engineering group tended to be higher although there were relatively few significant correlations between belief and background variables. Attitude data were collected across a full semester for the engineering majors. The relatively modest day-to-day variation in those attitudes suggests that they are based on deeply seated beliefs.