Effective Developmental Math Instructional Practices That Facilitate Learning and Academic Success of Community College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Pamela Hilson

2017-01-01

The purpose of the qualitative study was to discover instructional practices used by developmental math instructors that facilitate learning and academic success of students in developmental math courses at select community colleges in Alabama in order to generate improved instructional practices in the developmental education field. Emergent data…

Predicting Success of Developmental Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Isaac

2017-01-01

Addressing the needs of developmental math students has been one of the most challenging problems in higher education. Administrators at a private university were concerned about poor academic performance of math-deficient students and sought to identify factors that influenced students' successful progression from developmental to college-level…

Developmental Math Programs in California Community College: An Analysis of Math Boot Camp at Cosumnes River College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Torence J.

2017-01-01

The California Community College system, as an open access institution, is tasked with helping students who possess math skills far below college-level complete math course requirements for obtaining an associate degree or transfer to a university. Colleges have created various developmental math programs to achieve this mission; this paper…

Successful Developmental Math Students in Traditional Format and Online Delivery: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jeremy Lloyd

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare student performance in online and traditional classroom based developmental math courses at Texas community colleges. This study specifically examined: (a) student performance in both delivery methods, (b) students who successfully completed the developmental math course, and (c) student performance in the…

An Examination of Factors Affecting Organizational Commitment of Developmental Math Faculty at Florida Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin-Hickey, Rachel

2013-01-01

Community colleges play an important role in the accessibility of higher education to the American population and developmental coursework is of vital importance to college degree attainment. The large demand for student remediation in math requires optimal commitment of developmental math faculty members. Increased organizational commitment has…

Level Up: A Systematic Review of the Nexus between Game-Based Learning and Developmental Math Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Monique

2013-01-01

Developmental math currently poses a hurdle that many community college students are unable to overcome. Eighty percent of developmental math students do not successfully complete any college-level course within three years (Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, as cited by Strother, Van Campen & Grunow, 2013, p. 1). Despite numerous reform attempts,…

At Their Own Pace: Interim Findings from an Evaluation of a Computer-Assisted, Modular Approach to Developmental Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardenhire, Alissa; Diamond, John; Headlam, Camielle; Weiss, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Community colleges nationwide are looking for solutions to help students complete developmental (remedial) math--a known barrier to graduation. Some are offering computer-assisted, modular developmental math courses that allow students to earn credits incrementally and move through the curriculum at their own pace. One of these modularized…

Developmental Math Students and College-Level Coursework. Data Notes. Volume 1, Number 8, November/December 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clery, Sue

2006-01-01

Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, this issue examines the percentages and numbers of students who attempted and completed both developmental and college-level math. The analysis reveals that a large portion of students either do not attempt or do not complete developmental math coursework. Furthermore, the data show…

Why Students Do Not Prepare for Math Placement Exams: Student Perspectives. CCRC Research Brief. Number 57

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fay, Maggie P.; Bickerstaff, Susan; Hodara, Michelle

2013-01-01

Drawn from surveys completed by 122 students enrolled in developmental math at four community colleges and from seven student focus groups with a total of 34 developmental math students at those same colleges, this research brief illuminates student experiences with and perspectives on the math assessment and placement process. Findings suggest…

Laying the Foundations: Early Findings from the New Mathways Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zachry Rutschow, Elizabeth; Diamond, John

2015-01-01

National studies reveal that 50 percent to 70 percent of community college students are required to take developmental, or remedial, math courses upon enrollment, and only 20 percent of developmental math students ever successfully complete a college-level math course. Taking up the challenge is the "New Mathways Project" (NMP),…

Multivariate Latent Change Modeling of Developmental Decline in Academic Intrinsic Math Motivation and Achievement: Childhood through Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfried, Adele Eskeles; Marcoulides, George A.; Gottfried, Allen W.; Oliver, Pamella H.; Guerin, Diana Wright

2007-01-01

Research has established that academic intrinsic motivation, enjoyment of school learning without receipt of external rewards, significantly declines across childhood through adolescence. Math intrinsic motivation evidences the most severe decline compared with other subject areas. This study addresses this developmental decline in math intrinsic…

Developmental Math: What's the Answer?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cafarella, Brian

2016-01-01

Developmental mathematics has been under the radar within higher education for some time. The reality is that there are many proven best practices in developmental math. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles that prevent student success. Moreover, the high rates of attrition and failure have led state legislators and college administrators to…

Investigating Meaning in Learning: A Case Study of Adult Developmental Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glasser, Tim

2011-01-01

The objective of this article is to investigate meaning and relevance in the context of adult developmental math learning and instruction. In this case study, at the Art Institute of San Francisco, 12 vocational instructors and four math learners are interviewed on their early and current math experiences. During the semi-structured interviews,…

Evaluating Number Sense in Community College Developmental Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinke, Dorothea A.

2017-01-01

Community college developmental math students (N = 657) from three math levels were asked to place five whole numbers on a line that had only endpoints 0 and 20 marked. How the students placed the numbers revealed the same three stages of behavior that Steffe and Cobb (1988) documented in determining young children's number sense. 23% of the…

Math Readiness of Texas Community College Developmental Education Students: A Multiyear Statewide Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Reni A.; Slate, John R.; Saxon, D. Patrick; Barnes, Wally

2014-01-01

In this investigation, we examined the college readiness in math of Texas community college students using archival data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Data analyzed were the rate of all first-time in college (FTIC) developmental education students who scored below the Texas college readiness standards in math and the rates of…

Contextualizing Developmental Math Content into Introduction to Sociology in Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Stuart; Traver, Amy E.; Cornick, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Across community colleges in the United States, most students place into a developmental math course that they never pass. This can leave them without the math skills necessary to make informed decisions in major areas of social life and the college credential required for participation in growing sectors of our economy. One strategy for improving…

The Effects of Self-Regulated Learning Training on Community College Students' Metacognition and Achievement in Developmental Math Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bol, Linda; Campbell, Karen D. Y.; Perez, Tony; Yen, Cherng-Jyh

2016-01-01

The effects of training in self-regulation on metacognition and math achievement were investigated. The participants were 116 community college students enrolled in developmental math courses. Students enrolled in 16 classrooms were randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups. Participants in the treatment group completed four…

Transmitting Success: Comprehensive Peer Mentoring for At-Risk Students in Developmental Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Erik E.; Ambrose-Roman, Sarah; Perez-Maldonado, Rosa

2016-01-01

This study presents and assesses a developmental math focused peer mentoring program at a public urban university. Over three semesters 45 mentees participated in the program. Results include substantive increases in developmental pass rates as well as increases in self-efficacy and social integration. Other noteworthy findings include the…

Developmental Education and Its Relationship to Academic Success in College Level Courses at a Suburban Community College in Kansas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Lisa M.

2014-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of developmental math, English, and reading courses by evaluating the success of students in the corresponding college-level math, English, and reading course. This study analyzed select student characteristics (sex, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status) or student developmental education status as predictors…

Cognitive consistency and math-gender stereotypes in Singaporean children.

PubMed

Cvencek, Dario; Meltzoff, Andrew N; Kapur, Manu

2014-01-01

In social psychology, cognitive consistency is a powerful principle for organizing psychological concepts. There have been few tests of cognitive consistency in children and no research about cognitive consistency in children from Asian cultures, who pose an interesting developmental case. A sample of 172 Singaporean elementary school children completed implicit and explicit measures of math-gender stereotype (male=math), gender identity (me=male), and math self-concept (me=math). Results showed strong evidence for cognitive consistency; the strength of children's math-gender stereotypes, together with their gender identity, significantly predicted their math self-concepts. Cognitive consistency may be culturally universal and a key mechanism for developmental change in social cognition. We also discovered that Singaporean children's math-gender stereotypes increased as a function of age and that boys identified with math more strongly than did girls despite Singaporean girls' excelling in math. The results reveal both cultural universals and cultural variation in developing social cognition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urban Underrepresented Minority Students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: An Analysis of the Differences between Developmental Assets and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Jovan Grant

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the developmental assets and academic achievement of urban underrepresented minority male and female students in a specialized science, technology, engineering, and math program, and the developmental assets and academic achievement of urban underrepresented minority male and…

The Effect of Math Anxiety on the Academic Success of Developmental Mathematics Students at a Texas Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fannin-Carroll, Kristen D.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between math anxiety and academic success of developmental mathematics students at a Texas community college based on age, gender, and level of developmental mathematics program. A quantitative, casual-comparative design was used to determine relationships. A total of 185 developmental…

Students' Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Course Level at a Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spaniol, Scott R.

2017-01-01

Research suggests that student success in mathematics is positively correlated to math self-efficacy and negatively correlated to math anxiety. At a Hispanic serving community college in the Midwest, developmental math students had a lower pass rate than did college-level math students, but the role of math self-efficacy and math anxiety on these…

Selected Studies on Math Placement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akst, Geoffrey; Hirsch, Lewis

1991-01-01

Drawing from a review of the literature and direct experience, this paper discusses key issues in developmental mathematics placement. First, the controversial practice of mandatory placement is examined, citing research results that support the practice and those that do not. Next, the diversity of developmental math placement standards is…

Assessing Course Redesign: The Case of Developmental Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ariovich, Laura; Walker, Sadé A.

2014-01-01

Higher education institutions have taken to redesigning high-enrollment, introductory courses to improve student learning outcomes, student success, and degree completion. This paper presents findings from the assessment of course redesign by focusing on the case of developmental math at a large community college. The college adopted…

A Comparison of Online and Classroom-Based Developmental Math Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eggert, Jeanette Gibeson

2009-01-01

Effectiveness was operationalized as a combination of successful developmental course completion, high student satisfaction at the end of the course, and high academic achievement in a subsequent college-level math course. Instructional methodologies were similar to the extent that the instructional delivery systems allowed. With a sample size of…

Developmental Mathematics and the Lansing Community College Math Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rotman, Jack W.

Based on an extensive literature search, this paper reviews recent research and theoretical studies and discusses their applicability to Lansing Community College's (LCC's) Mathematics Laboratory. After noting the steps taken in data collection, part I describes LCC and its Math Lab, which offers developmental courses in a self-paced, mastery…

Video Based Developmental Mathematics Learning System For Community College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gormley, Tyrone D.

The University of Maine at Augusta uses an individualized video-taped mathematics instructional system to eliminate students' math weaknesses before they attempt college math. The course, "1 Mth Developmental Mathematics," is part of the Educational Assistance Program and teaches basic skills and concepts of arithmetic and algebra. The…

Development of brain systems for nonsymbolic numerosity and the relationship to formal math academic achievement.

PubMed

Haist, Frank; Wazny, Jarnet H; Toomarian, Elizabeth; Adamo, Maha

2015-02-01

A central question in cognitive and educational neuroscience is whether brain operations supporting nonlinguistic intuitive number sense (numerosity) predict individual acquisition and academic achievement for symbolic or "formal" math knowledge. Here, we conducted a developmental functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of nonsymbolic numerosity task performance in 44 participants including 14 school age children (6-12 years old), 14 adolescents (13-17 years old), and 16 adults and compared a brain activity measure of numerosity precision to scores from the Woodcock-Johnson III Broad Math index of math academic achievement. Accuracy and reaction time from the numerosity task did not reliably predict formal math achievement. We found a significant positive developmental trend for improved numerosity precision in the parietal cortex and intraparietal sulcus specifically. Controlling for age and overall cognitive ability, we found a reliable positive relationship between individual math achievement scores and parietal lobe activity only in children. In addition, children showed robust positive relationships between math achievement and numerosity precision within ventral stream processing areas bilaterally. The pattern of results suggests a dynamic developmental trajectory for visual discrimination strategies that predict the acquisition of formal math knowledge. In adults, the efficiency of visual discrimination marked by numerosity acuity in ventral occipital-temporal cortex and hippocampus differentiated individuals with better or worse formal math achievement, respectively. Overall, these results suggest that two different brain systems for nonsymbolic numerosity acuity may contribute to individual differences in math achievement and that the contribution of these systems differs across development. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of brain systems for nonsymbolic numerosity and the relationship to formal math academic achievement

PubMed Central

Haist, Frank; Wazny, Jarnet H.; Toomarian, Elizabeth; Adamo, Maha

2015-01-01

A central question in cognitive and educational neuroscience is whether brain operations supporting non-linguistic intuitive number sense (numerosity) predict individual acquisition and academic achievement for symbolic or “formal” math knowledge. Here, we conducted a developmental functional MRI study of nonsymbolic numerosity task performance in 44 participants including 14 school age children (6–12 years-old), 14 adolescents (13–17 years-old), and 16 adults and compared a brain activity measure of numerosity precision to scores from the Woodcock-Johnson III Broad Math index of math academic achievement. Accuracy and reaction time from the numerosity task did not reliably predict formal math achievement. We found a significant positive developmental trend for improved numerosity precision in the parietal cortex and intraparietal sulcus (IPS) specifically. Controlling for age and overall cognitive ability, we found a reliable positive relationship between individual math achievement scores and parietal lobe activity only in children. In addition, children showed robust positive relationships between math achievement and numerosity precision within ventral stream processing areas bilaterally. The pattern of results suggests a dynamic developmental trajectory for visual discrimination strategies that predict the acquisition of formal math knowledge. In adults, the efficiency of visual discrimination marked by numerosity acuity in ventral occipital-temporal cortex and hippocampus differentiated individuals with better or worse formal math achievement, respectively. Overall, these results suggest that two different brain systems for nonsymbolic numerosity acuity may contribute to individual differences in math achievement and that the contribution of these systems differs across development. PMID:25327879

Trajectories of Self-Perceived Math Ability, Utility Value and Interest across Middle School as Predictors of High School Math Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Jennifer Lee; Hyde, Janet Shibley

2017-01-01

Although many studies have documented developmental change in mathematics motivation, little is known about how these trends predict math performance. A sample of 288 participants from the United States reported their perceived math ability, math utility value and math interest in 5th, 7th and 9th grades. Latent growth curve models estimated…

The impact of behavioural executive functioning and intelligence on math abilities in children with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Dekker, M C; Ziermans, T B; Swaab, H

2016-11-01

Little is known about the role of behavioural executive functioning (EF) skills and level of intelligence (IQ) on math abilities in children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Teachers of 63 children attending a school for special education (age: 10 to 13 years; IQ: 50 to 85) filled out a Behaviour Rating Inventory for Executive Function for each student. Furthermore, students took a standardised national composite math test and a specific math test on measurement and time problems. Information on level of intelligence was gathered through school records. Multiple regression analyses were performed to test direct, moderating and mediating effects of EF and IQ on math performance. Behavioural problems with working memory and flexibility had a direct negative effect on math outcome, while concurrently, level of intelligence had a positive effect. The effect of IQ on math skills was moderated by problems with inhibition: in children with a clinical level of inhibition problems, there was no effect of level of intelligence on math performance. Findings suggest that in students with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities and math difficulties, it is important to address their strengths and weaknesses with respect to EF and adjust instruction and remedial intervention accordingly. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mapping Success: Performance-Based Scholarships, Student Services, and Developmental Math at Hillsborough Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sommo, Colleen; Boynton, Melissa; Collado, Herbert; Diamond, John; Gardenhire, Alissa; Ratledge, Alyssa; Rudd, Timothy; Weiss, Michael J.

2014-01-01

In 2010, Hillsborough Community College (HCC), a large multicampus institution in Tampa, Florida, worked with MDRC to create the Mathematics Access Performance Scholarship (MAPS) program to help academically underprepared community college students succeed in developmental math. MAPS provides an incentive for low-income students referred to…

Acceleration across California: Shorter Pathways in Developmental English and Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hern, Katie

2012-01-01

Developmental courses in English, math, and reading have an important purpose in higher education, especially in the open-access world of community colleges. These classes--also referred to as "remedial"--are intended to give less-prepared students a chance to catch up and meet the challenges of college-level coursework. However,…

The Efficacy of Instructional Strategy on Mathematics Achievement, Attitudes, and Anxiety Levels of Developmental Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas-Browne, Carmen G.

2009-01-01

This dissertation investigated three instructional strategies in developmental math classes to determine if instructional strategy had a positive effect on student achievement, attitude towards mathematics, and anxiety level towards mathematics at a college in western Pennsylvania for students majoring in applied arts. The significance of this…

Math Anxiety in Second and Third Graders and Its Relation to Mathematics Achievement

PubMed Central

Wu, Sarah S.; Barth, Maria; Amin, Hitha; Malcarne, Vanessa; Menon, Vinod

2012-01-01

Although the detrimental effects of math anxiety in adults are well understood, few studies have examined how it affects younger children who are beginning to learn math in a formal academic setting. Here, we examine the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in second and third graders. In response to the need for a grade-appropriate measure of assessing math anxiety in this group we first describe the development of Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (SEMA), a new measure for assessing math anxiety in second and third graders that is based on the Math Anxiety Rating Scale. We demonstrate the construct validity and reliability of the SEMA and use it to characterize the effect of math anxiety on standardized measures of math abilities, as assessed using the Mathematical Reasoning and Numerical Operations subtests of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-II). Math achievement, as measured by the WIAT-II Math Composite score, was significantly and negatively correlated with SEMA but not with trait anxiety scores. Additional analyses showed that SEMA scores were strongly correlated with Mathematical Reasoning scores, which involves more complex verbal problem solving. SEMA scores were weakly correlated with Numerical Operations which assesses basic computation skills, suggesting that math anxiety has a pronounced effect on more demanding calculations. We also found that math anxiety has an equally detrimental impact on math achievement regardless of whether children have an anxiety related to numbers or to the situational and social experience of doing math. Critically, these effects were unrelated to trait anxiety, providing the first evidence that the specific effects of math anxiety can be detected in the earliest stages of formal math learning in school. Our findings provide new insights into the developmental origins of math anxiety, and further underscore the need to remediate math anxiety and its deleterious effects on math achievement in young children. PMID:22701105

Math anxiety in second and third graders and its relation to mathematics achievement.

PubMed

Wu, Sarah S; Barth, Maria; Amin, Hitha; Malcarne, Vanessa; Menon, Vinod

2012-01-01

Although the detrimental effects of math anxiety in adults are well understood, few studies have examined how it affects younger children who are beginning to learn math in a formal academic setting. Here, we examine the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in second and third graders. In response to the need for a grade-appropriate measure of assessing math anxiety in this group we first describe the development of Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (SEMA), a new measure for assessing math anxiety in second and third graders that is based on the Math Anxiety Rating Scale. We demonstrate the construct validity and reliability of the SEMA and use it to characterize the effect of math anxiety on standardized measures of math abilities, as assessed using the Mathematical Reasoning and Numerical Operations subtests of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-II). Math achievement, as measured by the WIAT-II Math Composite score, was significantly and negatively correlated with SEMA but not with trait anxiety scores. Additional analyses showed that SEMA scores were strongly correlated with Mathematical Reasoning scores, which involves more complex verbal problem solving. SEMA scores were weakly correlated with Numerical Operations which assesses basic computation skills, suggesting that math anxiety has a pronounced effect on more demanding calculations. We also found that math anxiety has an equally detrimental impact on math achievement regardless of whether children have an anxiety related to numbers or to the situational and social experience of doing math. Critically, these effects were unrelated to trait anxiety, providing the first evidence that the specific effects of math anxiety can be detected in the earliest stages of formal math learning in school. Our findings provide new insights into the developmental origins of math anxiety, and further underscore the need to remediate math anxiety and its deleterious effects on math achievement in young children.

[The impact of precursors on reading, spelling, and arithmetic at school 2nd grade].

PubMed

Daseking, M; Petermann, F

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine the role of precursors in the prediction of school achievement. 372 children were followed from health examination for school entry to the second grade. Preschool skills assessed by a screening of developmental stage (SOPESS) were related to second-grade reading (ELFE 1-6), spelling (DERET 1-2+), and arithmetic (DEMAT 1+) by correlation and regression analyses. Correlations between numeracy and math abilities (r=0,340) met with our expectations as also did those between verbal abilities and spelling (r=0,276). The subtests of attention and counting (SOPESS) contribute significantly to an explanation of the variance in school achievement. Numeracy predicts math achievement, and verbal memory contributes to school achievement in math and spelling. Our findings support the contribution of visual selective attention, phonological memory, and verbal abilities to the development of reading, spelling, and math at primary school. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Improving Mathematics Learning by Integrating Curricular Activities with Innovative and Developmentally Appropriate Digital Apps: Findings from the Next Generation Preschool Math Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Presser, Ashley Lewis; Vahey, Philip; Dominguez, Ximena

2015-01-01

This paper describes findings from a blocked randomized design (BRD) field study conducted to examine the "Next Generation Preschool Math" (NGPM) program's implementation in preschool classrooms and promise in improving young children's mathematic learning. NGPM integrates traditional preschool activities with developmentally appropriate…

Creating an Alternative Developmental Math Pathway at Delaware Technical Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, John Patrick, Jr.

2017-01-01

Developmental mathematics pass rates at Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC) have remained the same or decreased for a number of years despite two different math curriculum redesigns. They hover around 50 percent or below at each campus, even after the implementation of a second redesign this past Fall 2016 semester. The first redesign…

The Developmental Dynamics of Task-Avoidant Behavior and Math Performance in Kindergarten and Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirvonen, Riikka; Tolvanen, Asko; Aunola, Kaisa; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2012-01-01

Besides cognitive factors, children's learning at school may be influenced by more dynamic phenomena, such as motivation and achievement-related task-avoidant behavior. The present study examined the developmental dynamics of task-avoidant behavior and math performance from kindergarten to Grade 4. A total of 225 children were tested for their…

Mathematics anxiety in children with developmental dyscalculia.

PubMed

Rubinsten, Orly; Tannock, Rosemary

2010-07-15

Math anxiety, defined as a negative affective response to mathematics, is known to have deleterious effects on math performance in the general population. However, the assumption that math anxiety is directly related to math performance, has not yet been validated. Thus, our primary objective was to investigate the effects of math anxiety on numerical processing in children with specific deficits in the acquisition of math skills (Developmental Dyscalculia; DD) by using a novel affective priming task as an indirect measure. Participants (12 children with DD and 11 typically-developing peers) completed a novel priming task in which an arithmetic equation was preceded by one of four types of priming words (positive, neutral, negative or related to mathematics). Children were required to indicate whether the equation (simple math facts based on addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) was true or false. Typically, people respond to target stimuli more quickly after presentation of an affectively-related prime than after one that is unrelated affectively. Participants with DD responded faster to targets that were preceded by both negative primes and math-related primes. A reversed pattern was present in the control group. These results reveal a direct link between emotions, arithmetic and low achievement in math. It is also suggested that arithmetic-affective priming might be used as an indirect measure of math anxiety.

How Are Community College Students Assessed and Placed in Developmental Math? Grounding Our Understanding in Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melguizo, Tatiana; Kosiewicz, Holly; Prather, George; Bos, Johannes

2014-01-01

The study's main objective was to provide a detailed description of math Assessment and Placement (A&P) policies in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). The study was focused on math because a larger proportion of students place into remedial math than remedial reading or English (Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010; Parsad, Lewis,…

How a Networked Improvement Community Improved Success Rates for Struggling College Math Students. Improvement Vignette

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2017

2017-01-01

The Carnegie Foundation launched its Math Pathways initiative nearly six years ago at 29 colleges across the country with the aim of improving success rates in developmental math. Tens of thousands of students a year, who need additional preparation for college-level math, are shut out of earning degrees and fulfilling careers due to the huge…

Mathematics intervention for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A replication and extension of the math interactive learning experience (MILE) program.

PubMed

Kully-Martens, Katrina; Pei, Jacqueline; Kable, Julie; Coles, Claire D; Andrew, Gail; Rasmussen, Carmen

2018-07-01

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) experience deficits in behavior, cognition, and academic functioning resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Although receiving intervention for developmental disabilities is a strong protective factor against negative outcomes in FASD, intervention research in this population is in its infancy. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend a mathematics intervention, the Math Interactive Learning Experience (MILE) program, which was developed in the USA specifically for children with FASD. Twenty-eight Canadian children aged 4-10 years with confirmed PAE or an FASD diagnosis were assigned to either the MILE intervention or a contrast intervention. Following a relatively brief, individualized, one-on-one intervention, children in the MILE group demonstrated significantly greater changes in math achievement compared to the contrast group. Significant changes in other cognitive functions were not observed. Older age, lower IQ, and confirmed PAE but no FASD diagnosis were associated with greater math achievement change in the MILE group. The replication and extension of the math intervention appears to have significant, positive impact on mathematics achievement scores of children with PAE and FASD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Success in Developmental Mathematics: An Interview with Paul Nolting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boylan, Hunter R.

2011-01-01

This article presents an interview with Dr. Paul Nolting, a national expert in assessing individual math learning problems, developing effective student learning strategies, and assessing institutional variables that affect math success. Since his dissertation in 1986 on improving math success with study skills Dr. Nolting has consulted with over…

Math-related career aspirations and choices within Eccles et al.'s expectancy-value theory of achievement-related behaviors.

PubMed

Lauermann, Fani; Tsai, Yi-Miau; Eccles, Jacquelynne S

2017-08-01

Which occupation to pursue is one of the more consequential decisions people make and represents a key developmental task. Yet the underlying developmental processes associated with either individual or group differences in occupational choices are still not well understood. This study contributes toward filling this gap, focusing in particular on the math domain. We examined two aspects of Eccles et al.'s (1983) expectancy-value theory of achievement-related behaviors: (a) the reciprocal associations between adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs and adolescents' career plans and (b) the multiplicative association between expectancies and values in predicting occupational outcomes in the math domain. Our analyses indicate that adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs about math and their math- or science-related career plans reported at the beginning and end of high school predict each other over time, with the exception of intrinsic interest in math. Furthermore, multiplicative associations between adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs about math predict math-related career attainment approximately 15 years after graduation from high school. Gender differences emerged regarding career-related beliefs and career attainment, with male students being more likely than female to both pursue and attain math-related careers. These gender differences could not be explained by differences in beliefs about math as an academic subject. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Mathematics anxiety in children with developmental dyscalculia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Math anxiety, defined as a negative affective response to mathematics, is known to have deleterious effects on math performance in the general population. However, the assumption that math anxiety is directly related to math performance, has not yet been validated. Thus, our primary objective was to investigate the effects of math anxiety on numerical processing in children with specific deficits in the acquisition of math skills (Developmental Dyscalculia; DD) by using a novel affective priming task as an indirect measure. Methods Participants (12 children with DD and 11 typically-developing peers) completed a novel priming task in which an arithmetic equation was preceded by one of four types of priming words (positive, neutral, negative or related to mathematics). Children were required to indicate whether the equation (simple math facts based on addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) was true or false. Typically, people respond to target stimuli more quickly after presentation of an affectively-related prime than after one that is unrelated affectively. Result Participants with DD responded faster to targets that were preceded by both negative primes and math-related primes. A reversed pattern was present in the control group. Conclusion These results reveal a direct link between emotions, arithmetic and low achievement in math. It is also suggested that arithmetic-affective priming might be used as an indirect measure of math anxiety. PMID:20633269

The impact of a developmental science course on college success for underprepared health science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Candace A.

Developmental education for the academically underprepared college student has been aimed at helping students succeed in college. However, developmental education courses have traditionally focused on reading, writing and math. This quantitative study examined the relationship between a developmental science course for underprepared health science students on grades achieved in college level medical terminology courses. The effect was measured by analyzing student grades retrieved from a college database of official school records through the use of correlation research methodology during a previous 2-year academic period at a selected independent 4-year right-to-try college. The results yielded a weakly positive correlation, but not statistically significant coefficient of 0.325 between grades for students who successfully completed the developmental science course and their subsequent success in a college-level science course. The study added to the gap in knowledge in terms of the effect a developmental science course has on grades in college-level science courses.

Seeking mathematics success for college students: a randomized field trial of an adapted approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gula, Taras; Hoessler, Carolyn; Maciejewski, Wes

2015-11-01

Many students enter the Canadian college system with insufficient mathematical ability and leave the system with little improvement. Those students who enter with poor mathematics ability typically take a developmental mathematics course as their first and possibly only mathematics course. The educational experiences that comprise a developmental mathematics course vary widely and are, too often, ineffective at improving students' ability. This trend is concerning, since low mathematics ability is known to be related to lower rates of success in subsequent courses. To date, little attention has been paid to the selection of an instructional approach to consistently apply across developmental mathematics courses. Prior research suggests that an appropriate instructional method would involve explicit instruction and practising mathematical procedures linked to a mathematical concept. This study reports on a randomized field trial of a developmental mathematics approach at a college in Ontario, Canada. The new approach is an adaptation of the JUMP Math program, an explicit instruction method designed for primary and secondary school curriculae, to the college learning environment. In this study, a subset of courses was assigned to JUMP Math and the remainder was taught in the same style as in the previous years. We found consistent, modest improvement in the JUMP Math sections compared to the non-JUMP sections, after accounting for potential covariates. The findings from this randomized field trial, along with prior research on effective education for developmental mathematics students, suggest that JUMP Math is a promising way to improve college student outcomes.

Stepping Stones to a Degree: The Impact of Enrollment Pathways and Milestones on Older Community College Student Outcomes. CCRC Brief Number 32

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calcagno, Juan Carlos; Crosta, Peter; Bailey, Thomas; Jenkins, Davis

2006-01-01

This Brief reports on a new study that begins to fill this research gap. Using longitudinal unit record transcript data on a cohort of first-time community college students in Florida, the study sought to determine whether remedial pathways, such as enrolling in a developmental math course, and enrollment milestones, such as completing a certain…

Developmental Changes in Working Memory, Updating, and Math Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kerry; Bull, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Children with higher working memory or updating (WMU) capacity perform better in math. What is less clear is whether and how this relation varies with grade. Children (N = 673, kindergarten to Grade 9) participated in a 4-year cross-sequential study. Data from 3 WMU (Listening Recall, Mr. X, and an updating task) and a standardized math task…

Academic Progress in Developmental Math Courses: A Comparative Study of Student Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, Loretta H.

2010-01-01

The majority of college students are not ready for college-level math courses, which, when completed, have been shown to increase graduation and transfer rates among college students. To address this problem, the Math My Way (MMW) program was developed to integrate module-based curriculum and mastery learning approaches. The purpose of this study…

National Association for the Education of Young Children

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... families — from child development to reading, writing, music, math, and more! Higher Education Search an ECE degree ... childhood topics such Developmentally Appropriate Practice, play, and math. Blog Stay up-to-date on issues in ...

Working memory, math performance, and math anxiety.

PubMed

Ashcraft, Mark H; Krause, Jeremy A

2007-04-01

The cognitive literature now shows how critically math performance depends on working memory, for any form of arithmetic and math that involves processes beyond simple memory retrieval. The psychometric literature is also very clear on the global consequences of mathematics anxiety. People who are highly math anxious avoid math: They avoid elective coursework in math, both in high school and college, they avoid college majors that emphasize math, and they avoid career paths that involve math. We go beyond these psychometric relationships to examine the cognitive consequences of math anxiety. We show how performance on a standardized math achievement test varies as a function of math anxiety, and that math anxiety compromises the functioning of working memory. High math anxiety works much like a dual task setting: Preoccupation with one's math fears and anxieties functions like a resource-demanding secondary task. We comment on developmental and educational factors related to math and working memory, and on factors that may contribute to the development of math anxiety.

Relation Between Mathematical Performance, Math Anxiety, and Affective Priming in Children With and Without Developmental Dyscalculia.

PubMed

Kucian, Karin; Zuber, Isabelle; Kohn, Juliane; Poltz, Nadine; Wyschkon, Anne; Esser, Günter; von Aster, Michael

2018-01-01

Many children show negative emotions related to mathematics and some even develop mathematics anxiety. The present study focused on the relation between negative emotions and arithmetical performance in children with and without developmental dyscalculia (DD) using an affective priming task. Previous findings suggested that arithmetic performance is influenced if an affective prime precedes the presentation of an arithmetic problem. In children with DD specifically, responses to arithmetic operations are supposed to be facilitated by both negative and mathematics-related primes (= negative math priming effect ).We investigated mathematical performance, math anxiety, and the domain-general abilities of 172 primary school children (76 with DD and 96 controls). All participants also underwent an affective priming task which consisted of the decision whether a simple arithmetic operation (addition or subtraction) that was preceded by a prime (positive/negative/neutral or mathematics-related) was true or false. Our findings did not reveal a negative math priming effect in children with DD. Furthermore, when considering accuracy levels, gender, or math anxiety, the negative math priming effect could not be replicated. However, children with DD showed more math anxiety when explicitly assessed by a specific math anxiety interview and showed lower mathematical performance compared to controls. Moreover, math anxiety was equally present in boys and girls, even in the earliest stages of schooling, and interfered negatively with performance. In conclusion, mathematics is often associated with negative emotions that can be manifested in specific math anxiety, particularly in children with DD. Importantly, present findings suggest that in the assessed age group, it is more reliable to judge math anxiety and investigate its effects on mathematical performance explicitly by adequate questionnaires than by an affective math priming task.

Relation Between Mathematical Performance, Math Anxiety, and Affective Priming in Children With and Without Developmental Dyscalculia

PubMed Central

Kucian, Karin; Zuber, Isabelle; Kohn, Juliane; Poltz, Nadine; Wyschkon, Anne; Esser, Günter; von Aster, Michael

2018-01-01

Many children show negative emotions related to mathematics and some even develop mathematics anxiety. The present study focused on the relation between negative emotions and arithmetical performance in children with and without developmental dyscalculia (DD) using an affective priming task. Previous findings suggested that arithmetic performance is influenced if an affective prime precedes the presentation of an arithmetic problem. In children with DD specifically, responses to arithmetic operations are supposed to be facilitated by both negative and mathematics-related primes (=negative math priming effect).We investigated mathematical performance, math anxiety, and the domain-general abilities of 172 primary school children (76 with DD and 96 controls). All participants also underwent an affective priming task which consisted of the decision whether a simple arithmetic operation (addition or subtraction) that was preceded by a prime (positive/negative/neutral or mathematics-related) was true or false. Our findings did not reveal a negative math priming effect in children with DD. Furthermore, when considering accuracy levels, gender, or math anxiety, the negative math priming effect could not be replicated. However, children with DD showed more math anxiety when explicitly assessed by a specific math anxiety interview and showed lower mathematical performance compared to controls. Moreover, math anxiety was equally present in boys and girls, even in the earliest stages of schooling, and interfered negatively with performance. In conclusion, mathematics is often associated with negative emotions that can be manifested in specific math anxiety, particularly in children with DD. Importantly, present findings suggest that in the assessed age group, it is more reliable to judge math anxiety and investigate its effects on mathematical performance explicitly by adequate questionnaires than by an affective math priming task. PMID:29755376

Developmental Education Repeaters: Stories about Repetition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dell, Jade J.

2012-01-01

Developmental education students make up almost half of the community college population in the United States (Bettinger & Long, 2005). Approximately 42% of first-time freshmen at community colleges must enroll in at least one developmental education course in English, reading and/or math (NCES, 2010). Many developmental education students are…

Changing the Developmental Trajectory in Early Math through a Two-Year Preschool Math Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkey, Prentice; Klein, Alice; DeFlorio, Lydia

2013-01-01

There is a national need for effective interventions to improve school readiness and subsequent achievement in mathematics for students from low-income families. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a 2-year preschool math intervention that began at preschool entry when children were 3 years of age and continued through the end…

The Effects of Requiring Study Group Participation Associated with Students' Attitudes and Achievements in Developmental Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Clayton D.

2012-01-01

It is widely publicized that student attitudes and achievement in math in the United States require improvement. U.S. students have shown lackluster mathematics achievement scores compared to their international peers in other developed countries. As a former high school math instructor, this author observed that the attitude of many high school…

Do Teachers' Perceptions of Children's Math and Reading Related Ability and Effort Predict Children's Self-Concept of Ability in Math and Reading?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Upadyaya, Katja; Eccles, Jacquelynne

2015-01-01

This study investigated to what extent primary school teachers' perceptions of their students' ability and effort predict developmental changes in children's self-concepts of ability in math and reading after controlling for students' academic performance and general intelligence. Three cohorts (N?=?849) of elementary school children and their…

Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school

PubMed Central

Devine, Amy; Hill, Francesca; Szűcs, Dénes

2017-01-01

Introduction Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance. Method We measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8–9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11–13). We conducted latent profile analysis of students’ anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance. Results Anxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety). Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety. Conclusions There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one’s anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance. PMID:28350857

Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school.

PubMed

Carey, Emma; Devine, Amy; Hill, Francesca; Szűcs, Dénes

2017-01-01

Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance. We measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8-9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11-13). We conducted latent profile analysis of students' anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance. Anxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety). Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety. There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one's anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance.

An integrated model of academic self-concept development: Academic self-concept, grades, test scores, and tracking over 6 years.

PubMed

Marsh, Herbert W; Pekrun, Reinhard; Murayama, Kou; Arens, A Katrin; Parker, Philip D; Guo, Jiesi; Dicke, Theresa

2018-02-01

Our newly proposed integrated academic self-concept model integrates 3 major theories of academic self-concept formation and developmental perspectives into a unified conceptual and methodological framework. Relations among math self-concept (MSC), school grades, test scores, and school-level contextual effects over 6 years, from the end of primary school through the first 5 years of secondary school (a representative sample of 3,370 German students, 42 secondary schools, 50% male, M age at grade 5 = 11.75) support the (1) internal/external frame of reference model: Math school grades had positive effects on MSC, but the effects of German grades were negative; (2) reciprocal effects (longitudinal panel) model: MSC was predictive of and predicted by math test scores and school grades; (3) big-fish-little-pond effect: The effects on MSC were negative for school-average achievement based on 4 indicators (primary school grades in math and German, school-track prior to the start of secondary school, math test scores in the first year of secondary school). Results for all 3 theoretical models were consistent across the 5 secondary school years: This supports the prediction of developmental equilibrium. This integration highlights the robustness of support over the potentially volatile early to middle adolescent period; the interconnectedness and complementarity of 3 ASC models; their counterbalancing strengths and weaknesses; and new theoretical, developmental, and substantive implications at their intersections. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Risky business: Correlation and causation in longitudinal studies of skill development.

PubMed

Bailey, Drew H; Duncan, Greg J; Watts, Tyler; Clements, Doug H; Sarama, Julie

2018-01-01

Developmental theories often posit that changes in children's early psychological characteristics will affect much later psychological, social, and economic outcomes. However, tests of these theories frequently yield results that are consistent with plausible alternative theories that posit a much smaller causal role for earlier levels of these psychological characteristics. Our article explores this issue with empirical tests of skill-building theories, which predict that early boosts to simpler skills (e.g., numeracy or literacy) or behaviors (e.g., antisocial behavior or executive functions) support the long-term development of more sophisticated skills or behaviors. Substantial longitudinal associations between academic or socioemotional skills measured early and then later in childhood or adolescence are often taken as support of these skill-building processes. Using the example of skill-building in mathematics, we argue that longitudinal correlations, even if adjusted for an extensive set of baseline covariates, constitute an insufficiently risky test of skill-building theories. We first show that experimental manipulation of early math skills generates much smaller effects on later math achievement than the nonexperimental literature has suggested. We then conduct falsification tests that show puzzlingly high cross-domain associations between early math and later literacy achievement. Finally, we show that a skill-building model positing a combination of unmeasured stable factors and skill-building processes can reproduce the pattern of experimental impacts on children's mathematics achievement. Implications for developmental theories, methods, and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The relation between space and math: developmental and educational implications.

PubMed

Mix, Kelly S; Cheng, Yi-Ling

2012-01-01

There is a well-known relation between spatial ability and mathematics dating back to the work of early twentieth century factor analysts. This connection is a ripe opportunity for educators, who might use spatial training to improve math learning. However, a closer look at the literature reveals gaps that impede direct application. The primary problem is that although this relation is well established in older children and adults, its emergence in early development and subsequent developmental interactions are not well documented. Moreover, there is a need for more mechanistic explanations that might be leveraged to improve math education. In this chapter, we attempt to address these issues by reviewing the existing literature to identify instances where answers are available and others where further research is needed.

Math CAMMP: A Constructivist Summer Camp for Teachers and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Michael; Piel, John A.

2012-01-01

A summer session, math methods course for elementary teachers incorporates 30 hours of instruction that emphasizes (1) developmentally appropriate instructional strategies, (2) hierarchical levels of increasingly abstract manipulatives, (3) ongoing assessment of student learning, (4) integrated thematic instructional modules, (5) team planning and…

[German version of the math anxiety questionnaire (FRA) for 6- to 9-year-old children].

PubMed

Krinzinger, Helga; Kaufmann, Liane; Dowker, Ann; Thomas, Gemma; Graf, Martina; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph; Willmes, Klaus

2007-09-01

Is the FRA a reliable and valid instrument? Are there any gender differences concerning math anxiety? Are there any developmental changes in this regard in the course of the early grades? Together with the dyscalculia test TEDI-MATH, the FRA was presented to a total of 450 children from the first to the third grade of primary school (at least 40 girls and 40 boys per semester). The total scale has an internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) between 0.83 and 0.91. Correlations between arithmetic skills and the FRA scales were mostly significant. The significantly higher negative scores for girls were taken into account by providing standard scores corrected for gender. No systematic developmental changes could be observed. The FRA is the first German math anxiety questionnaire for primary school children. High reliability, standard scores corrected for gender, and economic handling make it an instrument well suited for use in clinical settings (e.g., dyscalculia diagnostics and intervention).

Three Accelerated Developmental Education Programs: Features, Student Outcomes, and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaggars, Shanna Smith; Hodara, Michelle; Cho, Sung-Woo; Xu, Di

2015-01-01

To support the long-term success of underprepared students, many community colleges are experimenting with accelerated developmental education models, which allow students to complete remediation and enroll in college-level math and English within a shorter time frame. This study examines three developmental acceleration programs, including two in…

Sexism in Developmental Education: Tackling the Demon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Sharon

1994-01-01

Discusses the effects of sexism in education and the means by which educators can reduce it. Indicates that developmental educators are in a unique position to counteract sexism. Contains suggestions for overcoming sexism in five areas of developmental education (math, reading, writing, counseling, and administration) and in the classroom. (35…

Improving Math Success in Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bisk, Richard

2013-01-01

Many students begin higher education unprepared for college-level work in mathematics and must take non-credit developmental courses. Furthermore, many are "math-phobic" and avoid courses, majors and careers that involve quantitative work. Yet science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are among the few job-growth…

Two-year impacts of a universal school-based social-emotional and literacy intervention: an experiment in translational developmental research.

PubMed

Jones, Stephanie M; Brown, Joshua L; Lawrence Aber, J

2011-01-01

This study contributes to ongoing scholarship at the nexus of translational research, education reform, and the developmental and prevention sciences. It reports 2-year experimental impacts of a universal, integrated school-based intervention in social-emotional learning and literacy development on children's social-emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning. The study employed a school-randomized, experimental design with 1,184 children in 18 elementary schools. Children in the intervention schools showed improvements across several domains: self-reports of hostile attributional bias, aggressive interpersonal negotiation strategies, and depression, and teacher reports of attention skills, and aggressive and socially competent behavior. In addition, there were effects of the intervention on children's math and reading achievement for those identified by teachers at baseline at highest behavioral risk. These findings are interpreted in light of developmental cascades theory and lend support to the value of universal, integrated interventions in the elementary school period for promoting children's social-emotional and academic skills. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Regression Analyses of Self-Regulatory Concepts to Predict Community College Math Achievement and Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gramlich, Stephen Peter

2010-01-01

Open door admissions at community colleges bring returning adults, first timers, low achievers, disabled persons, and immigrants. Passing and retention rates for remedial and non-developmental math courses can be comparatively inadequate (LAVC, 2005; CCPRDC, 2000; SBCC, 2004; Seybert & Soltz, 1992; Waycaster, 2002). Mathematics achievement…

The Relationship of Drawing and Mathematical Problem Solving: "Draw for Math" Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edens, Kellah; Potter, Ellen

2007-01-01

This study examines a series of children's drawings ("Draw for Math" tasks) to determine the relationship of students' spatial understanding and mathematical problem solving. Level of spatial understanding was assessed by applying the framework of central conceptual structures suggested by Case (1996), a cognitive developmental researcher.…

What We Know about Developmental Education Outcomes. Research Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaggars, Shanna Smith; Stacey, Georgia West

2014-01-01

Many recent high school graduates who enter community college are required to take remedial or developmental education courses before enrolling in college-level courses. Developmental courses essentially reteach high school- and junior high school-level content in reading, writing, and math. In some cases, students are referred to two or even…

The Myths of Redesign in Developmental Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cafarella, Brian V.

2016-01-01

Due to poor student success rates in developmental mathematics, many institutions have implemented various forms of redesign into their developmental math curricula. Since the goal of redesign is to increase student success, it is salient to explore all aspects of the redesign process. Many studies have focused on the positive outcomes of redesign…

Mathematically Gifted Children: Developmental Brain Characteristics and Their Prognosis for Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Boyle, Michael W.

2008-01-01

Research in cognitive neuroscience suggests that the brains of mathematically gifted children are quantitatively and qualitatively different from those of average math ability. Math-gifted children exhibit signs of enhanced right-hemisphere development, and when engaged in the thinking process, tend to rely on mental imagery. They further manifest…

Using Linguistics in the Teaching of Developmental and Remedial Algebra.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesnak, Richard J.

Basic algebra at Robert Morris College (RMC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a remedial course for students with virtually no algebra background, and for students whose previous experiences with algebra have created math blocks and math anxiety. A study was conducted in an effort to measure quantitatively the benefits of using linguistic methods…

A Researcher-Practitioner Partnership on Remedial Math Contextualization in Career and Technical Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Xueli; Wang, Yan; Prevost, Amy

2017-01-01

This chapter documents a partnership between university-based researchers and community college instructors and practitioners in their collective pursuit to improve student success in manufacturing programs at a large urban 2-year technical college, presenting an example of a contextualized instructional approach to teaching developmental math,…

Doom and Resistance: Perspectives of Developmental Math Students at a Midwestern Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimura, Keiko

2012-01-01

The role and function of developmental education at the American community college has been a source of controversy for many years. One primary source of conflict is the role that remedial education plays. One view supports the notion that developmental education promotes a meritocratic system of rewards, whereby even the most unprepared are…

A Longitudinal Examination of African American Adolescents’ Attributions about Achievement Outcomes

PubMed Central

Swinton, Akilah D.; Kurtz-Costes, Beth; Rowley, Stephanie J.; Okeke-Adeyanju, Ndidi

2011-01-01

Developmental, gender, and academic domain differences in causal attributions and the influence of attributions on classroom engagement were explored longitudinally in 115 African American adolescents. In Grades 8 and 11, adolescents reported attributions for success and failure in math, English and writing, and science. In Grade 11, English and mathematics teachers rated students’ classroom engagement. Boys were more likely than girls to attribute math successes to high ability and to attribute English failures to low ability. Both genders’ ability attributions for math became more negative from eighth to eleventh grade. Grade 8 attributions of math failure to lack of ability were negatively related to Grade 11 math classroom engagement. Results illustrate the gendered nature of motivational beliefs among Black youth. PMID:21793818

Math College-Readiness of Texas Community College Students: A Multi-Year Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Reni A.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the college-readiness in math of Texas community college students using archival data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Data analyzed were the rate of all first-time in college (FTIC) developmental education students who scored below the Texas college-readiness standards…

Using Multiple Measures to Make Math Placement Decisions: Implications for Access and Success in Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngo, Federick; Kwon, William W.

2015-01-01

Community college students are often placed in developmental math courses based on the results of a single placement test. However, concerns about accurate placement have recently led states and colleges across the country to consider using other measures to inform placement decisions. While the relationships between college outcomes and such…

Community College Pathways' Program Success: Assessing the First Two Years' Effectiveness of Statway®

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamada, Hiroyuki

2014-01-01

Statway® is one of the Community College Pathways initiatives developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to promote students' progress beginning in developmental math to and through college math credit. Early descriptive results suggested that the Statway program has tripled the success rate for students in half the time…

A Latent Curve Model of Parental Motivational Practices and Developmental Decline in Math and Science Academic Intrinsic Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfried, Adele Eskeles; Marcoulides, George A.; Gottfried, Allen W.; Oliver, Pamella H.

2009-01-01

A longitudinal approach was used to examine the effects of parental task-intrinsic and task-extrinsic motivational practices on academic intrinsic motivation in the subject areas of math and science. Parental task-intrinsic practices comprise encouragement of children's pleasure and engagement in the learning process, whereas task-extrinsic…

An Out-of-Math Experience: Einstein, Relativity, and the Developmental Mathematics Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiore, Greg

2000-01-01

Discusses Einstein's special relativity theory and some of the developmental mathematics involved. Presents motivational classroom materials used in discussing relative-motion problems, evaluating a radical expression, graphing with asymptotes, interpreting a graph, studying variation, and solving literal and radical equations. (KHR)

78 FR 41924 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records-Impact Evaluation of Math Professional Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records--Impact Evaluation of Math... ``Impact Evaluation of Math Professional Development'' (18-13-35). The National Center for Education...-focused math professional development (PD) program on teacher knowledge, teacher practices, and student...

Working Memory and Mathematics: A Review of Developmental, Individual Difference, and Cognitive Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raghubar, Kimberly P.; Barnes, Marcia A.; Hecht, Steven A.

2010-01-01

Working memory refers to a mental workspace, involved in controlling, regulating, and actively maintaining relevant information to accomplish complex cognitive tasks (e.g. mathematical processing). Despite the potential relevance of a relation between working memory and math for understanding developmental and individual differences in…

Alternative Models to Deliver Developmental Math: Issues of Use and Student Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosiewicz, Holly; Ngo, Federick; Fong, Kristen

2016-01-01

Objective: Changing how community colleges deliver developmental education has become a key policy lever to increase student achievement. Alternative development education models reduce the amount of time a student spends in remediation, provide students with supplemental instruction and support, and contextualize content to align with student…

Academic interventions for students in introductory biology while concurrently enrolled in developmental courses: An action research study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, William D.

Each fall semester, approximately half of the students enrolled in the introductory biology course of a small rural college are concurrently enrolled in at least one developmental education math or English course. The resulting grades of D, F and Withdraw for this cohort will be as high as 50% for those enrolled in one developmental course and 65% for those enrolled in two. The purpose of this study was to provide academic interventions such as use of online supplemental learning materials and resources, as well as to emphasize the Campus Tutoring and Learning Center (CTLC) as a resource, for students in the introductory biology course in order to analyze the impact on the learning outcomes of the developmental students. The approach used was an action research model utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design with the treatment group receiving weekly reminders regarding the availability and value of utilizing the CTLC and the control group receiving only an initial invitation to visit the CTLC. The results found a statistically significant effect ( p < .05) on student use of the CTLC in the treatment group as compared to the control. This suggests that faculty emphasis of campus learning resources can have a positive impact on student behavior. The effect of online supplemental learning materials and resources, including use of the CTLC, on student learning outcomes was found to be statistically insignificant ( p > .05).

Specific features of after-school program quality: associations with children's functioning in middle childhood.

PubMed

Pierce, Kim M; Bolt, Daniel M; Vandell, Deborah Lowe

2010-06-01

This longitudinal study examined associations between three after-school program quality features (positive staff-child relations, available activities, programming flexibility) and child developmental outcomes (reading and math grades, work habits, and social skills with peers) in Grade 2 and then Grade 3. Participants (n = 120 in Grade 2, n = 91 in Grade 3) attended after-school programs more than 4 days per week, on average. Controlling for child and family background factors and children's prior functioning on the developmental outcomes, positive staff-child relations in the programs were positively associated with children's reading grades in both Grades 2 and 3, and math grades in Grade 2. Positive staff-child relations also were positively associated with social skills in Grade 2, for boys only. The availability of a diverse array of age-appropriate activities at the programs was positively associated with children's math grades and classroom work habits in Grade 3. Programming flexibility (child choice of activities) was not associated with child outcomes.

Executive Functioning and School Adjustment: The Mediational Role of Pre-kindergarten Learning-related Behaviors

PubMed Central

Sasser, Tyler R.; Bierman, Karen L.; Heinrichs, Brenda

2016-01-01

164 four-year-old children (14% Latino American, 30% African American, 56% European American; 57% girls) in 22 Head Start classrooms were followed through third grade. Growth curve models were used to estimate the predictive associations between pre-kindergarten executive function (EF) skills and trajectories of academic skill development (math, literacy, overall academic functioning) and social-emotional adjustment at school (social competence, aggression), controlling for child sex, race, verbal IQ, and pre-kindergarten baseline scores. Direct developmental pathways were examined, along with indirect pathways, in which the association between preschool EF and elementary school adjustment was mediated by classroom learning behaviors. Preschool EF significantly predicted later math skills, academic functioning, and social competence, and marginally predicted later literacy skills. Preschool learning behaviors fully mediated the association between EF and later literacy skills and social competence, but did not mediate associations between EF and later math skills or academic functioning. Implications for developmental theory and early education are discussed. PMID:27231409

Developmental dynamics between mathematical performance, task motivation, and teachers' goals during the transition to primary school.

PubMed

Aunola, Kaisa; Leskinen, Esko; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2006-03-01

It has been suggested that children's learning motivation and interest in a particular subject play an important role in their school performance, particularly in mathematics. However, few cross-lagged longitudinal studies have been carried out to investigate the prospective relationships between academic achievement and task motivation. Moreover, the role that the classroom context plays in this development is largely unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate the developmental dynamics of maths-related motivation and mathematical performance during children's transition to primary school. The role of teachers' pedagogical goals and classroom characteristics on this development was also investigated. A total of 196 Finnish children were examined four times: (0) in October during their preschool year; (1) in October and (2) April during their first grade of primary school; and (3) in October during their second grade. Children's mathematical performance was tested at each measurement point. Task motivation was examined at measurement points 2, 3, and 4 using the Task-value scale for children. First-grade teachers were interviewed in November about their pedagogical goals and classroom characteristics. The results showed that children's mathematical performance and related task motivation formed a cumulative developmental cycle: a high level of maths performance at the beginning of the first grade increased subsequent task motivation towards mathematics, which further predicted a high level of maths performance at the beginning of the second grade. The level of maths-related task motivation increased in those classrooms where the teachers emphasized motivation or self-concept development as their most important pedagogical goal.

A longitudinal examination of African American adolescents' attributions about achievement outcomes.

PubMed

Swinton, Akilah D; Kurtz-Costes, Beth; Rowley, Stephanie J; Okeke-Adeyanju, Ndidi

2011-01-01

Developmental, gender, and academic domain differences in causal attributions and the influence of attributions on classroom engagement were explored longitudinally in 115 African American adolescents. In Grades 8 and 11, adolescents reported attributions for success and failure in math, English and writing, and science. In Grade 11, English and mathematics teachers rated students' classroom engagement. Boys were more likely than girls to attribute math successes to high ability and to attribute English failures to low ability. Both genders' ability attributions for math became more negative from eighth to eleventh grades. Grade 8 attributions of math failure to lack of ability were negatively related to Grade 11 math classroom engagement. Results illustrate the gendered nature of motivational beliefs among Black youth. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Number Line Estimation: The Use of Number Line Magnitude Estimation to Detect the Presence of Math Disability in Postsecondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Steven A.

2010-01-01

This study arose from an interest in the possible presence of mathematics disabilities among students enrolled in the developmental math program at a large university in the Mid-Atlantic region. Research in mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) has included a focus on the construct of working memory and number sense. A component of number sense…

Language, reading, and math learning profiles in an epidemiological sample of school age children.

PubMed

Archibald, Lisa M D; Oram Cardy, Janis; Joanisse, Marc F; Ansari, Daniel

2013-01-01

Dyscalculia, dyslexia, and specific language impairment (SLI) are relatively specific developmental learning disabilities in math, reading, and oral language, respectively, that occur in the context of average intellectual capacity and adequate environmental opportunities. Past research has been dominated by studies focused on single impairments despite the widespread recognition that overlapping and comorbid deficits are common. The present study took an epidemiological approach to study the learning profiles of a large school age sample in language, reading, and math. Both general learning profiles reflecting good or poor performance across measures and specific learning profiles involving either weak language, weak reading, weak math, or weak math and reading were observed. These latter four profiles characterized 70% of children with some evidence of a learning disability. Low scores in phonological short-term memory characterized clusters with a language-based weakness whereas low or variable phonological awareness was associated with the reading (but not language-based) weaknesses. The low math only group did not show these phonological deficits. These findings may suggest different etiologies for language-based deficits in language, reading, and math, reading-related impairments in reading and math, and isolated math disabilities.

Language, Reading, and Math Learning Profiles in an Epidemiological Sample of School Age Children

PubMed Central

Archibald, Lisa M. D.; Oram Cardy, Janis; Joanisse, Marc F.; Ansari, Daniel

2013-01-01

Dyscalculia, dyslexia, and specific language impairment (SLI) are relatively specific developmental learning disabilities in math, reading, and oral language, respectively, that occur in the context of average intellectual capacity and adequate environmental opportunities. Past research has been dominated by studies focused on single impairments despite the widespread recognition that overlapping and comorbid deficits are common. The present study took an epidemiological approach to study the learning profiles of a large school age sample in language, reading, and math. Both general learning profiles reflecting good or poor performance across measures and specific learning profiles involving either weak language, weak reading, weak math, or weak math and reading were observed. These latter four profiles characterized 70% of children with some evidence of a learning disability. Low scores in phonological short-term memory characterized clusters with a language-based weakness whereas low or variable phonological awareness was associated with the reading (but not language-based) weaknesses. The low math only group did not show these phonological deficits. These findings may suggest different etiologies for language-based deficits in language, reading, and math, reading-related impairments in reading and math, and isolated math disabilities. PMID:24155959

Situating Teachers' Developmental Engineering Experiences in an Inquiry-Based, Laboratory Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardré, Patricia L.; Ling, Chen; Shehab, Randa L.; Nanny, Mark A.; Nollert, Matthias U.; Refai, Hazem; Ramseyer, Christopher; Herron, Jason; Wollega, Ebisa D.; Huang, Su-Min

2017-01-01

Many secondary math and science teachers don't understand the nature and application of engineering adequately to transfer that understanding to their students. Research is needed that investigates and illuminates the process and characteristics of development that addresses this gap. This mixed-method study examines the developmental experiences…

Latinas/os in Community College Developmental Education: Increasing Moments of Academic and Interpersonal Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acevedo-Gil, Nancy; Solorzano, Daniel G.; Santos, Ryan E.

2014-01-01

This qualitative study examines the experiences of Latinas/os in community college English and math developmental education courses. Critical race theory in education and the theory of validation serve as guiding frameworks. The authors find that institutional agents provide academic validation by emphasizing high expectations, focusing on social…

Evaluating the Effects of Mastery Learning in Postsecondary Developmental Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Kirk

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine which academic and affective student factors were significant to student success in a mastery learning program in developmental mathematics and to determine if the mastery learning program led to increased mathematical knowledge retention and success in the subsequent math course. The first phase of the…

Effectiveness of a Corequisite Delivery Model for Developmental Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fair, Katherine Eileen

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study is to determine the effectiveness of a corequisite delivery model for developmental math students at a 4-year public institution. Nationally, close to fifty percent of incoming college students are placed in non-credit bearing remedial courses (Complete College America, 2012). Students must…

Latinas/os in Community College Developmental Education: Increasing Moments of Academic and Interpersonal Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acevedo-Gil, Nancy; Santos, Ryan E.; Alonso, LLuliana; Solorzano, Daniel G.

2015-01-01

This qualitative study examines the experiences of Latinas/os in community college English and math developmental education courses. Critical race theory in education and the theory of validation serve as guiding frameworks. The authors find that institutional agents provide academic validation by emphasizing high expectations, focusing on social…

Specific learning disability in mathematics: a comprehensive review.

PubMed

Soares, Neelkamal; Evans, Teresa; Patel, Dilip R

2018-01-01

Math skills are necessary for success in the childhood educational and future adult work environment. This article reviews the changing terminology for specific learning disabilities (SLD) in math and describes the emerging genetics and neuroimaging studies that relate to individuals with math disability (MD). It is important to maintain a developmental perspective on MD, as presentation changes with age, instruction, and the different models (educational and medical) of identification. Intervention requires a systematic approach to screening and remediation that has evolved with more evidence-based literature. Newer directions in behavioral, educational and novel interventions are described.

Specific learning disability in mathematics: a comprehensive review

PubMed Central

Evans, Teresa; Patel, Dilip R.

2018-01-01

Math skills are necessary for success in the childhood educational and future adult work environment. This article reviews the changing terminology for specific learning disabilities (SLD) in math and describes the emerging genetics and neuroimaging studies that relate to individuals with math disability (MD). It is important to maintain a developmental perspective on MD, as presentation changes with age, instruction, and the different models (educational and medical) of identification. Intervention requires a systematic approach to screening and remediation that has evolved with more evidence-based literature. Newer directions in behavioral, educational and novel interventions are described. PMID:29441282

Work preferences, life values, and personal views of top math/science graduate students and the profoundly gifted: Developmental changes and gender differences during emerging adulthood and parenthood.

PubMed

Ferriman, Kimberley; Lubinski, David; Benbow, Camilla P

2009-09-01

Work preferences, life values, and personal views of top math/science graduate students (275 men, 255 women) were assessed at ages 25 and 35 years. In Study 1, analyses of work preferences revealed developmental changes and gender differences in priorities: Some gender differences increased over time and increased more among parents than among childless participants, seemingly because the mothers' priorities changed. In Study 2, gender differences in the graduate students' life values and personal views at age 35 were compared with those of profoundly gifted participants (top 1 in 10,000, identified by age 13 and tracked for 20 years: 265 men, 84 women). Again, gender differences were larger among parents. Across both cohorts, men appeared to assume a more agentic, career-focused perspective than women did, placing more importance on creating high-impact products, receiving compensation, taking risks, and gaining recognition as the best in their fields. Women appeared to favor a more communal, holistic perspective, emphasizing community, family, friendships, and less time devoted to career. Gender differences in life priorities, which intensify during parenthood, anticipated differential male-female representation in high-level and time-intensive careers, even among talented men and women with similar profiles of abilities, vocational interests, and educational experiences. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

78 FR 2379 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Impact Evaluation of Math Professional...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-11

...; Comment Request; Impact Evaluation of Math Professional Development AGENCY: IES/NCES, Department of... of Math Professional Development. OMB Control Number: 1850-NEW. Type of Review: New information... requests clearance to recruit and collect data from districts, schools, and teachers for a study of math...

Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators: Efforts to Improve Math and Science Learning Opportunities in Early Childhood Classrooms.

PubMed

Piasta, Shayne B; Logan, Jessica A R; Pelatti, Christina Yeager; Capps, Janet L; Petrill, Stephen A

2015-05-01

Because recent initiatives highlight the need to better support preschool-aged children's math and science learning, the present study investigated the impact of professional development in these domains for early childhood educators. Sixty-five educators were randomly assigned to experience 10.5 days (64 hours) of training on math and science or on an alternative topic. Educators' provision of math and science learning opportunities were documented, as were the fall-to-spring math and science learning gains of children ( n = 385) enrolled in their classrooms. Professional development significantly impacted provision of science, but not math, learning opportunities. Professional development did not directly impact children's math or science learning, although science learning was indirectly affected via the increase in science learning opportunities. Both math and science learning opportunities were positively associated with children's learning. Results suggest that substantive efforts are necessary to ensure that children have opportunities to learn math and science from a young age.

Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators: Efforts to Improve Math and Science Learning Opportunities in Early Childhood Classrooms

PubMed Central

Piasta, Shayne B.; Logan, Jessica A. R.; Pelatti, Christina Yeager; Capps, Janet L.; Petrill, Stephen A.

2014-01-01

Because recent initiatives highlight the need to better support preschool-aged children’s math and science learning, the present study investigated the impact of professional development in these domains for early childhood educators. Sixty-five educators were randomly assigned to experience 10.5 days (64 hours) of training on math and science or on an alternative topic. Educators’ provision of math and science learning opportunities were documented, as were the fall-to-spring math and science learning gains of children (n = 385) enrolled in their classrooms. Professional development significantly impacted provision of science, but not math, learning opportunities. Professional development did not directly impact children’s math or science learning, although science learning was indirectly affected via the increase in science learning opportunities. Both math and science learning opportunities were positively associated with children’s learning. Results suggest that substantive efforts are necessary to ensure that children have opportunities to learn math and science from a young age. PMID:26257434

Project-Based Learning Communities in Developmental Education: A Case Study of Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Alison; Christofili, Monica

2014-01-01

This case study tracks the application of project-based learning (PBL) during four separate college terms at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. Each term follows a different learning community of first-term college students enrolled in a program of developmental education (DE), reading, writing, math, and college survival and success…

Outcome Trajectories of Developmental Students in Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bremer, Christine D.; Center, Bruce A.; Opsal, Christen L.; Medhanie, Amanuel; Jang, Yoo Jeong; Geise, Aaron C.

2013-01-01

This analysis explores student outcomes related to taking developmental English (i.e., reading and/or writing) and math classes in three community colleges in three different states, using institutional data from 7,898 students who began college in the fall of 2009 (Cohort 1) or fall 2010 (Cohort 2). We examine the outcome trajectories of students…

College Completion and Participation in a Developmental Math Course for Hispanic and White Non-Hispanic Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glazier, Stephen Gene

2011-01-01

Purpose, Scope, and Method of Study. The population of interest in the study consisted of white and Hispanic high school graduates in the United States who attended college and completed a college developmental mathematics course. Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 were employed, and a longitudinal, quasi-experimental…

Early developmental trajectories of number knowledge and math achievement from 4 to 10 years: Low-persistent profile and early-life predictors.

PubMed

Garon-Carrier, Gabrielle; Boivin, Michel; Lemelin, Jean-Pascal; Kovas, Yulia; Parent, Sophie; Séguin, Jean R; Vitaro, Frank; Tremblay, Richard E; Dionne, Ginette

2018-06-01

Little is known about the development of number knowledge (NK) and the antecedents of low-persistent NK profiles in early childhood. We documented the developmental trajectories of NK across the transition from preschool to elementary school, their predictive validity with respect to later math achievement, and the child and family early-life factors associated with low NK profiles. Children's NK was assessed four times at regular intervals between the ages 4 and 7 years in a large, representative population-based sample. Developmental trajectories of NK were established for 1597 children. These children were also assessed with respect to several features of their family environment at 5, 17, and 29 months, as well as their cognitive skills at age 41 months. Analyses revealed a best-fitting 4-trajectory model, characterized by Low-Increasing (10% of the children), Moderate-Increasing (39%), Moderate-Fast Increasing (32%) and High-Increasing (19%) groups. Children of these trajectory groups differed significantly with respect to math achievement at ages 8 and 10 years, with the Low-Increasing group persistently scoring lower than the other groups throughout these years. Children of Low-Increasing NK group were from household of lower income and father with low educational background, poorer early cognitive development, and more importantly, reduced visual-spatial skills and memory-span. Children displaying reduced cognitive abilities and impoverished living conditions early in life are at greater risk of low NK throughout late preschool and school entry, with ensuing difficulties in math achievement. They deserve early preventive attention to help alleviate later mathematic difficulties. Copyright © 2018 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What Is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician?

MedlinePlus

... dyslexia, writing diffi culties, math disorders, and other school-related learning problems Attention and behavioral disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and associated conditions including oppositional-defiant behavior, conduct ...

Specific Features of After-School Program Quality: Associations with Children’s Functioning in Middle Childhood

PubMed Central

Bolt, Daniel M.; Vandell, Deborah Lowe

2010-01-01

This longitudinal study examined associations between three after-school program quality features (positive staff–child relations, available activities, programming flexibility) and child developmental outcomes (reading and math grades, work habits, and social skills with peers) in Grade 2 and then Grade 3. Participants (n = 120 in Grade 2, n = 91 in Grade 3) attended after-school programs more than 4 days per week, on average. Controlling for child and family background factors and children’s prior functioning on the developmental outcomes, positive staff–child relations in the programs were positively associated with children’s reading grades in both Grades 2 and 3, and math grades in Grade 2. Positive staff–child relations also were positively associated with social skills in Grade 2, for boys only. The availability of a diverse array of age-appropriate activities at the programs was positively associated with children’s math grades and classroom work habits in Grade 3. Programming flexibility (child choice of activities) was not associated with child outcomes. PMID:20336364

The Effectiveness of Accelerated Learning on Student Achievement in Developmental Courses Offered at a Rural Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Floyd, Anika Z.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the accelerated course learning format on student achievement in developmental English and math courses offered at a rural community college. Due to a rise in the number of underprepared students who enroll in community college, some college officials implemented the accelerated course…

Using High School Data to Understand College Readiness in the Northern Mariana Islands. REL 2017-268

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Phillip; Carreon, Daisy; Scanlan, Spencer; Dandapani, Nitara

2017-01-01

Over the period 2010-14 more than 80 percent of public high school graduates in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands were placed in non-credit-bearing developmental English courses and more than 92 percent were placed in developmental math courses when they enrolled at Northern Marianas College, the commonwealth's only public…

Math-Related Career Aspirations and Choices within Eccles Et Al.'s Expectancy--Value Theory of Achievement-Related Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lauermann, Fani; Tsai, Yi-Miau; Eccles, Jacquelynne S.

2017-01-01

Which occupation to pursue is one of the more consequential decisions people make and represents a key developmental task. Yet the underlying developmental processes associated with either individual or group differences in occupational choices are still not well understood. This study contributes toward filling this gap, focusing in particular on…

Enhancing Faculty Pedagogy and Student Outcomes in Developmental Math and English through an Online Community of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoule, Alioune; Pacht, Michelle; Schwartz, Jesse W.; van Slyck, Phyllis

2015-01-01

One of the most important topics for faculty in public higher education, especially at community colleges, is how to help developmental students succeed. Students requiring basic mathematics and English courses are the most at-risk college students in public education today. The authors received a grant from the Kresge Foundation that funded the…

Predictors of Persistence for Developmental Math Students in a Community and Technical College System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, J. Cody; Petrosko, Joseph M.

2015-01-01

At two-year public community colleges, the 2011 three-year persistence rate was 23.9%. From 1988 to 2006, between 40% and 60% of all first-time community college students were referred to and enrolled in at least one developmental education course. More students begin college underprepared in mathematics than any other subject area, and only about…

Probing the Nature of Deficits in the "Approximate Number System" in Children with Persistent Developmental Dyscalculia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bugden, Stephanie; Ansari, Daniel

2016-01-01

In the present study we examined whether children with Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) exhibit a deficit in the so-called "Approximate Number System" (ANS). To do so, we examined a group of elementary school children who demonstrated persistent low math achievement over 4 years and compared them to typically developing (TD), aged-matched…

Students' Agency in an In-Class Computer-Centered Developmental Mathematics Classroom: The Best Laid Plans of Math and (Wo)men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aly, Geillan Dahab

2016-01-01

Community colleges are tasked with helping all students regardless of their academic background to receive a degree, certificate, or other form of education. Many of these students need support in learning the mathematical content necessary to take college-level courses. Since a large proportion of students in these developmental classes are…

Experiences of Visually Impaired Students in Community College Math Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swan, S. Tomeka

Blind and visually impaired students who attend community colleges face challenges in learning mathematics (Forrest, 2010). Scoy, McLaughlin, Walls, and Zuppuhaur (2006) claim these students are at a disadvantage in studying mathematics due to the visual and interactive nature of the subject, and by the way mathematics is taught. In this qualitative study six blind and visually impaired students attended three community colleges in one Mid-Atlantic state. They shared their experiences inside the mathematics classroom. Five of the students were enrolled in developmental level math, and one student was enrolled in college level math. The conceptual framework used to explore how blind and visually impaired students persist and succeed in math courses was Piaget's theory on constructivism. The data from this qualitative study was obtained through personal interviews. Based on the findings of this study, blind and visually impaired students need the following accommodations in order to succeed in community college math courses: Accommodating instructors who help to keep blind and visually impaired students motivated and facilitate their academic progress towards math completion, tutorial support, assistive technology, and a positive and inclusive learning environment.

The Impact of Metacognitive Strategies and Self-Regulating Processes of Solving Math Word Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vula, Eda; Avdyli, Rrezarta; Berisha, Valbona; Saqipi, Blerim; Elezi, Shpetim

2017-01-01

This empirical study investigates the impact of metacognitive strategies and self-regulating processes in learners' achievement on solving math word problems. It specifically analyzes the impact of the linguistic factor and the number of steps and arithmetical operations that learners need to apply during the process of solving math word problems.…

Math and numeracy in young adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Dennis, Maureen; Barnes, Marcia

2002-01-01

The developmental stability of poor math skill was studied in 31 young adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus (SBH), a neurodevelopmental disorder involving malformations of the brain and spinal cord. Longitudinally, individuals with poor math problem solving as children grew into adults with poor problem solving and limited functional numeracy. As a group, young adults with SBH had poor computation accuracy, computation speed, problem solving, a ndfunctional numeracy. Computation accuracy was related to a supporting cognitive system (working memory for numbers), and functional numeracy was related to one medical history variable (number of lifetime shunt revisions). Adult functional numeracy, but not functional literacy, was predictive of higher levels of social, personal, and community independence.

Comparing Enrollment, Characteristics, and Academic Outcomes of Students in Developmental Courses and Those in Credit-Bearing Courses at Northern Marianas College. REL 2017-269

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Phillip; Scanlan, Spencer; Carreon, Daisy

2017-01-01

Many students graduate from high school academically unprepared for college. When such students enroll in college as first-time freshmen, they are commonly placed in non-credit-bearing developmental English and math courses to develop the skills necessary to complete freshman-level credit-bearing courses. Understanding students' college readiness…

A Mixed Methods Study: The Examination of a Developmental Education Program at an Urban Public Maryland Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moorer, Charles Daniel

2009-01-01

This was a mixed methods study that examined the developmental education program at an urban public Maryland community college. The data were collected from interviews with a former English Chair, a former Math Chair, and the Director of Institutional Research. Each was selected because of his and her expertise. Data were also collected from one…

The Effect of a Math Emporium Course Redesign in Developmental and Introductory Mathematics Courses on Student Achievement and Students' Attitudes toward Mathematics at a Two-Year College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Amy Renee

2010-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of computer-based instruction on student mathematics achievement and students' attitudes toward mathematics in developmental and introductory mathematics courses, namely Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra, at a community college. The researcher also examined the…

Physics First: Impact on SAT Math Scores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouma, Craig E.

Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a national priority and the call to modernize secondary science has been heard. A Physics First (PF) program with the curriculum sequence of physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) driven by inquiry- and project-based learning offers a viable alternative to the traditional curricular sequence (BCP) and methods of teaching, but requires more empirical evidence. This study determined impact of a PF program (PF-PCB) on math achievement (SAT math scores) after the first two cohorts of students completed the PF-PCB program at Matteo Ricci High School (MRHS) and provided more quantitative data to inform the PF debate and advance secondary science education. Statistical analysis (ANCOVA) determined the influence of covariates and revealed that PF-PCB program had a significant (p < .05) impact on SAT math scores in the second cohort at MRHS. Statistically adjusted, the SAT math means for PF students were 21.4 points higher than their non-PF counterparts when controlling for prior math achievement (HSTP math), socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnicity/race.

A Study of Perceptions of Math Mindset, Math Anxiety, and View of Math by Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hocker, Tami

2017-01-01

This study's purpose was to determine whether instruction in growth math mindset led to change in perceptions of 18-22-year-old at-risk students in math mindset, math anxiety, and view of math. The experimental curriculum was created by the researcher with the guidance of experts in mathematics and education and focused on the impact of brain…

The Impacts of Upward Bound Math-Science on Postsecondary Outcomes 7-9 Years after Scheduled High School Graduation: Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seftor, Neil S.; Calcagno, Juan Carlos

2010-01-01

This final report updates the report "Upward Bound Math-Science: Program Description and Interim Impact Estimates" published in 2007 (Olsen et al. 2007). The 2007 interim report contained descriptive findings from a survey of Upward Bound Math-Science (UBMS) grantees from the late 1990s at the time of the study's initiation and impact estimates…

Turning Negatives into Positives: The Role of an Instructional Math Course on Preservice Teachers' Math Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Looney, Lisa; Perry, David; Steck, Andy

2017-01-01

Teachers' beliefs about mathematics can play a role in their teaching effectiveness (Bandura, 1993). Negative attitudes toward math (e.g., math anxiety) or low self-efficacy beliefs for teaching math can act as barriers to the teaching process, impacting the achievement and math beliefs of students (Beilock, Gunderson, Ramirez, & Levine, 2010;…

What Is the Long-Run Impact of Learning Mathematics During Preschool?

PubMed

Watts, Tyler W; Duncan, Greg J; Clements, Douglas H; Sarama, Julie

2018-03-01

The current study estimated the causal links between preschool mathematics learning and late elementary school mathematics achievement using variation in treatment assignment to an early mathematics intervention as an instrument for preschool mathematics change. Estimates indicate (n = 410) that a standard deviation of intervention-produced change at age 4 is associated with a 0.24-SD gain in achievement in late elementary school. This impact is approximately half the size of the association produced by correlational models relating later achievement to preschool math change, and is approximately 35% smaller than the effect reported by highly controlled ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models (Claessens et al., 2009; Watts et al., ) using national data sets. Implications for developmental theory and practice are discussed. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The Impact of an Online Tutoring Program on Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Amy K.; Whetstone, Patti

2014-01-01

The authors explored the impact of an online tutoring program, Math Whizz (Whizz Education, 2014), on student mathematics achievement at 15 elementary schools. Students participated in the use of the Math Whizz program for the duration of the school year as a supplement to mathematics instruction. The Math Whizz program recorded such information…

Assessing Impacts of "Math in Focus," a "Singapore Math" Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaciw, Andrew P.; Hegseth, Whitney Michelle; Lin, Li; Toby, Megan; Newman, Denis; Ma, Boya; Zacamy, Jenna

2016-01-01

This study investigates, through a cluster randomized trial, the impact of "Math in Focus," a core mathematics program modeled after instructional approaches used in Singapore, on third- through fifth-grade students' achievement in mathematics. The program is currently being used in more than 400 school districts in the United States.…

Using an Intelligent Tutor and Math Fluency Training to Improve Math Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arroyo, Ivon; Royer, James M.; Woolf, Beverly P.

2011-01-01

This article integrates research in intelligent tutors with psychology studies of memory and math fluency (the speed to retrieve or calculate answers to basic math operations). It describes the impact of computer software designed to improve either strategic behavior or math fluency. Both competencies are key to improved performance and both…

STEM development: A study of 6th--12th grade girls' interest and confidence in mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heaverlo, Carol Ann

Researchers, policymakers, business, and industry have indicated that the United States will experience a shortage of professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Several strategies have been suggested to address this shortage, one of which includes increasing the representation of girls and women in the STEM fields. In order to increase the representation of women in the STEM fields, it is important to understand the developmental factors that impact girls' interest and confidence in STEM academics and extracurricular programs. Research indicates that greater confidence leads to greater interest and vice versa (Denissen et al., 2007). This study identifies factors that impact girls' interest and confidence in mathematics and science, defined as girls' STEM development. Using Bronfenbrenner's (2005) bioecological model of human development, several factors were hypothesized as having an impact on girls' STEM development; specifically, the macrosystems of region of residence and race/ethnicity, and the microsystems of extracurricular STEM activities, family STEM influence, and math/science teacher influence. Hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that extracurricular STEM involvement and math teacher influence were statistically significant predictors for 6--12th grade girls' interest and confidence in mathematics. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that the only significant predictor for 6--12th grade girls' interest and confidence in science was science teacher influence. This study provides new knowledge about the factors that impact girls' STEM development. Results can be used to inform and guide educators, administrators, and policy makers in developing programs and policy that support and encourage the STEM development of 6--12th grade girls.

The effect of cognitive education on the performance of students with neurological developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Jepsen, Ruthanne H; VonThaden, Karen

2002-01-01

A cognitive education program was developed to facilitate acquisition of cognitive skills and address the learning deficits of adolescent students with neurological, developmental disabilities, and autism. This study examined the outcomes of incorporating mediated cognitive education into special education classrooms. Cognitive education provided cognitive training utilizing REHABIT materials through mediated teaching. Following a matched pair model, forty-six students were assigned to either a treatment or a control group. All students received weekly instruction in Individual Educational Program (IEP) goals. Curriculum areas included IEP objectives in reading, math, social skills, health, science and social studies. Students in the control group received regular classroom instruction. Students in the treatment group participated in cognitive educated one hour per week replacing thirty minutes of reading and thirty minutes of math. Pre and posttest comparisons on measures of intelligence, achievement and adaptive behavior showed those students in the treatment group attained higher scores across measures.

Teachers and Counselors: Building Math Confidence in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furner, Joseph M.

2017-01-01

Mathematics teachers need to take on the role of counselors in addressing the math anxious in today's math classrooms. This paper looks at the impact math anxiety has on the future of young adults in our high-tech society. Teachers and professional school counselors are encouraged to work together to prevent and reduce math anxiety. It is…

The Impact of MOVE IT Math(TM) and Traditional Textbook Instruction on Math Achievement Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Angela Stephens

2010-01-01

One recommendation of government, education, and business leaders is an increased emphasis on math and science instruction in public schools. The purpose of this quantitative study using a posttest, quasi-experimental design was to determine if the Math Opportunities, Valuable Experiences, and Innovative Teaching (MOVE IT Math(TM)) program…

Math Performance as a Function of Math Anxiety and Arousal Performance Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnsworth, Donald M., Jr.

2009-01-01

While research continues to link increased math anxiety with reduced working memory, the exact nature of the relationship remains elusive. In addition, research regarding the extent of the impact math anxiety has on working memory is contradictory. This research clarifies the directional nature of math anxiety as it pertains to working memory, and…

Impact of Math Snacks Games on Students' Conceptual Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winburg, Karin; Chamberlain, Barbara; Valdez, Alfred; Trujillo, Karen; Stanford, Theodore B.

2016-01-01

This "Math Snacks" intervention measured 741 fifth grade students' gains in conceptual understanding of core math concepts after game-based learning activities. Teachers integrated four "Math Snacks" games and related activities into instruction on ratios, coordinate plane, number systems, fractions and decimals. Using a…

Cerebellum: links between development, developmental disorders and motor learning

PubMed Central

Manto, Mario U.; Jissendi, Patrice

2012-01-01

The study of the links and interactions between development and motor learning has noticeable implications for the understanding and management of neurodevelopmental disorders. This is particularly relevant for the cerebellum which is critical for sensorimotor learning. The olivocerebellar pathway is a key pathway contributing to learning of motor skills. Its developmental maturation and remodeling are being unraveled. Advances in genetics have led to major improvements in our appraisal of the genes involved in cerebellar development, especially studies in mutant mice. Cerebellar neurogenesis is compartmentalized in relationship with neurotransmitter fate. The Engrailed-2 gene is a major actor of the specification of cerebellar cell types and late embryogenic morphogenesis. Math1, expressed by the rhombic lip, is required for the genesis of glutamatergic neurons. Mutants deficient for the transcription factor Ptf1a display a lack of Purkinje cells and gabaergic interneurons. Rora gene contributes to the developmental signaling between granule cells and Purkinje neurons. The expression profile of sonic hedgehog in postnatal stages determines the final size/shape of the cerebellum. Genes affecting the development impact upon the physiological properties of the cerebellar circuits. For instance, receptors are developmentally regulated and their action interferes directly with developmental processes. Another field of research which is expanding relates to very preterm neonates. They are at risk for cerebellar lesions, which may themselves impair the developmental events. Very preterm neonates often show sensori-motor deficits, highlighting another major link between impaired developments and learning deficiencies. Pathways playing a critical role in cerebellar development are likely to become therapeutical targets for several neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:22291620

The Impact of Early Exposure of Eighth Grade Math Standards on End of Grade Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Tonjai E.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the Cumberland County Schools district-wide issue surrounding the disproportional performance of eighth grade Math I students' proficiency scores on standardized end-of-grade and end-of-course assessments. The study focused on the impact of the school district incorporating eighth grade math standards in…

The Impact of a Classroom-Based Guidance Program on Student Performance in Community College Math Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butcher, Kristin F.; Visher, Mary G.

2013-01-01

Passing through remedial and required math classes poses a significant barrier to success for many community college students. This study uses random assignment to investigate the impact of a "light-touch" intervention, where an individual visited math classes a few times during the semester, for a few minutes each time, to inform…

Math and science illiteracy: Social and economic impacts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, J.L.

1994-05-01

Today`s highly competitive global economy is being driven by increasingly rapid technological development. This paper explores the problems of math and science illiteracy in the United States and the potential impact on our economic survival in this environment during the next century. Established educational methods that reward task performance, emphasize passive lecture, and fail to demonstrate relevance to real life are partly to blame. Social norms, stereotypes, and race and gender bias also have an impact. To address this crisis, we need to question the philosophy of an educational system that values task over concept. Many schools have already initiatedmore » programs at all grade levels to make math and science learning more relevant, stimulating, and fun. Teaching methods that integrate math and science learning with teamwork, social context, and other academic subjects promote the development of higher-order thinking skills and help students see math and science as necessary skills.« less

What Mathematical Competencies Are Needed for Success in College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garofalo, Joe

1990-01-01

Identifies requisite math skills for a microeconomics course, offering samples of supply curves, demand curves, equilibrium prices, elasticity, and complex graph problems. Recommends developmental mathematics competencies, including problem solving, reasoning, connections, communication, number and operation sense, algebra, relationships,…

Feasibility and validity of the structured attention module among economically disadvantaged preschool-age children.

PubMed

Bush, Hillary H; Eisenhower, Abbey; Briggs-Gowan, Margaret; Carter, Alice S

2015-01-01

Rooted in the theory of attention put forth by Mirsky, Anthony, Duncan, Ahearn, and Kellam (1991), the Structured Attention Module (SAM) is a developmentally sensitive, computer-based performance task designed specifically to assess sustained selective attention among 3- to 6-year-old children. The current study addressed the feasibility and validity of the SAM among 64 economically disadvantaged preschool-age children (mean age = 58 months; 55% female); a population known to be at risk for attention problems and adverse math performance outcomes. Feasibility was demonstrated by high completion rates and strong associations between SAM performance and age. Principal Factor Analysis with rotation produced robust support for a three-factor model (Accuracy, Speed, and Endurance) of SAM performance, which largely corresponded with existing theorized models of selective and sustained attention. Construct validity was evidenced by positive correlations between SAM Composite scores and all three SAM factors and IQ, and between SAM Accuracy and sequential memory. Value-added predictive validity was not confirmed through main effects of SAM on math performance above and beyond age and IQ; however, significant interactions by child sex were observed: Accuracy and Endurance both interacted with child sex to predict math performance. In both cases, the SAM factors predicted math performance more strongly for girls than for boys. There were no overall sex differences in SAM performance. In sum, the current findings suggest that interindividual variation in sustained selective attention, and potentially other aspects of attention and executive function, among young, high-risk children can be captured validly with developmentally sensitive measures.

Improving quantitative skills in introductory geoscience courses at a four-year public institution using online math modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, E. S.

2011-12-01

Fitchburg State University has a diverse student population comprised largely of students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, including first-generation, low-income, and/or students with disabilities. Approximately half of our incoming students require developmental math coursework, but often enroll in science classes prior to completing those courses. Since our introductory geoscience courses (Oceanography, Meteorology, Geology, Earth Systems Science) do not have prerequisites, many students who take them lack basic math skills, but are taking these courses alongside science majors. In order to provide supplemental math instruction without sacrificing time for content, "The Math You Need, When You Need It (TMYN), a set of online math tutorials placed in a geoscience context, will be implemented in three of our introductory courses (Oceanography, Meteorology, and Earth Systems Science) during Fall, 2011. Students will complete 5-6 modules asynchronously, the topics of which include graphing skills, calculating rates, unit conversions, and rearranging equations. Assessment of quantitative skills will be tracked with students' pre- and post-test results, as well as individual module quiz scores. In addition, student assessment results from Oceanography will be compared to student data from Academic Year 2010-11, during which quantitative skills were evaluated with pre- and post-test questions, but students did not receive online supplemental instruction.

Counting on Early Math Skills: Preliminary Kindergarten Impacts of the Making Pre-K Count and High 5s Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattera, Shira; Morris, Pamela

2017-01-01

Early math ability is one of the best predictors of children's math and reading skills into late elementary school. Children with stronger math proficiency in elementary school, in turn, are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. However, early math skills have not historically been a major focus of instruction in preschool…

The Impact of Overcoming Fixation and Gender on Divergent Thinking in Solving Maths Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kandemir, Mehmet Ali

2007-01-01

The impact of fixation in solving math problems and that of gender on divergent thinking has been studied in this paper. The study was made in the academic year of 2006-2007, Fall Semester, at Necatibey Faculty of Education, Balikesir University. 229 first and second-year students at the Dept of Primary Math Teaching have been participated in the…

Upward Bound Math-Science: Program Description and Interim Impact Estimates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Robert; Seftor, Neil; Silva, Tim; Myers, David; DesRoches, David; Young, Julie

2007-01-01

To help address continuing disparities in academic achievement and under-representation of disadvantaged groups in math and science majors and careers, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) established a math and science initiative in 1990 within Upward Bound, a federal grant program known as Upward Bound Math-Science (UBMS) designed to provide…

Redesigning the Basics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Kay

2010-01-01

This article discusses the successful use of technology, rather than lectures, by Tennessee's community colleges to teach developmental reading and math. The redesign occurred with the support of the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT). In fall 2007, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) staff convened meetings to familiarize its…

Computer-based training for improving mental calculation in third- and fifth-graders.

PubMed

Caviola, Sara; Gerotto, Giulia; Mammarella, Irene C

2016-11-01

The literature on intervention programs to improve arithmetical abilities is fragmentary and few studies have examined training on the symbolic representation of numbers (i.e. Arabic digits). In the present research, three groups of 3rd- and 5th-grade schoolchildren were given training on mental additions: 76 were assigned to a computer-based strategic training (ST) group, 73 to a process-based training (PBT) group, and 71 to a passive control (PC) group. Before and after the training, the children were given a criterion task involving complex addition problems, a nearest transfer task on complex subtraction problems, two near transfer tasks on math fluency, and a far transfer task on numerical reasoning. Our results showed developmental differences: 3rd-graders benefited more from the ST, with transfer effects on subtraction problems and math fluency, while 5th-graders benefited more from the PBT, improving their response times in the criterion task. Developmental, clinical and educational implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Stability Balls, Activity Breaks, and a Sedentary Classroom on Standardized Math Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mead, Tim; Scibora, Lesley

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine if standardized math test scores improve by administering different types of exercise during math instruction. Three sixth grade classes were assessed on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) standardized math tests during the 2012 and 2013 academic year.…

The belief in a negative interdependence of math and verbal abilities as determinant of academic self-concepts.

PubMed

Möller, Jens; Streblow, Lilian; Pohlmann, Britta

2006-03-01

The internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model by Marsh (1986) assumes intra-individual dimensional comparisons in which students compare their own achievements in one subject with their achievements in other subjects. These comparison processes should lead to negative paths from achievement in one subject (e.g. maths) on self-concept in another subject (e.g. verbal domains). Within this study, we investigated the impact of students' belief in a negative interdependence of maths and verbal abilities, that is, whether students think of maths and verbal abilities as negatively correlated or not, on the impact of dimensional comparisons. Maths and German grades, academic self-concepts in maths and German, and a new scale on the beliefs in a negative interdependence of maths and verbal abilities students were assessed (N = 1,443). The importance of the negative interdependence beliefs could be shown: stronger beliefs in a negative interdependence of maths and verbal ability are accompanied by more negative path coefficients from grades in one subject to academic self-concepts in the other subject. Dimensional comparisons seem to be of particular importance for students with negative interdependence beliefs.

Penicillin for Education: How Cognitive Science Can Contribute to Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruer, John T.

1995-01-01

Education can benefit from knowledge derived from cognitive and developmental psychology. Family demographics have actually improved between 1970 and 90 and so have NAEP scores. Three innovative programs demonstrating cognitive science applications include the Teaching Number Sense elementary math program, reciprocal teaching (reading strategy),…

Neural correlates of math anxiety - an overview and implications.

PubMed

Artemenko, Christina; Daroczy, Gabriella; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2015-01-01

Math anxiety is a common phenomenon which can have a negative impact on numerical and arithmetic performance. However, so far little is known about the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. This mini review provides an overview of studies investigating the neural correlates of math anxiety which provide several hints regarding its influence on math performance: while behavioral studies mostly observe an influence of math anxiety on difficult math tasks, neurophysiological studies show that processing efficiency is already affected in basic number processing. Overall, the neurocognitive literature suggests that (i) math anxiety elicits emotion- and pain-related activation during and before math activities, (ii) that the negative emotional response to math anxiety impairs processing efficiency, and (iii) that math deficits triggered by math anxiety may be compensated for by modulating the cognitive control or emotional regulation network. However, activation differs strongly between studies, depending on tasks, paradigms, and samples. We conclude that neural correlates can help to understand and explore the processes underlying math anxiety, but the data are not very consistent yet.

Neural correlates of math anxiety – an overview and implications

PubMed Central

Artemenko, Christina; Daroczy, Gabriella; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2015-01-01

Math anxiety is a common phenomenon which can have a negative impact on numerical and arithmetic performance. However, so far little is known about the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. This mini review provides an overview of studies investigating the neural correlates of math anxiety which provide several hints regarding its influence on math performance: while behavioral studies mostly observe an influence of math anxiety on difficult math tasks, neurophysiological studies show that processing efficiency is already affected in basic number processing. Overall, the neurocognitive literature suggests that (i) math anxiety elicits emotion- and pain-related activation during and before math activities, (ii) that the negative emotional response to math anxiety impairs processing efficiency, and (iii) that math deficits triggered by math anxiety may be compensated for by modulating the cognitive control or emotional regulation network. However, activation differs strongly between studies, depending on tasks, paradigms, and samples. We conclude that neural correlates can help to understand and explore the processes underlying math anxiety, but the data are not very consistent yet. PMID:26388824

Arts-Infused Learning in Middle Level Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorimer, Maureen Reilly

2011-01-01

To address arts education disparities in middle level schools, this paper explores evidence that infusing the visual and performing arts into language arts, math, science, and history/social studies courses is a pedagogical approach that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents and fosters a relevant, challenging, integrative, and…

Changing State Policy in Texas for Remedial/Developmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Charles M.

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), implemented in 1989, requires student assessment in reading, writing, and math prior to regular college course work. Students undergo continuous remediation until they are able to pass the assessment test. Though TASP advocates argue that the program helps maintain academic standards and provides students…

Assessment of Tutoring Laboratories in a Learning Assistance Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fullmer, Patricia

2012-01-01

The Learning Resource Center at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, provides tutoring laboratories that are required for developmental reading, writing, and math courses. This article reviews the processes used to plan and determine the effectiveness of the tutoring laboratories, including logic models, student learning outcomes, and the results of…

Developing Compressed Beginning and Intermediate Algebra Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Sylvia E.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this project was two-fold. First, it would provide an opportunity for students to complete the developmental math course sequence more quickly, thereby enabling students to proceed to a college-level mathematics course sooner. To accomplish this, the classroom was designed with computer-assisted homework courses that blended…

Math 3008--Developmental Mathematics II. Course Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

This document contains the course syllabus and 12 independent practice modules for an introductory college algebra course designed to develop student proficiency in the basic algebraic skills. This is designed as the second of a two-semester sequence. Topics include performing operations with radicals and exponents; learning to solve equations;…

Math 3007--Developmental Mathematics I. Course Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

This document contains the course syllabus and 12 independent practice modules for an introductory college algebra course designed to develop student proficiency in the basic algebraic skills. This course is designed as the first of a two-semester sequence. Topics include operations with signed numbers; simple operations on monomials and…

Math 3013--Developmental Mathematics I and II. Course Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

This document contains the course syllabus and 12 independent practice modules for an introductory college algebra course that requires some previous knowledge of algebra and the ability to work at a rapid pace. Topics include the basic operations with signed integers; fractions; decimals; literal expressions; algebraic fractions; radicals;…

Famous Threesomes: Uncommon Uses for Common Stories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spears, Jo Ann Lohl

2003-01-01

This article presents a unit of fun and developmentally satisfying activities, using familiar folk stories focusing on threesomes. Each example involves story time, block center, art center, dramatic play, listening area, math and manipulatives center, folder game, group times, cooking, writing center, discovery center, and the music and movement…

Numerosity but not texture-density discrimination correlates with math ability in children.

PubMed

Anobile, Giovanni; Castaldi, Elisa; Turi, Marco; Tinelli, Francesca; Burr, David C

2016-08-01

Considerable recent work suggests that mathematical abilities in children correlate with the ability to estimate numerosity. Does math correlate only with numerosity estimation, or also with other similar tasks? We measured discrimination thresholds of school-age (6- to 12.5-years-old) children in 3 tasks: numerosity of patterns of relatively sparse, segregatable items (24 dots); numerosity of very dense textured patterns (250 dots); and discrimination of direction of motion. Thresholds in all tasks improved with age, but at different rates, implying the action of different mechanisms: In particular, in young children, thresholds were lower for sparse than textured patterns (the opposite of adults), suggesting earlier maturation of numerosity mechanisms. Importantly, numerosity thresholds for sparse stimuli correlated strongly with math skills, even after controlling for the influence of age, gender and nonverbal IQ. However, neither motion-direction discrimination nor numerosity discrimination of texture patterns showed a significant correlation with math abilities. These results provide further evidence that numerosity and texture-density are perceived by independent neural mechanisms, which develop at different rates; and importantly, only numerosity mechanisms are related to math. As developmental dyscalculia is characterized by a profound deficit in discriminating numerosity, it is fundamental to understand the mechanism behind the discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effect of Cognitively Guided Instruction on Primary Students' Math Achievement, Problem-Solving Abilities and Teacher Questioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medrano, Juan

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to impact the teaching and learning of math of 2nd through 4th grade math students at Porfirio H. Gonzales Elementary School. The Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) model serves as the independent variable for this study. Its intent is to promote math instruction that emphasizes problem-solving to a greater degree…

The role of early language abilities on math skills among Chinese children.

PubMed

Zhang, Juan; Fan, Xitao; Cheung, Sum Kwing; Meng, Yaxuan; Cai, Zhihui; Hu, Bi Ying

2017-01-01

The present study investigated the role of early language abilities in the development of math skills among Chinese K-3 students. About 2000 children in China, who were on average aged 6 years, were assessed for both informal math (e.g., basic number concepts such as counting objects) and formal math (calculations including addition and subtraction) skills, language abilities and nonverbal intelligence. Correlation analysis showed that language abilities were more strongly associated with informal than formal math skills, and regression analyses revealed that children's language abilities could uniquely predict both informal and formal math skills with age, gender, and nonverbal intelligence controlled. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the relationship between children's language abilities and formal math skills was partially mediated by informal math skills. The current findings indicate 1) Children's language abilities are of strong predictive values for both informal and formal math skills; 2) Language abilities impacts formal math skills partially through the mediation of informal math skills.

The role of early language abilities on math skills among Chinese children

PubMed Central

Fan, Xitao; Cheung, Sum Kwing; Cai, Zhihui; Hu, Bi Ying

2017-01-01

Background The present study investigated the role of early language abilities in the development of math skills among Chinese K-3 students. About 2000 children in China, who were on average aged 6 years, were assessed for both informal math (e.g., basic number concepts such as counting objects) and formal math (calculations including addition and subtraction) skills, language abilities and nonverbal intelligence. Methodology Correlation analysis showed that language abilities were more strongly associated with informal than formal math skills, and regression analyses revealed that children’s language abilities could uniquely predict both informal and formal math skills with age, gender, and nonverbal intelligence controlled. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the relationship between children’s language abilities and formal math skills was partially mediated by informal math skills. Results The current findings indicate 1) Children’s language abilities are of strong predictive values for both informal and formal math skills; 2) Language abilities impacts formal math skills partially through the mediation of informal math skills. PMID:28749950

Alternative Goal Structures for Computer Game-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ke, Fengfeng

2008-01-01

This field study investigated the application of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures in classroom use of computer math games and its impact on students' math performance and math learning attitudes. One hundred and sixty 5th-grade students were recruited and randomly assigned to Teams-Games-Tournament cooperative gaming,…

78 FR 16842 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-19

... of Math Professional Development AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Department of... to this notice will be considered public records. Title of Collection: Impact Evaluation of Math... of math professional development (PD). The study will provide important information about the...

A descriptive study of high school Latino and Caucasian students' values about math, perceived math achievement and STEM career choice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Flecha, Samuel

The purpose of this study was to examine high school students' math values, perceived math achievement, and STEM career choice. Participants (N=515) were rural high school students from the U.S. Northwest. Data was collected by administering the "To Do or Not to Do:" STEM pilot survey. Most participants (n=294) were Latinos, followed by Caucasians (n=142). Fifty-three percent of the students rated their math achievement as C or below. Of high math students, 57% were male. Females were 53% of low math students. Caucasians (61%) rated themselves as high in math in a greater proportion than Latinos (39%). Latinos (58%) rated themselves as low in math in a greater proportion than Caucasians (39%). Math Values play a significant role in students' perceived math achievement. Internal math values (r =.68, R2 =.46, p =.001) influenced perceived math achievement regardless of gender (males: r =.70, R2 =.49, p =.001; females: r =.65, R2 =.43, p =.001), for Latinos (r =.66, R2 =.44, p =.001), and Caucasians (r =.72, R2 =.51, p =.001). External math values (r =.53, R2 =.28, p =.001) influenced perceived math achievement regardless of gender (males: r =.54, R2 =.30, p =.001; females: r =.49, R2 =.24, p =.001), for Latinos (r =.47, R2 =.22, p =.001), and Caucasians (r =.58, R2 =.33, p =.001). Most high-math students indicated an awareness of being good at math at around 11 years old. Low-math students said that they realized that math was difficult for them at approximately 13 years of age. The influence of parents, teachers, and peers may vary at different academic stages. Approximately half of the participants said there was not a person who had significantly impacted their career choice; only a minority said their parents and teachers were influencing them to a STEM career. Parents and teachers are the most influential relationships in students' career choice. More exposure to STEM role models and in a variety of professions is needed. Possible strategies to impact students' career choice, future directions and recommendations are provided. In sum, positive experiences in STEM can favorably contribute to students' sense of competence and satisfaction.

Cooperative Learning: Middle School Students' Math Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odom, Rhonda

2010-01-01

Many American middle school students have negative perceptions of mathematics that could be impacting math achievement. Previous studies have examined the impact of cooperative learning on mathematics achievement and not on attitudes. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to measure the effect of Student Teams Achievement…

The role of expressive writing in math anxiety.

PubMed

Park, Daeun; Ramirez, Gerardo; Beilock, Sian L

2014-06-01

Math anxiety is a negative affective reaction to situations involving math. Previous work demonstrates that math anxiety can negatively impact math problem solving by creating performance-related worries that disrupt the working memory needed for the task at hand. By leveraging knowledge about the mechanism underlying the math anxiety-performance relationship, we tested the effectiveness of a short expressive writing intervention that has been shown to reduce intrusive thoughts and improve working memory availability. Students (N = 80) varying in math anxiety were asked to sit quietly (control group) prior to completing difficulty-matched math and word problems or to write about their thoughts and feelings regarding the exam they were about to take (expressive writing group). For the control group, high math-anxious individuals (HMAs) performed significantly worse on the math problems than low math-anxious students (LMAs). In the expressive writing group, however, this difference in math performance across HMAs and LMAs was significantly reduced. Among HMAs, the use of words related to anxiety, cause, and insight in their writing was positively related to math performance. Expressive writing boosts the performance of anxious students in math-testing situations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Strengthening Children's Math Skills with Enhanced Instruction: The Impacts of Making Pre-K Count and High 5s on Kindergarten Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattera, Shira K.; Jacob, Robin; Morris, Pamela A.

2018-01-01

Early math skills are a strong predictor of later achievement for young children, not only in math, but in other domains as well. Exhibiting strong math skills in elementary school is predictive of later high school completion and college attendance. To that end, the Making Pre-K Count and High 5s studies set out to rigorously assess whether…

Communication Skills for OMRDD Direct Care Workers: Distance Learning Study Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denny, Verna Haskins

This self-directed, self-paced adult distance education program provides developmental aides and transitional employees with practice in job-related reading, writing, math, and problem solving. Participants use e-mail, print materials, and videotapes to do assignments. An introductory brochure precedes materials for 12 theme areas and 105 units…

A Comparison between a Traditional and an Accelerated, Online, Adaptive Approach to Developmental Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGee, Daniel; Vasquez, Pedro; Cajigas, Jesus

2014-01-01

The University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez (UPRM) has found that there are disadvantages to a semester long remedial mathematics course that is administered during the freshmen year to students with mathematics deficiencies in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs. Correspondingly, the UPRM designed and implemented an…

Is Learning in Developmental Math Associated with Community College Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quarles, Christopher L.; Davis, Mickey

2017-01-01

Objective: Remedial mathematics courses are widely considered a barrier to student success in community college, and there has been a significant amount of work recently to reform them. Yet, there is little research that explicitly examines whether increasing learning in remedial classes improves grades or completion rates. This study examines the…

For Parents Particularly: Saving with Dough and Other Inexpensive Activities for the Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Rita

1995-01-01

Encourages parents to be aware of how natural exploration and play can facilitate learning in their children. Gives activities, adjustable in difficulty depending on developmental age of child, such as cooking that can be used to develop readiness for reading, writing, and math. Includes suggestions for inexpensive materials. (ET)

Biological Gender Differences in Students' Errors on Mathematics Achievement Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Christie; Root, Melissa M.; Koriakin, Taylor; Choi, Dowon; Luria, Sarah R.; Bray, Melissa A.; Sassu, Kari; Maykel, Cheryl; O'Rourke, Patricia; Courville, Troy

2017-01-01

This study investigated developmental gender differences in mathematics achievement, using the child and adolescent portion (ages 6-19 years) of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Third Edition (KTEA-3). Participants were divided into two age categories: 6 to 11 and 12 to 19. Error categories within the Math Concepts & Applications…

Predicting Child Outcomes from Preschool Quality in Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abreu-Lima, Isabel M. P.; Leal, Teresa B.; Cadima, Joana; Gamelas, Ana Madalena

2013-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to analyze whether quality of preschool classrooms relates to 4- and 5-year-old children developmental outcomes. The study was conducted in 60 classrooms in Porto Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Children (N = 215) were evaluated in the literacy, math, and behavior domains. Preschool quality was assessed through…

Activating & Engaging Habits of Mind. A Developmental Series, Book 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costa, Arthur L., Ed.; Kallick, Bena, Ed.

This book is the second in a four-book series on habits of mind. It translates a habits of mind approach to education into action using classroom-tested advice. Contributions come from practitioners in literature, math, music, foreign language, reading, character education, and social science. After "Series Foreword: Thinking on the Road of…

Teachers Learning to Prepare Future Engineers: A Systemic Analysis Through Five Components of Development and Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardré, Patricia L.; Ling, Chen; Shehab, Randa L.; Nanny, Mark A.; Refai, Hazem; Nollert, Matthias U.; Ramseyer, Christopher; Wollega, Ebisa D.; Huang, Su-Min; Herron, Jason

2018-01-01

This study used a systemic perspective to examine a five-component experiential process of perceptual and developmental growth, and transfer-to-teaching. Nineteen secondary math and science teachers participated in a year-long, engineering immersion and support experience, with university faculty mentors. Teachers identified critical shifts in…

The Development of Cognitive Skills and Gains in Academic School Readiness for Children from Low-Income Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Janet A.; Nix, Robert L.; Blair, Clancy; Bierman, Karen L.; Nelson, Keith E.

2010-01-01

This study examined developmental associations between growth in domain-general cognitive processes (working memory and attention control) and growth in domain-specific skills (emergent literacy and numeracy) across the prekindergarten year and their relative contributions to kindergarten reading and math achievement. One hundred sixty-four Head…

Using Research-Based Instruction to Improve Math Outcomes with Underprepared Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearce, Lee R.; Pearce, Kristi L.; Siewert, Daluss J.

2017-01-01

The authors used a mixed-methods research design to evaluate a multi-tiered system of supports model to address the disturbing failure rates of underprepared college students placed in developmental mathematics at a small state university. While qualitative data gathered from using Participatory Action Research methods directed the two-year…

Left Brain/Right Brain Theory: Implications for Developmental Math Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitchens, Anita N.; And Others

1991-01-01

Perhaps the most dramatic failure in postsecondary education has been in the teaching of mathematical skills. The different functions of the right and left hemispheres of the brain require different approaches to education. Due to their emphasis on language and verbal processing, schools have failed to give adequate stimulation to the right side…

Math anxiety and developmental dyscalculia: A study on working memory processes.

PubMed

Mammarella, Irene C; Hill, Francesca; Devine, Amy; Caviola, Sara; Szűcs, Dénes

2015-01-01

Although many children encounter difficulties in arithmetic, the underlying cognitive and emotive factors are still not fully understood. This study examined verbal and visuospatial short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) performance in children with developmental dyscalculia (DD) and high mathematics anxiety (MA) compared with typically developing (TD) children. Groups were matched on reading comprehension performance and IQ as well as on general anxiety. We aimed to test whether children with DD and MA were differently impaired in verbal and visuospatial STM and WM. Children were individually tested with four computerized tasks: two STM tasks (forward verbal and visuospatial recall) and two WM tasks (backward verbal and visuospatial recall). Relative to children with TD, those with DD did not show impairments on the forward or backward verbal tasks, but showed specific impairments in the visuospatial WM task. In contrast, children with MA were particularly impaired in the verbal WM task. Knowing the underlying cognitive processes that differentiate why children with DD and MA fail in math could have both educational and clinical implications.

Mathematics Anxiety and the Affective Drop in Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashcraft, Mark H.; Moore, Alex M.

2009-01-01

The authors provide a brief review of the history and assessment of math anxiety, its relationship to personal and educational consequences, and its important impact on measures of performance. Overall, math anxiety causes an "affective drop," a decline in performance when math is performed under timed, high-stakes conditions, both in laboratory…

Saxon Math. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2013

2013-01-01

"Saxon Math", published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is a core curriculum for students in grades K-12. This report includes studies that investigate the potential impact of "Saxon Math" for students in grades 6-8. A distinguishing feature of the curriculum is its use of an incremental approach for instruction and assessment.…

Analysis of Peer Learning Behaviors Using Multiple Representations in Virtual Reality and Their Impacts on Geometry Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Wu-Yuin; Hu, Shih-Shin

2013-01-01

Learning geometry emphasizes the importance of exploring different representations such as virtual manipulatives, written math formulas, and verbal explanations, which help students build math concepts and develop critical thinking. Besides helping individuals construct math knowledge, peer interaction also plays a crucial role in promoting an…

Math anxiety in Thai early adolescents: a cognitive-behavioral perspective.

PubMed

Wangsiriwech, Tawatchai; Pisitsungkagarn, Kullaya; Jarukasemthawee, Somboon

2017-08-29

With its high prevalence and debilitating impact on students, math anxiety is well studied within the educational context. However, the problem has yet to be examined from the psychological perspective, which is necessary in order to produce a more comprehensive perspective and to pave the way for therapeutic intervention. The current study, therefore, was conducted to identify cognitive and behavioral factors relevant to the occurrence and maintenance of math anxiety. Data were collected from 300 grade 9 students (150 females and 150 males) from public and private schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Participants responded to the measures of math anxiety, negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance. Structural equation modeling was conducted. Model fit indices obtained consistently suggested the good fitness of the model to the data [e.g. χ2/df = 0.42, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.00]. Negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance had a significant direct effect on math anxiety. Additionally, the indirect effect of negative math appraisal was observed between negative math beliefs and math anxiety. In summary, the proposed model accounted for 84.5% of the variance in the anxiety. The findings are discussed with particular focus on implications for therapeutic intervention for math anxiety.

Autism and parents' education. New data from the developing world.

PubMed

Al-Eithan, Muwafak H; Balkhi, Sohair H; Al-Bluwi, Amal M

2010-04-01

To investigate the link between autism disorders and engineering training of parents. All Autistic-Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) children that were diagnosed on the bases of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), and met the required criteria for autism, over a defined period (March 2006 to June 2007) were included. We then took all non-PDD developmental disorders cases seen during the same time frame as the autistic children as a control; these included speech delay, mental retardation, and Down's syndrome. Our data covered demographic data, parents and grandparents' education, and profession. Parents' education/professions were classified into 2 groups only, 1-engineering or mathematician; and 2-humanities, neither engineering nor math. The children were divided into 2 groups, autism (57 cases), and developmental disorders (40 cases). Regarding the main question of this study (hypothesized engineering link), the data showed some differences between the 2 groups (x2 = 2.503, degrees of freedom [df] = 1; p = 0.093), but not of major significance. There was no significant difference (x2 = 0.370; df = 2; p = 0.831) between the 2 groups on the variable of consanguinity. We have found that the Saudi Arabian sample, though relatively small, has considerable similarities with both the UK and USA data. There is a possibility of an association between autism and the engineering/math training of fathers. The implication is briefly discussed.

The Impact of Graphing Calculators on Math Achievement: A Quantitative, Longevity Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arbini, Corey

2016-01-01

This study examined the impact of high school students' graphing calculator usage on their math achievement over time. Achievement growth was measured using nationally-recognized standardized test scores from EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT. Two groups of students were used in this study; one group had graphing calculators integrated beginning in…

The Impact of Junior Kindergarten on Math Skills in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pagani, Linda S.; Larocque, Denis; Tremblay, Richard E.; Lapointe, Pierre

2004-01-01

Using data from the first cycle of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this study examines the impact of junior kindergarten on children's later skills in math, above and beyond regional differences and individual/household factors. It was hypothesized that earlier schooling would better prepare children for first formal…

Cross-sectional comparisons of the mathematical performance of children with learning disabilities: are we on the right track toward comprehensive programming?

PubMed

Cawley, J F; Miller, J H

1989-04-01

This study examines the mathematical performance of 220 children from 8 years through 17 years of age diagnosed as having learning disabilities. Student records were searched for data indicating performance on standardized test instruments relating to mathematics. Data for the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Achievement Battery math subtests and for the IQ scores from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised were obtained. Comparisons were made among children at different ages and among specific age clusters. Primary attention was directed toward calculations and applications of math concepts and principles. Developmental patterns across the ages studied were discovered. Implications for long-term comprehensive programming are presented.

Approximate number and approximate time discrimination each correlate with school math abilities in young children.

PubMed

Odic, Darko; Lisboa, Juan Valle; Eisinger, Robert; Olivera, Magdalena Gonzalez; Maiche, Alejandro; Halberda, Justin

2016-01-01

What is the relationship between our intuitive sense of number (e.g., when estimating how many marbles are in a jar), and our intuitive sense of other quantities, including time (e.g., when estimating how long it has been since we last ate breakfast)? Recent work in cognitive, developmental, comparative psychology, and computational neuroscience has suggested that our representations of approximate number, time, and spatial extent are fundamentally linked and constitute a "generalized magnitude system". But, the shared behavioral and neural signatures between number, time, and space may alternatively be due to similar encoding and decision-making processes, rather than due to shared domain-general representations. In this study, we investigate the relationship between approximate number and time in a large sample of 6-8 year-old children in Uruguay by examining how individual differences in the precision of number and time estimation correlate with school mathematics performance. Over four testing days, each child completed an approximate number discrimination task, an approximate time discrimination task, a digit span task, and a large battery of symbolic math tests. We replicate previous reports showing that symbolic math abilities correlate with approximate number precision and extend those findings by showing that math abilities also correlate with approximate time precision. But, contrary to approximate number and time sharing common representations, we find that each of these dimensions uniquely correlates with formal math: approximate number correlates more strongly with formal math compared to time and continues to correlate with math even when precision in time and individual differences in working memory are controlled for. These results suggest that there are important differences in the mental representations of approximate number and approximate time and further clarify the relationship between quantity representations and mathematics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Individual differences in nonverbal number skills predict math anxiety.

PubMed

Lindskog, Marcus; Winman, Anders; Poom, Leo

2017-02-01

Math anxiety (MA) involves negative affect and tension when solving mathematical problems, with potentially life-long consequences. MA has been hypothesized to be a consequence of negative learning experiences and cognitive predispositions. Recent research indicates genetic and neurophysiological links, suggesting that MA stems from a basic level deficiency in symbolic numerical processing. However, the contribution of evolutionary ancient purely nonverbal processes is not fully understood. Here we show that the roots of MA may go beyond symbolic numbers. We demonstrate that MA is correlated with precision of the Approximate Number System (ANS). Individuals high in MA have poorer ANS functioning than those low in MA. This correlation remains significant when controlling for other forms of anxiety and for cognitive variables. We show that MA mediates the documented correlation between ANS precision and math performance, both with ANS and with math performance as independent variable in the mediation model. In light of our results, we discuss the possibility that MA has deep roots, stemming from a non-verbal number processing deficiency. The findings provide new evidence advancing the theoretical understanding of the developmental etiology of MA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of MyTeachingPartner-Math/Science on Teacher-Child Interactions in Prekindergarten Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittaker, Jessica Vick; Kinzie, Mable B.; Williford, Amanda; DeCoster, Jamie

2016-01-01

Research Findings: This study examined the impact of MyTeachingPartner-Math/Science, a system of math and science curricula and professional development, on the quality of teachers' interactions with children in their classrooms. Schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 intervention conditions (Basic: curricula providing within-activity, embedded…

The Impact of Multi-Year Math Response to Intervention as Measured by Smarter Balanced Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Maysoon Mohamad

2017-01-01

This quantitative study evaluated how two consecutive years of math Response to Intervention (RtI) demonstrated its effectiveness on 995 fifth grade students within the School District A (SDA) on Smarter Balanced (SB) assessments. Research questions: "What is the relationship between the duration of math RtI implementation and math…

The Impact of Structured Note Taking Strategies on Math Achievement of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Gregory Ashley

2012-01-01

Student math achievement continues to be a national, state, and local concern. Research suggests that note taking can improve academic achievement, but current research has failed to report how low achievers might benefit from using note taking during math classes. The purpose of this study was to determine if teaching students structured note…

The Effects of the Interactive Student Notebook on Fifth Grade Math and Science Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Timothy

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of using the interactive student notebook versus the use of traditional note-taking methods on math and science achievement for fifth grade students. The researcher hypothesized that the ISN would have a significant positive impact on math and science student achievement. Multiple regression…

The National Teacher Training Institute for Math, Science and Technology: Exemplary Practice in a Climate of Higher Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donlevy, James G., Ed.; Donlevy, Tia Rice, Ed.

1999-01-01

Reviews the NTTI (National Teacher Training Institute) for Math, Science and Technology model that trains teachers to use video and Internet resources to enhance math and science instruction. Discusses multimedia methodology; standards-based training; program impact in schools; and lesson plans available on the NTTI Web site. (Author/LRW)

Impact of Enhanced Anchored Instruction in Inclusive Math Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottge, Brian A.; Toland, Michael D.; Gassaway, Linda; Butler, Mark; Choo, Sam; Griffen, Ann Katherine; Ma, Xin

2015-01-01

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics will place more pressure on special education and math teachers to raise the skill levels of all students, especially those with disabilities in math (MD). The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of enhanced anchored instruction (EAI) on students with and without MD in co-taught general…

Helping Head Start Parents Promote Their Children’s Kindergarten Adjustment: The REDI Parent Program

PubMed Central

Bierman, Karen L.; Welsh, Janet A.; Heinrichs, Brenda S.; Nix, Robert L.; Mathis, Erin T.

2015-01-01

Head Start enhances school readiness during preschool, but effects diminish after children transition into kindergarten. Designed to promote sustained gains, the REDI (Research-based Developmentally Informed) Parent program (REDI-P) provided home visits before and after the kindergarten transition, giving parents evidence-based learning games, interactive stories, and guided pretend play to use with their children. To evaluate impact, 200 4-year-old children in Head Start REDI classrooms were randomly assigned to REDI-P or a comparison condition (mail-home math games). Beyond the effects of the classroom program, REDI-P promoted significant improvements in child literacy skills, academic performance, self-directed learning, and social competence, demonstrating the utility of the approach in promoting gains in cognitive and social-emotional skills evident after the transition into kindergarten. PMID:26494108

Focusing on Mathematical Knowledge: The Impact of Content-Intensive Teacher Professional Development. NCEE 2016-4010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garet, Michael S.; Heppen, Jessica B.; Walters, Kirk; Parkinson, Julia; Smith, Toni M.; Song, Mengli; Garrett, Rachel; Yang, Rui; Borman, Geoffrey D.

2016-01-01

This report examines the impact of content-intensive Professional Development (PD) on teachers' math content knowledge, their instructional practice, and their students' achievement. The study's PD had three components, totaling 93 hours. The core of the PD was "Intel Math," an intensive 80-hour workshop delivered in summer 2013 that…

Faculty Views of Developmental Math Instruction at an Urban Community College: A Critical Pedagogy Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kee, Chad E.

2013-01-01

A disproportionate number of students entering postsecondary education are considered academically unprepared and not ready for college-level work (ACT, 2011). A majority of those students are students of color, particularly those who identify as African-American or Latino and come from low-income families (Bragg, Eunyoung, & Barnett, 2006;…

A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis. 1972 August Developmental Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Barton; And Others

The College Discovery program at Staten Island Community College implemented a summer program in 1972 for entering freshmen diagnosed, by means of a placement test battery, those needing remedial work in English and math. The goal of the project was to bring these students up to college-level proficiency. Participants re-took the test battery at…

Using Propensity Score Matching to Model Retention of Developmental Math Students in Community Colleges in North Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frye, Bobbie Jean

2014-01-01

Traditionally, modeling student retention has been done by deriving student success predictors and measuring the likelihood of success based on several background factors such as age, race, gender, and other pre-college variables, also known as the input-output model. Increasingly, however, researchers have used mediating factors of the student…

The Developmental Dynamics of Children's Academic Performance and Mothers' Homework-Related Affect and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silinskas, Gintautas; Kiuru, Noona; Aunola, Kaisa; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2015-01-01

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between children's academic performance and their mothers' affect, practices, and perceptions of their children in homework situations. The children's (n = 2,261) performance in reading and math was tested in Grade 1 and Grade 4, and the mothers (n = 1,476) filled out questionnaires on their…

Integrating Reading and Writing: One Professor's Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuBrowa, Melissa

2011-01-01

In these austere and uncertain financial times, colleges are caught in a quandary: they need to admit a certain number of students each term in order to make budget, yet many of the students they admit are developmental in nature by virtue of their critical thinking, writing and/or math scores on their entrance exams. Creative colleges are…

Pathways to Improvement: Using Psychological Strategies to Help College Students Master Developmental Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Elena; White, Taylor

2013-01-01

Drawing on a research base developed over many years in education, Carnegie is testing a set of strategies to help students persist and succeed academically. This kind of persistence, what the researchers and faculty who developed the Pathways call "productive persistence," is a key driver of Quantway® and Statway®. Broadly defined,…

Snapshots of Equitable Teaching in a Highly Diverse Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urbina-Lilback, Ruth N.

2016-01-01

The statistics about community college developmental math level and completion rates can seem disheartening, especially for those who work with these students day-to-day and know their life stories. When it comes to teaching her students, the author chooses not to focus on the statistics. Instead, she pays attention to their varied career goals…

Determining College Readiness in California's Community Colleges: A Survey of Assessment and Placement Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Olga; Mejia, Marisol Cuellar; Johnson, Hans

2016-01-01

Every year, California's community colleges identify hundreds of thousands of students as not ready for transfer-level courses in math and English. Since these courses are required to transfer to a four-year college, students deemed underprepared are placed in developmental (also known as remedial or basic-skills) courses to prepare for college…

Autism Research: Music Aptitude's Effect on Developmental/Academic Gains for Students with Significant Cognitive/Language Delays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobol, Elise S.

2014-01-01

This research study was built upon findings in neuroscience of the brain's natural ability to physically change itself through cognitive modifiability by creating new pathways and neural connections. The purpose of the research was to investigate instructional music applications for improvement in basic math skills with students who are on the…

Impact of Cover, Copy, and Compare on Fluency Outcomes for Students with Disabilities and Math Deficits: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stocker, James D., Jr.; Kubina, Richard M., Jr.

2017-01-01

Fluency, a combination of response accuracy and speed, enables students to work efficiently through academic tasks. Students with disabilities and math deficits often struggle to learn math facts fluently. Although issues with fluency frequently coexist with a disability, problems gaining fluency also stem from a lack of practice and appropriate…

Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators: Efforts to Improve Math and Science Learning Opportunities in Early Childhood Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piasta, Shayne B.; Logan, Jessica A. R.; Pelatti, Christina Yeager; Capps, Janet L.; Petrill, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

Because recent initiatives highlight the need to better support preschool-aged children's math and science learning, the present study investigated the impact of professional development in these domains for early childhood educators. Sixty-five educators were randomly assigned to experience 10.5 days (64 hr) of training on math and science or on…

WWC Review of the Report "The Effects of Math Video Games on Learning." What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2015

2015-01-01

In the 2014 study, "The Effects of Math Video Games on Learning," researchers examined the impacts of math video games on the fractions knowledge of 1,468 sixth-grade students in 23 schools. The video games focused on fractions concepts including: whole units, numerator and denominator, understanding the number line, fractions…

The Impact of the 2012 TNCore Math Training on Teaching Practices and Effectiveness. Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booker, Laura Neergaard

2013-01-01

During the spring and summer of 2012, the Tennessee Department of Education trained about 200 Common Core Coaches who then went on to facilitate summer trainings for thousands of the state's third through eighth grade math teachers. The following summer, the training sessions reached nearly 30,000 teachers across the state, covering math, English…

Using Mathematics Curriculum Based Measurement as an Indicator of Student Performance on State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Linda De Zell

2009-01-01

Math skills are essential to daily life, impacting a person's ability to function at home, work, and in the community. Although reading has been the focus in recent years, many students struggle in math. The inability to master math calculation and problem solving has contributed to the rising incidence of student failure, referrals for special…

Calculation and Word Problem-Solving Skills in Primary Grades--Impact of Cognitive Abilities and Longitudinal Interrelations with Task-persistent Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jõgi, Anna-Liisa; Kikas, Eve

2016-01-01

Background: Primary school math skills form a basis for academic success down the road. Different math skills have different antecedents and there is a reason to believe that more complex math tasks require better self-regulation. Aims: The study aimed to investigate longitudinal interrelations of calculation and problem-solving skills, and…

Revisiting the Impact of NCLB High-Stakes School Accountability, Capacity, and Resources: State NAEP 1990-2009 Reading and Math Achievement Gaps and Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jaekyung; Reeves, Todd

2012-01-01

This study examines the impact of high-stakes school accountability, capacity, and resources under NCLB on reading and math achievement outcomes through comparative interrupted time-series analyses of 1990-2009 NAEP state assessment data. Through hierarchical linear modeling latent variable regression with inverse probability of treatment…

The Neurodevelopmental Basis of Math Anxiety

PubMed Central

Young, Christina B.; Wu, Sarah S.; Menon, Vinod

2012-01-01

Math anxiety is a negative emotional reaction to situations involving mathematical problem solving. Math anxiety has a detrimental impact on an individual’s long-term professional success, but its neurodevelopmental origins are unknown. In a functional MRI study on 7- to 9-year-old children, we showed that math anxiety was associated with hyperactivity in right amygdala regions that are important for processing negative emotions. In addition, we found that math anxiety was associated with reduced activity in posterior parietal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex regions involved in mathematical reasoning. Multivariate classification analysis revealed distinct multivoxel activity patterns, which were independent of overall activation levels in the right amygdala. Furthermore, effective connectivity between the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex regions that regulate negative emotions was elevated in children with math anxiety. These effects were specific to math anxiety and unrelated to general anxiety, intelligence, working memory, or reading ability. Our study identified the neural correlates of math anxiety for the first time, and our findings have significant implications for its early identification and treatment. PMID:22434239

The neurodevelopmental basis of math anxiety.

PubMed

Young, Christina B; Wu, Sarah S; Menon, Vinod

2012-05-01

Math anxiety is a negative emotional reaction to situations involving mathematical problem solving. Math anxiety has a detrimental impact on an individual's long-term professional success, but its neurodevelopmental origins are unknown. In a functional MRI study on 7- to 9-year-old children, we showed that math anxiety was associated with hyperactivity in right amygdala regions that are important for processing negative emotions. In addition, we found that math anxiety was associated with reduced activity in posterior parietal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex regions involved in mathematical reasoning. Multivariate classification analysis revealed distinct multivoxel activity patterns, which were independent of overall activation levels in the right amygdala. Furthermore, effective connectivity between the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex regions that regulate negative emotions was elevated in children with math anxiety. These effects were specific to math anxiety and unrelated to general anxiety, intelligence, working memory, or reading ability. Our study identified the neural correlates of math anxiety for the first time, and our findings have significant implications for its early identification and treatment.

Insecure attachment is associated with math anxiety in middle childhood.

PubMed

Bosmans, Guy; De Smedt, Bert

2015-01-01

Children's anxiety for situations requiring mathematical problem solving, a concept referred to as math anxiety, has a unique and detrimental impact on concurrent and long-term mathematics achievement and life success. Little is known about the factors that contribute to the emergence of math anxiety. The current study builds on the hypothesis that math anxiety might reflect a maladaptive affect regulation mechanism that is characteristic for insecure attachment relationships. To test this hypothesis, 87 children primary school children (M age = 10.34 years; SD age = 0.63) filled out questionnaires measuring insecure attachment and math anxiety. They all completed a timed and untimed standardized test of mathematics achievement. Our data revealed that individual differences in math anxiety were significantly related to insecure attachment, independent of age, sex, and IQ. Both tests of mathematics achievement were associated with insecure attachment and this effect was mediated by math anxiety. This study is the first to indicate that math anxiety might develop in the context of insecure parent-child attachment relationships.

Insecure attachment is associated with math anxiety in middle childhood

PubMed Central

Bosmans, Guy; De Smedt, Bert

2015-01-01

Children’s anxiety for situations requiring mathematical problem solving, a concept referred to as math anxiety, has a unique and detrimental impact on concurrent and long-term mathematics achievement and life success. Little is known about the factors that contribute to the emergence of math anxiety. The current study builds on the hypothesis that math anxiety might reflect a maladaptive affect regulation mechanism that is characteristic for insecure attachment relationships. To test this hypothesis, 87 children primary school children (Mage = 10.34 years; SDage = 0.63) filled out questionnaires measuring insecure attachment and math anxiety. They all completed a timed and untimed standardized test of mathematics achievement. Our data revealed that individual differences in math anxiety were significantly related to insecure attachment, independent of age, sex, and IQ. Both tests of mathematics achievement were associated with insecure attachment and this effect was mediated by math anxiety. This study is the first to indicate that math anxiety might develop in the context of insecure parent–child attachment relationships. PMID:26528233

Haunted by Math: The Impact of Policy and Practice on Students with Math Learning Disabilities in the Transition to Post-Secondary Education in Mumbai, India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eichhorn, Melinda S.

2016-01-01

Only six states in India currently identify learning disabilities as a category of disability. This article highlights the challenges students with math learning disabilities face in their transition from secondary school to higher secondary education and Bachelor of Commerce degree programs in the state of Maharashtra. While the current…

The Effects of High School Math Curriculum on College Attendance: Evidence from the NLSY97

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aughinbaugh, Alison

2012-01-01

Using a sample of youth who graduated from high school in the late 1990s and early 2000s, this paper examines the impact of high school math curriculum on the decision to go to college. Results that control for unobserved differences between students and their families suggest that a more rigorous high school math curriculum is associated with a…

A longitudinal study of neuropsychological functioning and academic achievement in children with and without signs of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Rennie, Brandon; Beebe-Frankenberger, Margaret; Swanson, H Lee

2014-01-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood is associated with poor academic functioning. Deficits in academic functioning have proven to be less responsive to intervention than behavioral deficits in this population, yet the causes of this academic underperformance are not well understood. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between ADHD and academic performance in elementary-aged children in a developmental context. To do this, we study important cognitive variables and academic achievement over a three-year timeframe. Based on teacher ratings of ADHD, children were divided into a high symptom group (n = 17) and a low symptom group (n = 34). A thorough battery of cognitive and academic tests was administered at Time 1 and again 2 years later. Cognitive measures focused specifically on working memory and response inhibition. RESULTS indicate that children who have high levels of ADHD signs differ from their low-sign peers in academic achievement and in several cognitive domains. Differences in cognitive functioning show a developmental trend consistent with earlier developmental delays in response inhibition and later delays in working memory. Working memory appears to be particularly important in several academic domains. Importantly, in a longitudinal model, working memory was more predictive of math achievement for students demonstrating signs of ADHD than for those who did not. The relationship between these cognitive variables and academic functioning are explicated in the domains of reading, math, and problem solving.

An Integrated Model of Academic Self-Concept Development: Academic Self-Concept, Grades, Test Scores, and Tracking over 6 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Herbert W.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Murayama, Kou; Arens, A. Katrin; Parker, Philip D.; Guo, Jiesi; Dicke, Theresa

2018-01-01

Our newly proposed integrated academic self-concept model integrates 3 major theories of academic self-concept formation and developmental perspectives into a unified conceptual and methodological framework. Relations among math self-concept (MSC), school grades, test scores, and school-level contextual effects over 6 years, from the end of…

Effective Basic Skills Instruction: The Case for Contextualized Developmental Math. Policy Brief 11-1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiseley, W. Charles

2011-01-01

As the state emerges from another recession, jobs that remain and those opening require workers with higher-order skills most often acquired in postsecondary education. Increasing numbers of adults look to community colleges to learn those skills and to find a way out of a cycle of low paying, unstable jobs. Even workers with years of experience…

The Effect of Executive Function on Science Achievement among Normally Developing 10-Year Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lederman, Sheri G.

2012-01-01

Executive function (EF) is an umbrella term used to identify a set of discrete but interrelated cognitive abilities that enable individuals to engage in goal-directed, future-oriented action in response to a novel context. Developmental studies indicate that EF is predictive of reading and math achievement in middle childhood. The purpose of this…

Math Self-Concept, Grades, and Achievement Test Scores: Long-Term Reciprocal Effects across Five Waves and Three Achievement Tracks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arens, A. Katrin; Marsh, Herbert W.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Murayama, Kou; vom Hofe, Rudolf

2017-01-01

This study examines reciprocal effects between self-concept and achievement by considering a long time span covering grades 5 through 9. Extending previous research on the reciprocal effects model (REM), this study tests (1) the assumption of developmental equilibrium as time-invariant cross-lagged paths from self-concept to achievement and from…

An Analysis of the Impact of Single-Sex Schools on Seventh Grade Math and Reading Tasks Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves-Redwood, Tarawa F.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a statistically significant mean difference in math and reading student performance by types of schools. The types of schools were identified as all-male and all-female public middle schools. Specifically, this study examined the impact of public single-sex schools on the mathematics and…

Why They Leave: The Impact of Stereotype Threat on the Attrition of Women and Minorities from Science, Math and Engineering Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beasley, Maya A.; Fischer, Mary J.

2012-01-01

This paper examines the effects of group performance anxiety on the attrition of women and minorities from science, math, and engineering majors. While past research has relied primarily on the academic deficits and lower socioeconomic status of women and minorities to explain their absence from these fields, we focus on the impact of stereotype…

Longitudinal Mediators of Achievement in Mathematics and Reading in Typical and Atypical Development

PubMed Central

Barnes, Marcia A.; Raghubar, Kimberly P.; English, Lianne; Williams, Jeffrey M.; Taylor, Heather; Landry, Susan

2014-01-01

Longitudinal studies of neurodevelopmental disorders that are diagnosed at or before birth and which are associated with specific learning difficulties at school-age provide one method for investigating developmental precursors of later-emerging academic disabilities. Spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with particular problems in mathematics, in contrast to well-developed word reading. Children with SBM (n = 30) and typically developing children (n = 35) were used to determine whether cognitive abilities measured at 36 and 60 months of age mediated the effect of group on mathematical and reading achievement outcomes at 8.5 and 9.5 years of age. A series of multiple mediator models showed that: visual-spatial working memory at 36 months and phonological awareness at 60 months partially mediated the effect of group on math calculations; phonological awareness partially mediated the effect of group on small addition and subtraction problems on a test of math fluency; and visual-spatial working memory mediated the effect of group on a test of math problem solving. Groups did not differ on word reading, and phonological awareness was the only mediator for reading fluency and reading comprehension. The findings are discussed with reference to theories of mathematical development and disability and with respect to both common and differing cognitive correlates of math and reading. PMID:24269579

Finsler-Geometric Continuum Dynamics and Shock Compression

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

An important mathe - matical device used in the current derivations centers on the divergence theorem of Finsler geometry first presented by Rund...carbide ceramic. Philos Mag 92:2860–2893 Clayton JD (2012b)On anholonomic deformation, geometry, and differentiation. Math Mech Solids 17:702–735 Clayton... Math Phys 2015:828475 Clayton JD (2015b) Penetration resistance of armor ceramics: dimensional analysis and property correlations. Int J Impact Eng

Tracking Achievement Gaps and Assessing the Impact of NCLB on the Gaps: An In-Depth Look into National and State Reading and Math Outcome Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jaekyung

2006-01-01

This study offers systematic trend analyses of NAEP national and state-level public school fourth and eighth graders' reading and math achievement results during pre-NCLB (1990-2001) and post-NCLB (2002-2005) periods. It compares post-NCLB trends in reading and math achievement with pre-NCLB trends among different racial and socioeconomic groups…

An Evaluation of an Elementary Mathematics Program at a Medium-Sized Suburban School District in North Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honeycutt, Robin A.

2013-01-01

Math instruction has undergone a tremendous amount of change since the late 1950s. "New math" of the 1960s, the standards movement, back to the basics in the early 90s, and now the common core standards have all had an impact on how mathematics is taught. This study examined the Math Expressions program, a conceptually based program…

An investigation of the impact of science course sequencing on student performance in high school science and math

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mary, Michael Todd

High school students in the United States for the past century have typically taken science courses in a sequence of biology followed by chemistry and concluding with physics. An alternative sequence, typically referred to as "physics first" inverts the traditional sequence by having students begin with physics and end with biology. Proponents of physics first cite advances in biological sciences that have dramatically changed the nature of high school biology and the potential benefit to student learning in math that would accompany taking an algebra-based physics course in the early years of high school to support changing the sequence. Using a quasi-experimental, quantitative research design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of science course sequencing on student achievement in math and science at a school district that offered both course sequences. The Texas state end-of-course exams in biology, chemistry, physics, algebra I and geometry were used as the instruments measuring student achievement in math and science at the end of each academic year. Various statistical models were used to analyze these achievement data. The conclusion was, for students in this study, the sequence in which students took biology, chemistry, and physics had little or no impact on performance on the end-of-course assessments in each of these courses. Additionally there was only a minimal effect found with respect to math performance, leading to the conclusion that neither the traditional or "physics first" science course sequence presented an advantage for student achievement in math or science.

Women's Choice in College STEM Majors: Impact of Ability Tilt on Women Students' Educational Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Audie Jane

2017-01-01

This quantitative study explored the impact of ability and ability tilt on the choice of an academic program in STEM majors for female college students who have not been identified as profoundly or highly gifted. A math tilt would be an ability tilt slanting toward math. The career development theory that provided a framework for this study was…

An Evaluation of ChalleNGe Graduates DOD Employability

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-22

initial reading and applied math TABE scores are more likely to complete ChalleNGe. In addition, those graduates who begin ChalleNGe with higher TABE...students arrive at ChalleNGe at low levels of reading comprehension, writing, and basic math ; they simply are not ready to acquire a second language...positive, long-term impacts for ChalleNGe graduates. Our previous work has shown that cadets with higher initial reading and applied math TABE scores are

An Evaluation of ChalleNGe Graduates DOD Employability

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

long-term impacts for ChalleNGe graduates. Our previous work has shown that cadets with higher initial reading and applied math TABE scores are...levels of reading comprehension, writing, and basic math ; they simply are not ready to acquire a second language. In addition, program directors noted...graduates. Our previous work has shown that cadets with higher initial reading and applied math TABE scores are more likely to complete ChalleNGe. In

An Application of Double-Loop Learning to Community College Remedial Education: A New Model of Integrated Supports for Ongoing Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doren, Andrew T.

2013-01-01

Community colleges have multiple missions and one of them is to provide open access services to those seeking to further their education. Community colleges provide remedial courses in math, reading, and writing because many of their students do not meet entrance requirements in these core subjects. However, the usual developmental education track…

Review of the Non-Experimental Evidence from Developmental and Cognitive Psychological, Education Science and Neuroscience That Provided the Impetus for the Development of the Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grissmer, David; Grimm, Kevin J.

2013-01-01

Duncan et al. (2007) presented a new methodology for identifying kindergarten readiness factors and quantifying their importance by determining which of children's developing skills measured around kindergarten entrance would predict later reading and math achievement. The main objectives of this paper are threefold: (a) provide new empirical…

Raising the Floor: New Approaches to Serving the Lowest-Skilled Students at Community Colleges in Texas and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Visher, Mary; Cerna, Oscar; Diamond, John; Rutschow, Elizabeth Zachry

2017-01-01

Faced with many applicants with very low math skills, community colleges are responding with a variety of reforms, including restricting developmental courses to students with high-school-level skills. This brief provides context for the policy changes and describes the alternatives two colleges offer to those who don't make the cut. [This brief…

Can Community and School-Based Supports Improve the Achievement of First-Generation Immigrant Children Attending High-Poverty Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dearing, Eric; Walsh, Mary E.; Sibley, Erin; Lee-St.John, Terry; Foley, Claire; Raczek, Anastacia E.

2016-01-01

Using a quasi-experimental design, the effects of a student support intervention were estimated for the math and reading achievement of first-generation immigrant children (n = 667, M = 11.05 years of age) attending high-poverty, urban elementary schools. The intervention was designed to help schools identify developmental strengths and barriers…

Operationalizing Levels of Academic Mastery Based on Vygotsky’s Theory

PubMed Central

Nezhnov, Peter; Kardanova, Elena; Ludlow, Larry

2014-01-01

The present study tested the possibility of operationalizing levels of knowledge acquisition based on Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive growth. An assessment tool (SAM-Math) was developed to capture a hypothesized hierarchical structure of mathematical knowledge consisting of procedural, conceptual, and functional levels. In Study 1, SAM-Math was administered to 4th-grade students (N = 2,216). The results of Rasch analysis indicated that the test provided an operational definition for the construct of mathematical competence that included the three levels of mastery corresponding to the theoretically based hierarchy of knowledge. In Study 2, SAM-Math was administered to students in 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th grades (N = 396) to examine developmental changes in the levels of mathematics knowledge. The results showed that the mastery of mathematical concepts presented in elementary school continued to deepen beyond elementary school, as evidenced by a significant growth in conceptual and functional levels of knowledge. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for psychological theory, test design, and educational practice. PMID:29795820

Gender Gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Current Knowledge, Implications for Practice, Policy, and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Degol, Jessica L.

2016-01-01

Although the gender gap in math course-taking and performance has narrowed in recent decades, females continue to be underrepresented in math-intensive fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Career pathways encompass the ability to pursue a career as well as the motivation to employ that ability. Individual differences in cognitive capacity and motivation are also influenced by broader sociocultural factors. After reviewing research from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, and education over the past 30 years, we summarize six explanations for US women’s underrepresentation in math-intensive STEM fields: (a) cognitive ability, (b) relative cognitive strengths, (c) occupational interests or preferences, (d) lifestyle values or work-family balance preferences, (e) field-specific ability beliefs, and (f) gender-related stereotypes and biases. We then describe the potential biological and sociocultural explanations for observed gender differences on cognitive and motivational factors and demonstrate the developmental period(s) during which each factor becomes most relevant. We then propose evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice to improve STEM diversity and recommendations for future research directions. PMID:28458499

Gender Gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Current Knowledge, Implications for Practice, Policy, and Future Directions.

PubMed

Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica L

2017-03-01

Although the gender gap in math course-taking and performance has narrowed in recent decades, females continue to be underrepresented in math-intensive fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Career pathways encompass the ability to pursue a career as well as the motivation to employ that ability. Individual differences in cognitive capacity and motivation are also influenced by broader sociocultural factors. After reviewing research from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, and education over the past 30 years, we summarize six explanations for US women's underrepresentation in math-intensive STEM fields: (a) cognitive ability, (b) relative cognitive strengths, (c) occupational interests or preferences, (d) lifestyle values or work-family balance preferences, (e) field-specific ability beliefs, and (f) gender-related stereotypes and biases. We then describe the potential biological and sociocultural explanations for observed gender differences on cognitive and motivational factors and demonstrate the developmental period(s) during which each factor becomes most relevant. We then propose evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice to improve STEM diversity and recommendations for future research directions.

Development in reading and math in children from different SES backgrounds: the moderating role of child temperament.

PubMed

Wang, Zhe; Soden, Brooke; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Lukowski, Sarah L; Schenker, Victoria J; Willcutt, Erik G; Thompson, Lee A; Petrill, Stephen A

2017-05-01

Socioeconomic risks (SES risks) are robust risk factors influencing children's academic development. However, it is unclear whether the effects of SES on academic development operate universally in all children equally or whether they vary differentially in children with particular characteristics. The current study aimed to explore children's temperament as protective or risk factors that potentially moderate the associations between SES risks and academic development. Specifically, latent growth modeling (LGM) was used in two longitudinal datasets with a total of 2236 children to examine how family SES risks and children's temperament interactively predicted the development of reading and math from middle childhood to early adolescence. Results showed that low negative affect, high effortful control, and low surgency mitigated the negative associations between SES risks and both reading and math development in this developmental period. These findings underline the heterogeneous nature of the negative associations between SES risks and academic development and highlight the importance of the interplay between biological and social factors on individual differences in development. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Weak task-related modulation and stimulus representations during arithmetic problem solving in children with developmental dyscalculia

PubMed Central

Ashkenazi, Sarit; Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam; Tenison, Caitlin; Menon, Vinod

2015-01-01

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a disability that impacts math learning and skill acquisition in school-age children. Here we investigate arithmetic problem solving deficits in young children with DD using univariate and multivariate analysis of fMRI data. During fMRI scanning, 17 children with DD (ages 7–9, grades 2 and 3) and 17 IQ- and reading ability-matched typically developing (TD) children performed complex and simple addition problems which differed only in arithmetic complexity. While the TD group showed strong modulation of brain responses with increasing arithmetic complexity, children with DD failed to show such modulation. Children with DD showed significantly reduced activation compared to TD children in the intraparietal sulcus, superior parietal lobule, supramarginal gyrus and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in relation to arithmetic complexity. Critically, multivariate representational similarity revealed that brain response patterns to complex and simple problems were less differentiated in the DD group in bilateral anterior IPS, independent of overall differences in signal level. Taken together, these results show that children with DD not only under-activate key brain regions implicated in mathematical cognition, but they also fail to generate distinct neural responses and representations for different arithmetic problems. Our findings provide novel insights into the neural basis of DD. PMID:22682904

Weak task-related modulation and stimulus representations during arithmetic problem solving in children with developmental dyscalculia.

PubMed

Ashkenazi, Sarit; Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam; Tenison, Caitlin; Menon, Vinod

2012-02-15

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a disability that impacts math learning and skill acquisition in school-age children. Here we investigate arithmetic problem solving deficits in young children with DD using univariate and multivariate analysis of fMRI data. During fMRI scanning, 17 children with DD (ages 7-9, grades 2 and 3) and 17 IQ- and reading ability-matched typically developing (TD) children performed complex and simple addition problems which differed only in arithmetic complexity. While the TD group showed strong modulation of brain responses with increasing arithmetic complexity, children with DD failed to show such modulation. Children with DD showed significantly reduced activation compared to TD children in the intraparietal sulcus, superior parietal lobule, supramarginal gyrus and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in relation to arithmetic complexity. Critically, multivariate representational similarity revealed that brain response patterns to complex and simple problems were less differentiated in the DD group in bilateral anterior IPS, independent of overall differences in signal level. Taken together, these results show that children with DD not only under-activate key brain regions implicated in mathematical cognition, but they also fail to generate distinct neural responses and representations for different arithmetic problems. Our findings provide novel insights into the neural basis of DD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Descriptive Analysis of the Impact of Co-Teaching on the Reading/Language Arts and Math Achievement of Selected Middle School Students in a Middle Tennessee School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maultsby-Springer, Barbara Michelle

2009-01-01

This research examined the impact of collaborative teaching (co-teaching) on the Reading/Language Arts and Math achievement of Middle Tennessee students in grades 5-8, as measured by the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement test. Within the context of this study, the co-teaching model of instruction is defined as the…

Differential and Long-Term Language Impact on Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Fang; Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline

2016-01-01

Literature provides consistent evidence that there is a strong relationship between language proficiency and math achievement. However, research results show conflicts supporting either an increasing or a decreasing longitudinal relationship between the two. This study explored a longitudinal data and adopted quantile regression analyses to…

Basic numerical capacities and prevalence of developmental dyscalculia: the Havana Survey.

PubMed

Reigosa-Crespo, Vivian; Valdés-Sosa, Mitchell; Butterworth, Brian; Estévez, Nancy; Rodríguez, Marisol; Santos, Elsa; Torres, Paul; Suárez, Ramón; Lage, Agustín

2012-01-01

The association of enumeration and number comparison capacities with arithmetical competence was examined in a large sample of children from 2nd to 9th grades. It was found that efficiency on numerical capacities predicted separately more than 25% of the variance in the individual differences on a timed arithmetical test, and this occurred for both younger and older learners. These capacities were also significant predictors of individual variations in an untimed curriculum-based math achievement test and on the teacher scores of math performance over developmental time. Based on these findings, these numerical capacities were used for estimating the prevalence and gender ratio of basic numerical deficits and developmental dyscalculia (DD) over the grade range defined above (N = 11,652 children). The extent to which DD affects the population with poor ability on calculation was also examined. For this purpose, the prevalence and gender ratio of arithmetical dysfluency (AD) were estimated in the same cohort. The estimated prevalence of DD was 3.4%, and the male:female ratio was 4:1. However, the prevalence of AD was almost 3 times as high (9.35%), and no gender differences were found (male:female ratio = 1.07:1). Basic numerical deficits affect 4.54% of school-age population and affect more boys than girls (2.4:1). The differences between the corresponding estimates were highly significant (α < .01). Based on these contrastive findings, it is concluded that DD, defined as a defective sense of numerosity, could be a distinctive disorder that affects only a portion of children with AD.

Numbers in action: individual differences and interactivity in mental arithmetic.

PubMed

Guthrie, Lisa G; Vallée-Tourangeau, Frédéric

2018-02-03

Previous research indicates that interactive arithmetic tasks may alleviate the deleterious impact of maths anxiety on arithmetic performance. Our aim here was to further test the impact of interactivity on maths-anxious individuals and those with poorer numeracy skills. In the experiment reported here participants completed sums in two interactivity contexts. In a low-interactivity condition, sums were completed with hands down. In a second, high-interactivity condition, participants used moveable number tokens. As anticipated, accuracy and efficiency were greater in the high compared to the low-interactivity condition. Correlational analyses indicated that maths anxiety, objective numeracy, measures of maths expertise and working memory were stronger predictors of performance in the low- than in the high-interactivity conditions. Interactivity transformed the deployment of arithmetic skills, improved performance, and reduced the gap between high- and low-ability individuals. These findings suggest that traditional psychometric efforts that identify the cognitive capacities and dispositions involved in mental arithmetic should take into account the degree of interactivity afforded by the task environment.

Light drinking versus abstinence in pregnancy – behavioural and cognitive outcomes in 7-year-old children: a longitudinal cohort study

PubMed Central

Kelly, Y; Iacovou, M; Quigley, MA; Gray, R; Wolke, D; Kelly, J; Sacker, A

2013-01-01

Objective To assess whether light drinking in pregnancy is linked to unfavourable developmental outcomes in children. Design Prospective population-based cohort. Setting UK. Population Ten thousand five hundred and thirty-four 7-year-olds. Methods Quasi-experimental using propensity score matching (PSM) to compare children born to light (up to 2 units per week) and non-drinkers. Main outcome measures Behavioural difficulties rated by parents and teachers; cognitive test scores for reading, maths and spatial skills. Results Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and PSM analyses are presented. For behavioural difficulties, unadjusted estimates for percentage standard deviation (SD) score differences ranged from 2 to 14%. On adjustment for potential confounders, differences were attenuated, with a loss of statistical significance, except for teacher-rated boys' difficulties. For boys, parent-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, −11.5; OLS, −4.3; PSM, −6.8; teacher-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, −13.9; OLS, −9.6; PSM, −10.8. For girls, parent-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, −9.6; OLS, −2.9; PSM, −4.5; teacher-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, −2.4; OLS, 4.9; PSM, 3.9. For cognitive test scores, unadjusted estimates for differences ranged between 12 and 21% of an SD score for reading, maths and spatial skills. After adjustment for potential confounders, estimates were reduced, but remained statistically significantly different for reading and for spatial skills in boys. For boys, reading: unadjusted, 20.9; OLS, 8.3; PSM, 7.3; maths: unadjusted, 14.7; OLS, 5.0; PSM, 6.5; spatial skills: unadjusted, 16.2; OLS, 7.6; PSM, 8.1. For girls, reading: unadjusted, 11.6; OLS, −0.3; PSM, −0.5; maths: unadjusted, 12.9; OLS, 4.3; PSM, 3.9; spatial skills: unadjusted, 16.2; OLS, 7.7; PSM, 6.4. Conclusion The findings suggest that light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in mid-childhood. These findings support current UK Department of Health guidelines on drinking during pregnancy. PMID:23590126

Light drinking versus abstinence in pregnancy - behavioural and cognitive outcomes in 7-year-old children: a longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Kelly, Y; Iacovou, M; Quigley, M A; Gray, R; Wolke, D; Kelly, J; Sacker, A

2013-10-01

To assess whether light drinking in pregnancy is linked to unfavourable developmental outcomes in children. Prospective population-based cohort. UK. Ten thousand five hundred and thirty-four 7-year-olds. Quasi-experimental using propensity score matching (PSM) to compare children born to light (up to 2 units per week) and non-drinkers. Behavioural difficulties rated by parents and teachers; cognitive test scores for reading, maths and spatial skills. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and PSM analyses are presented. For behavioural difficulties, unadjusted estimates for percentage standard deviation (SD) score differences ranged from 2 to 14%. On adjustment for potential confounders, differences were attenuated, with a loss of statistical significance, except for teacher-rated boys' difficulties. For boys, parent-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -11.5; OLS, -4.3; PSM, -6.8; teacher-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -13.9; OLS, -9.6; PSM, -10.8. For girls, parent-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -9.6; OLS, -2.9; PSM, -4.5; teacher-rated behavioural difficulties: unadjusted, -2.4; OLS, 4.9; PSM, 3.9. For cognitive test scores, unadjusted estimates for differences ranged between 12 and 21% of an SD score for reading, maths and spatial skills. After adjustment for potential confounders, estimates were reduced, but remained statistically significantly different for reading and for spatial skills in boys. For boys, reading: unadjusted, 20.9; OLS, 8.3; PSM, 7.3; maths: unadjusted, 14.7; OLS, 5.0; PSM, 6.5; spatial skills: unadjusted, 16.2; OLS, 7.6; PSM, 8.1. For girls, reading: unadjusted, 11.6; OLS, -0.3; PSM, -0.5; maths: unadjusted, 12.9; OLS, 4.3; PSM, 3.9; spatial skills: unadjusted, 16.2; OLS, 7.7; PSM, 6.4. The findings suggest that light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in mid-childhood. These findings support current UK Department of Health guidelines on drinking during pregnancy. © 2013 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2013 RCOG.

Longitudinal mediators of achievement in mathematics and reading in typical and atypical development.

PubMed

Barnes, Marcia A; Raghubar, Kimberly P; English, Lianne; Williams, Jeffrey M; Taylor, Heather; Landry, Susan

2014-03-01

Longitudinal studies of neurodevelopmental disorders that are diagnosed at or before birth and are associated with specific learning difficulties at school-age provide one method for investigating developmental precursors of later-emerging academic disabilities. Spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with particular problems in mathematics, in contrast to well-developed word reading. Children with SBM (n=30) and typically developing children (n=35) were used to determine whether cognitive abilities measured at 36 and 60 months of age mediated the effect of group on mathematical and reading achievement outcomes at 8.5 and 9.5 years of age. A series of multiple mediator models showed that: visual-spatial working memory at 36 months and phonological awareness at 60 months partially mediated the effect of group on math calculations, phonological awareness partially mediated the effect of group on small addition and subtraction problems on a test of math fluency, and visual-spatial working memory mediated the effect of group on a test of math problem solving. Groups did not differ on word reading, and phonological awareness was the only mediator for reading fluency and reading comprehension. The findings are discussed with reference to theories of mathematical development and disability and with respect to both common and differing cognitive correlates of math and reading. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The contributions of numerical acuity and non-numerical stimulus features to the development of the number sense and symbolic math achievement.

PubMed

Starr, Ariel; DeWind, Nicholas K; Brannon, Elizabeth M

2017-11-01

Numerical acuity, frequently measured by a Weber fraction derived from nonsymbolic numerical comparison judgments, has been shown to be predictive of mathematical ability. However, recent findings suggest that stimulus controls in these tasks are often insufficiently implemented, and the proposal has been made that alternative visual features or inhibitory control capacities may actually explain this relation. Here, we use a novel mathematical algorithm to parse the relative influence of numerosity from other visual features in nonsymbolic numerical discrimination and to examine the strength of the relations between each of these variables, including inhibitory control, and mathematical ability. We examined these questions developmentally by testing 4-year-old children, 6-year-old children, and adults with a nonsymbolic numerical comparison task, a symbolic math assessment, and a test of inhibitory control. We found that the influence of non-numerical features decreased significantly over development but that numerosity was a primary determinate of decision making at all ages. In addition, numerical acuity was a stronger predictor of math achievement than either non-numerical bias or inhibitory control in children. These results suggest that the ability to selectively attend to number contributes to the maturation of the number sense and that numerical acuity, independent of inhibitory control, contributes to math achievement in early childhood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Math achievement is important, but task values are critical, too: examining the intellectual and motivational factors leading to gender disparities in STEM careers.

PubMed

Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica; Ye, Feifei

2015-01-01

Although young women now obtain higher course grades in math than boys and are just as likely to be enrolled in advanced math courses in high school, females continue to be underrepresented in some Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations. This study drew on expectancy-value theory to assess (1) which intellectual and motivational factors in high school predict gender differences in career choices and (2) whether students' motivational beliefs mediated the pathway of gender on STEM career via math achievement by using a national longitudinal sample in the United States. We found that math achievement in 12th grade mediated the association between gender and attainment of a STEM career by the early to mid-thirties. However, math achievement was not the only factor distinguishing gender differences in STEM occupations. Even though math achievement explained career differences between men and women, math task value partially explained the gender differences in STEM career attainment that were attributed to math achievement. The identification of potential factors of women's underrepresentation in STEM will enhance our ability to design intervention programs that are optimally tailored to female needs to impact STEM achievement and occupational choices.

Math achievement is important, but task values are critical, too: examining the intellectual and motivational factors leading to gender disparities in STEM careers

PubMed Central

Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica; Ye, Feifei

2015-01-01

Although young women now obtain higher course grades in math than boys and are just as likely to be enrolled in advanced math courses in high school, females continue to be underrepresented in some Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations. This study drew on expectancy-value theory to assess (1) which intellectual and motivational factors in high school predict gender differences in career choices and (2) whether students’ motivational beliefs mediated the pathway of gender on STEM career via math achievement by using a national longitudinal sample in the United States. We found that math achievement in 12th grade mediated the association between gender and attainment of a STEM career by the early to mid-thirties. However, math achievement was not the only factor distinguishing gender differences in STEM occupations. Even though math achievement explained career differences between men and women, math task value partially explained the gender differences in STEM career attainment that were attributed to math achievement. The identification of potential factors of women’s underrepresentation in STEM will enhance our ability to design intervention programs that are optimally tailored to female needs to impact STEM achievement and occupational choices. PMID:25741292

Developmental and individual differences in pure numerical estimation.

PubMed

Booth, Julie L; Siegler, Robert S

2006-01-01

The authors examined developmental and individual differences in pure numerical estimation, the type of estimation that depends solely on knowledge of numbers. Children between kindergarten and 4th grade were asked to solve 4 types of numerical estimation problems: computational, numerosity, measurement, and number line. In Experiment 1, kindergartners and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders were presented problems involving the numbers 0-100; in Experiment 2, 2nd and 4th graders were presented problems involving the numbers 0-1,000. Parallel developmental trends, involving increasing reliance on linear representations of numbers and decreasing reliance on logarithmic ones, emerged across different types of estimation. Consistent individual differences across tasks were also apparent, and all types of estimation skill were positively related to math achievement test scores. Implications for understanding of mathematics learning in general are discussed. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Math Anxiety Assessment with the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale: Applicability and Usefulness: Insights from the Polish Adaptation

PubMed Central

Cipora, Krzysztof; Szczygieł, Monika; Willmes, Klaus; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2015-01-01

Math anxiety has an important impact on mathematical development and performance. However, although math anxiety is supposed to be a transcultural trait, assessment instruments are scarce and are validated mainly for Western cultures so far. Therefore, we aimed at examining the transcultural generality of math anxiety by a thorough investigation of the validity of math anxiety assessment in Eastern Europe. We investigated the validity and reliability of a Polish adaptation of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS), known to have very good psychometric characteristics in its original, American-English version as well as in its Italian and Iranian adaptations. We also observed high reliability, both for internal consistency and test-retest stability of the AMAS in the Polish sample. The results also show very good construct, convergent and discriminant validity: The factorial structure in Polish adult participants (n = 857) was very similar to the one previously found in other samples; AMAS scores correlated moderately in expected directions with state and trait anxiety, self-assessed math achievement and skill as well temperamental traits of emotional reactivity, briskness, endurance, and perseverance. Average scores obtained by participants as well as gender differences and correlations with external measures were also similar across cultures. Beyond the cultural comparison, we used path model analyses to show that math anxiety relates to math grades and self-competence when controlling for trait anxiety. The current study shows transcultural validity of math anxiety assessment with the AMAS. PMID:26648893

Math Anxiety Assessment with the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale: Applicability and Usefulness: Insights from the Polish Adaptation.

PubMed

Cipora, Krzysztof; Szczygieł, Monika; Willmes, Klaus; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2015-01-01

Math anxiety has an important impact on mathematical development and performance. However, although math anxiety is supposed to be a transcultural trait, assessment instruments are scarce and are validated mainly for Western cultures so far. Therefore, we aimed at examining the transcultural generality of math anxiety by a thorough investigation of the validity of math anxiety assessment in Eastern Europe. We investigated the validity and reliability of a Polish adaptation of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS), known to have very good psychometric characteristics in its original, American-English version as well as in its Italian and Iranian adaptations. We also observed high reliability, both for internal consistency and test-retest stability of the AMAS in the Polish sample. The results also show very good construct, convergent and discriminant validity: The factorial structure in Polish adult participants (n = 857) was very similar to the one previously found in other samples; AMAS scores correlated moderately in expected directions with state and trait anxiety, self-assessed math achievement and skill as well temperamental traits of emotional reactivity, briskness, endurance, and perseverance. Average scores obtained by participants as well as gender differences and correlations with external measures were also similar across cultures. Beyond the cultural comparison, we used path model analyses to show that math anxiety relates to math grades and self-competence when controlling for trait anxiety. The current study shows transcultural validity of math anxiety assessment with the AMAS.

Gum chewing affects academic performance in adolescents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chewing gum may have an impact on improved memory during specific tasks of recognition and sustained attention. Research objective was to determine the effect of gum chewing on standardized test scores and math class grades of eighth grade students. Four math classes, 108 students, were randomized i...

Self-Regulated Math Instructions for Pupils with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishara, Saied

2016-01-01

In this research, we considered the different impact two methods of teaching had on pupils' ability to solve complex math problems. The methods considered were: self-regulated study and traditional teaching. We also examined the pedagogical consequences the differences made among the population of pupils with learning disabilities in special…

Does breastfeeding contribute to the racial gap in reading and math test scores?

PubMed

Peters, Kristen E; Huang, Jin; Vaughn, Michael G; Witko, Christopher

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of divergent breastfeeding practices between Caucasian and African American mothers on the lingering achievement test gap between Caucasian and African American children. The Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, beginning in 1997, followed a cohort of 3563 children aged 0-12 years. Reading and math test scores from 2002 for 1928 children were linked with breastfeeding history. Regression analysis was used to examine associations between ever having been breastfed and duration of breastfeeding and test scores, controlling for characteristics of child, mother, and household. African American students scored significantly lower than Caucasian children by 10.6 and 10.9 points on reading and math tests, respectively. After accounting for the impact of having been breastfed during infancy, the racial test gap decreased by 17% for reading scores and 9% for math scores. Study findings indicate that breastfeeding explains 17% and 9% of the observed gaps in reading and math scores, respectively, between African Americans and Caucasians, an effect larger than most recent educational policy interventions. Renewed efforts around policies and clinical practices that promote and remove barriers for African American mothers to breastfeed should be implemented. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of early mathematical skills with a tablet intervention: a randomized control trial in Malawi.

PubMed

Pitchford, Nicola J

2015-01-01

Evaluation of educational interventions is necessary prior to wide-scale rollout. Yet very few rigorous studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of tablet-based interventions, especially in the early years and in developing countries. This study reports a randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a tablet intervention for supporting the development of early mathematical skills in primary school children in Malawi. A total sample of 318 children, spanning Standards 1-3, attending a medium-sized urban primary school, were randomized to one of three groups: maths tablet intervention, non-maths tablet control, and standard face-to-face practice. Children were pre-tested using tablets at the start of the school year on two tests of mathematical knowledge and a range of basic skills related to scholastic progression. Class teachers then delivered the intervention over an 8-weeks period, for the equivalent of 30-min per day. Technical support was provided from the local Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). Children were then post-tested on the same assessments as given at pre-test. A final sample of 283 children, from Standards 1-3, present at both pre- and post-test, was analyzed to investigate the effectiveness of the maths tablet intervention. Significant effects of the maths tablet intervention over and above standard face-to-face practice or using tablets without the maths software were found in Standards 2 and 3. In Standard 3 the greater learning gains shown by the maths tablet intervention group compared to both of the control groups on the tablet-based assessments transferred to paper and pencil format, illustrating generalization of knowledge gained. Thus, tablet technology can effectively support early years mathematical skills in developing countries if the software is carefully designed to engage the child in the learning process and the content is grounded in a solid well-constructed curriculum appropriate for the child's developmental stage.

Development of early mathematical skills with a tablet intervention: a randomized control trial in Malawi

PubMed Central

Pitchford, Nicola J.

2015-01-01

Evaluation of educational interventions is necessary prior to wide-scale rollout. Yet very few rigorous studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of tablet-based interventions, especially in the early years and in developing countries. This study reports a randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a tablet intervention for supporting the development of early mathematical skills in primary school children in Malawi. A total sample of 318 children, spanning Standards 1–3, attending a medium-sized urban primary school, were randomized to one of three groups: maths tablet intervention, non-maths tablet control, and standard face-to-face practice. Children were pre-tested using tablets at the start of the school year on two tests of mathematical knowledge and a range of basic skills related to scholastic progression. Class teachers then delivered the intervention over an 8-weeks period, for the equivalent of 30-min per day. Technical support was provided from the local Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). Children were then post-tested on the same assessments as given at pre-test. A final sample of 283 children, from Standards 1–3, present at both pre- and post-test, was analyzed to investigate the effectiveness of the maths tablet intervention. Significant effects of the maths tablet intervention over and above standard face-to-face practice or using tablets without the maths software were found in Standards 2 and 3. In Standard 3 the greater learning gains shown by the maths tablet intervention group compared to both of the control groups on the tablet-based assessments transferred to paper and pencil format, illustrating generalization of knowledge gained. Thus, tablet technology can effectively support early years mathematical skills in developing countries if the software is carefully designed to engage the child in the learning process and the content is grounded in a solid well-constructed curriculum appropriate for the child’s developmental stage. PMID:25954236

Inspection of the Math Model Tools for On-Orbit Assessment of Impact Damage Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E.; Raju, Ivatury S.; Piascik, Robert S> ; KramerWhite, Julie A.; KramerWhite, Julie A.; Labbe, Steve G.; Rotter, Hank A.

2007-01-01

In Spring of 2005, the NASA Engineering Safety Center (NESC) was engaged by the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) to peer review the suite of analytical tools being developed to support the determination of impact and damage tolerance of the Orbiter Thermal Protection Systems (TPS). The NESC formed an independent review team with the core disciplines of materials, flight sciences, structures, mechanical analysis and thermal analysis. The Math Model Tools reviewed included damage prediction and stress analysis, aeroheating analysis, and thermal analysis tools. Some tools are physics-based and other tools are empirically-derived. Each tool was created for a specific use and timeframe, including certification, real-time pre-launch assessments. In addition, the tools are used together in an integrated strategy for assessing the ramifications of impact damage to tile and RCC. The NESC teams conducted a peer review of the engineering data package for each Math Model Tool. This report contains the summary of the team observations and recommendations from these reviews.

Math anxiety: A review of its cognitive consequences, psychophysiological correlates, and brain bases.

PubMed

Suárez-Pellicioni, Macarena; Núñez-Peña, María Isabel; Colomé, Àngels

2016-02-01

A decade has passed since the last published review of math anxiety, which was carried out by Ashcraft and Ridley (2005). Given the considerable interest aroused by this topic in recent years and the growing number of publications related to it, the present article aims to provide a full and updated review of the field, ranging from the initial studies of the impact of math anxiety on numerical cognition, to the latest research exploring its electrophysiological correlates and brain bases from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Finally, this review describes the factors and mechanisms that have been claimed to play a role in the origins and/or maintenance of math anxiety, and it examines in detail the main explanations proposed to account for the negative effects of math anxiety on performance: competition for working memory resources, a deficit in a low-level numerical representation, and inhibition/attentional control deficit.

An Inquiry into Flipped Learning in Fourth Grade Math Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'addato, Teresa; Miller, Libbi R.

2016-01-01

The objective of this action research project was to better understand the impact of flipped learning on fourth grade math students in a socioeconomically disadvantaged setting. A flipped instructional model was implemented with the group of students enrolled in the researcher's class. Data was collected in the form of classroom observations,…

Is There Room in Math Reform for Preservice Teachers to Use Reading Strategies? National Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franz, Dana Pomykal; Hopper, Peggy F.

2007-01-01

Background: Research is proposed for preservice secondary mathematics teachers to develop and use reading strategies in math classrooms. Purpose: to determine if increased instruction on using specific reading strategies in secondary mathematics classrooms significantly impacts a) the type of reading-specific instructional strategies used, b)…

Impact of Instructor Teaching Style and Content Course on Mathematics Anxiety of Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van der Sandt, Suriza; O'Brien, Steve

2017-01-01

Integrative-STEM methodologies entail integrating multiple disciplines with active design-centric teaching and learning methods. If math anxiety is prevalent, for teachers or students, then both the level of integration and design thinking may be limited. This quantitative study of 160 preservice teachers investigated how math anxiety was impacted…

Latino Youth's Out-of-School Math and Science Experiences: Impact on Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Maria E.; Bussert-Webb, Kathy

2017-01-01

This qualitative study examines the learning and interaction processes between Latino/a teacher candidates (TCs) and youth during a community service-learning program involving science and math. Knowing and affirming nondominant youth's strengths are essential from funds of knowledge and Third Space perspectives. Participants were 11 TCs and their…

Academic Mentoring and Dropout Prevention for Students in Math, Science and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larose, Simon; Cyrenne, Diane; Garceau, Odette; Harvey, Marylou; Guay, Frederic; Godin, Fanny; Tarabulsy, George M; Deschenes, Claire

2011-01-01

In this study, we examined the impact of a new academic mentoring program aimed at preventing student dropout in math, science and technology. The MIRES program entails bimonthly meetings between students entering college and university students completing their undergraduate degree in science and engineering. A randomized pretest-posttest control…

Parietal Hyper-Connectivity, Aberrant Brain Organization, and Circuit-Based Biomarkers in Children with Mathematical Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jolles, Dietsje; Ashkenazi, Sarit; Kochalka, John; Evans, Tanya; Richardson, Jennifer; Rosenberg-Lee, Miriam; Zhao, Hui; Supekar, Kaustubh; Chen, Tianwen; Menon, Vinod

2016-01-01

Mathematical disabilities (MD) have a negative life-long impact on professional success, employment, and health outcomes. Yet little is known about the intrinsic functional brain organization that contributes to poor math skills in affected children. It is now increasingly recognized that math cognition requires coordinated interaction within a…

Neighborhood Economic Disadvantage and Children's Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development: Exploring Head Start Classroom Quality as a Mediating Mechanism.

PubMed

McCoy, Dana Charles; Connors, Maia C; Morris, Pamela A; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Friedman-Krauss, Allison H

Past research has shown robust relationships between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and children's school achievement and social-emotional outcomes, yet the mechanisms for explaining these relationships are poorly understood. The present study uses data from 1,904 Head Start participants enrolled in the Head Start Impact Study to examine the role that classroom structural and relational quality play in explaining the association between neighborhood poverty and children's developmental gains over the preschool year. Results suggest that neighborhood poverty is directly related to lower levels of classroom quality, and lower gains in early literacy and math scores. Indirect relationships were also found between neighborhood poverty and children's social-emotional outcomes (i.e., approaches to learning and behavior problems) via differences in the physical resources and negative student-teacher relationships within classrooms. These findings highlight the need for policy initiatives to consider community characteristics as potential predictors of disparities in classroom quality and children's cognitive and social-emotional development in Head Start.

Can Community and School-Based Supports Improve the Achievement of First-Generation Immigrant Children Attending High-Poverty Schools?

PubMed

Dearing, Eric; Walsh, Mary E; Sibley, Erin; Lee-St John, Terry; Foley, Claire; Raczek, Anastacia E

2016-05-01

Using a quasi-experimental design, the effects of a student support intervention were estimated for the math and reading achievement of first-generation immigrant children (n = 667, M = 11.05 years of age) attending high-poverty, urban elementary schools. The intervention was designed to help schools identify developmental strengths and barriers to learning and, in turn, connect children to community and school supports aligned with their strengths and needs. By exploiting within-school changes in the implementation of the intervention, the present study revealed statistically and practically significant treatment effects indicating improvements in math and reading achievement at the end of elementary school. In addition, the intervention appears to considerably narrow achievement gaps between English language learners and immigrant children proficient in English. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Executive Function and Magnitude Skills in Preschool Children

PubMed Central

Prager, Emily O.; Sera, Maria D.; Carlson, Stephanie M.

2016-01-01

Executive Function (EF) has been highlighted as a potentially important factor for mathematical understanding. The relation has been well established in school-aged children but has been less explored at younger ages. The current study investigated the relation between EF and mathematics in preschool aged children. Participants were 142 typically developing 3- and 4-year-olds. Controlling for verbal ability, a significant positive correlation was found between EF and general math abilities in this age group. Importantly, we further examined this relation causally by varying the EF load on a magnitude comparison task. Results suggested a developmental pattern wherein 3-year-olds’ performance on the magnitude comparison task was worst when EF was taxed the most. Conversely, 4-year-olds performed well on the magnitude task despite varying EF demands, suggesting that EF might play a critical role in the development of math concepts. PMID:27082019

Expanding Girls' Horizons: Strengthening Persistence in the Early Math and Science Education Pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Virnoche, Mary E.

Little longitudinal or follow-up data is available on the impact of Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) conferences. The purpose of the conferences is to encourage girls to take more math and science in high school by exposing them to hands-on activities and role models in math and science professions. This paper is based on 2005 and 2006 one-to-one and small-group interview data from 22 high school girls who attended an EYH conference during their middle school years. The data suggests that EYH strengthens girls' persistence in math and science pathways. Most girls came to the conferences already interested in math and science and at the urging of parents or teachers. Most felt empowered through the shared experience with hundreds of other girls and women, and relayed detailed and enthusiastic descriptions of hands-on activities. Many of the girls also drew connections between EYH and their course-taking actions and career goals. This paper highlights examples of these experiences and makes recommendations for future math and science early pipeline diversity work.

Co-Constructed Failure Narratives in Mathematics Tutoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLiema, David

2017-01-01

The ideas students have about what causes math failure are known to impact motivation. This paper throws light on how attributions of failure are negotiated during math tutoring, between 4th/5th graders and volunteer tutors, at a non-profit STEM-based after-school program. The study employs methods of interaction analysis on a small number of…

The Impact of Professional Learning Communities on Urban Teachers and Their Students' Reading and Math Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Deborah Johnson

2011-01-01

This study followed a causal comparative research design that utilized mixed methods. This non-experimental investigation sought to identify potential cause and effect relationships between variations in achievement data among schools. The purpose of the study was to determine if urban students' reading and math achievement increased as a result…

Using Digital Technologies to Redress Inequities for English Language Learners in the English Speaking Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Barbara

2012-01-01

This study examined the question, "What is the impact of a digital math intervention on secondary ELL students' mathematical capabilities and perceptions of their future possibilities?" The hypothesis was that through its direct effect on increasing students' math ability and its indirect effect on increasing students' perceived math…

Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat on Women's Math Performance: Are Two Strategies Better than One?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Paul R.

2011-01-01

Introduction: Two studies examined whether stereotype threat impairs women's math performance and whether concurrent threat reduction strategies can be used to offset this effect. Method: In Study 1, collegiate men and women (N = 100) watched a video purporting that males and females performed equally well ("gender-fair") or males outperformed…

I Am a Math Coach: Now What?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapacki, Lauren J.; Cross Francis, Dionne I.

2014-01-01

When one of the authors saw the job description for an elementary school mathematics coach on a state Department of Education website, she recognized it as an opportunity to have her dream job. She knew that making the transition from the classroom to a math teacher leader would afford her the opportunity to have an even greater impact on student…

Blatant Stereotype Threat and Women's Math Performance: Self-Handicapping as a Strategic Means To Cope with Obtrusive Negative Performance Expectations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Johannes

2002-01-01

Examined the impact of increased salience of negative stereotypic expectations on math performance among high school students. Results indicated that female students in the condition of heightened salience of negative stereotypic expectations underperformed in comparison to their control group counterparts. The effect of blatant stereotype threat…

Toward Social Justice: The Characteristics of an Effective Mathematics Intervention Program for Urban Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowens, Bryan D.; Warren, Susan R.

2016-01-01

This two-part investigation (a) assessed the impact of the Jaime Escalante Math Program (JEMP), a structured summer mathematics intervention program, on the math achievement of urban middle school students, (b) identified the characteristics of the program that the administrators and teachers perceived to contribute to student achievement, and (c)…

Examining Change in K-3 Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs: The Case of Primarily Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutaka, T. S.; Ren, L.; Smith, W. M.; Beattie, H. L.; Edwards, C. P.; Green, J. L.; Chernyavskiy, P.; Stroup, W.; Heaton, R. M.; Lewis, W. J.

2018-01-01

This study examines the impact of the Primarily Math Elementary Mathematics Specialist program on K-3 teachers' mathematical content knowledge for teaching, attitudes toward learning mathematics, and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning. Three cohorts of teachers participating in the program were compared to a similar group of…

Doubling Up: Intensive Math Instruction and Educational Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cortes, Kalena; Goodman, Joshua; Nomi, Takako

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research is to study the long-run impacts (i.e. on educational attainment) of a freshman math intervention called "double-dose algebra". The intervention was conducted in 2003 and 2004 within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), a large, poor urban school district. In response to low passing rates in 9th grade algebra,…

The Effects of Clustering and Curriculum on the Development of Gifted Learners' Math Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Rebecca L.; Cassady, Jerrell C.; Adams, Cheryll M.; Speirs Neumeister, Kristie L.; Dixon, Felicia A.; Cross, Tracy L.

2011-01-01

There is a paucity of empirical studies dealing with benefits of gifted programming in mathematics for elementary students. The current study reports on the impact of using cluster grouping and specific curriculum to support gifted learners' math achievement in urban elementary schools. Although the results of Year 3 provide the most compelling…

Using Games to Promote Girls' Positive Attitudes toward Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Eck, Richard

2006-01-01

Studies show that women make up only 35% of the IT workforce, and the schism between boys' and girls' interests in math and science is well documented. Richard Van Eck suggests that providing girls with more positive experiences with technology may impact their overall attitudes toward technology and perhaps even toward math and science. Van Eck…

From Poor Performance to Success under Stress: Working Memory, Strategy Selection, and Mathematical Problem Solving under Pressure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beilock, Sian L.; DeCaro, Marci S.

2007-01-01

Two experiments demonstrate how individual differences in working memory (WM) impact the strategies used to solve complex math problems and how consequential testing situations alter strategy use. In Experiment 1, individuals performed multistep math problems under low- or high-pressure conditions and reported their problem-solving strategies.…

Reading First: Impact on Third Grade Student Performance in Reading, Math, Science Before, During, and after Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Vikki Renee

2012-01-01

Critical issues are confronting educators regarding increasing student achievement levels in reading, math and science in United States' public schools. Educators and legislators are attempting to make radical changes in instructional methodology and to find viable and sustainable solutions to problems associated with poor student achievement.…

Tell Me Why! Content Knowledge Predicts Process-Orientation of Math Researchers' and Math Teachers' Explanations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lachner, Andreas; Nückles, Matthias

2016-01-01

In two studies, we investigated the impact of instructors' different knowledge bases on the quality of their instructional explanations. In Study 1, we asked 20 mathematics teachers (with high pedagogical content knowledge, but lower content knowledge) and 15 mathematicians (with lower pedagogical content knowledge, but high content knowledge) to…

Evaluating the Benefits of Providing Archived Online Lectures to In-Class Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cascaval, Radu C.; Fogler, Kethera A.; Abrams, Gene D.; Durham, Robert L.

2008-01-01

The present study examines the impact of a novel online video lecture archiving system on in-class students enrolled in traditional math courses at a mid-sized, primarily undergraduate, university in the West. The archiving system allows in-class students web access to complete video recordings of the actual classroom lectures, and sometimes of…

The Impact of Every Classroom, Every Day on High School Student Achievement: Results from a School-Randomized Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early, Diane M.; Berg, Juliette K.; Alicea, Stacey; Si, Yajuan; Aber, J. Lawrence; Ryan, Richard M.; Deci, Edward L.

2016-01-01

Every Classroom, Every Day (ECED) is a set of instructional improvement interventions designed to increase student achievement in math and English/language arts (ELA). ECED includes three primary components: (a) systematic classroom observations by school leaders, (b) intensive professional development and support for math teachers and…

Impacts of a Summer Bridge Program in Engineering on Student Retention and Graduation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cançado, Luciana; Reisel, John R.; Walker, Cindy M.

2018-01-01

A summer bridge program was developed in an engineering program to advance the preparation of incoming freshmen students, particularly with respect to their math course placement. The program was intended to raise the initial math course placement of students who otherwise would begin their engineering studies in courses below Calculus I. One…

Mental Rotation with Tangible Three-Dimensional Objects: A New Measure Sensitive to Developmental Differences in 4- to 8-year-old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawes, Zachary; LeFevre, Jo-Anne; Xu, Chang; Bruce, Catherine D.

2015-01-01

There is an emerging consensus that spatial thinking is fundamental to later success in math and science. The goals of this study were to design and evaluate a novel test of three-dimensional (3D) mental rotation for 4- to 8-year-old children (N?=?165) that uses tangible 3D objects. Results revealed that the measure was both valid and reliable and…

Revising the economic imperative for US STEM education.

PubMed

Donovan, Brian M; Moreno Mateos, David; Osborne, Jonathan F; Bisaccio, Daniel J

2014-01-01

Over the last decade macroeconomic studies have established a clear link between student achievement on science and math tests and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth, supporting the widely held belief that science, technology, engineering, and math(STEM) education are important factors in the production of economic prosperity. We critique studies that use science and math tests to predict GDP growth, arguing that estimates of the future economic value of STEM education involve substantial speculation because they ignore the impacts of economic growth on biodiversity and ecosystem functionality, which, in the long-term, limit the potential for future economic growth. Furthermore, we argue that such ecological impacts can be enabled by STEM education. Therefore, we contend that the real economic imperative for the STEM pipeline is not just raising standardized test scores, but also empowering students to assess, preserve, and restore ecosystems in order to reduce ecological degradation and increase economic welfare.

Separating math from anxiety: The role of inhibitory mechanisms.

PubMed

Mammarella, Irene C; Caviola, Sara; Giofrè, David; Borella, Erika

2017-07-06

Deficits in executive functions have been hypothesized and documented for children with severe mathematics anxiety (MA) or developmental dyscalculia, but the role of inhibition-related processes has not been specifically explored. The main aim of the present study was to shed further light on the specificity of these profiles in children in terms of working memory (WM) and the inhibitory functions involved. Four groups of children between 8 and 10 years old were selected: one group with developmental dyscalculia (DD) and no MA, one with severe MA and developmental dyscalculia (MA-DD), one with severe MA and no DD (MA), and one with typical development (TD). All children were presented with tasks measuring two inhibition-related functions, that is, proactive interference and prepotent response, and a WM task. The results showed that children with severe MA (but no DD) were specifically impaired in the proactive interference task, while children with DD (with or without MA) failed in the WM task. Our findings point to the importance of distinguishing the cognitive processes underlying these profiles.

Paediatric chronic illness and educational failure: the role of emotional and behavioural problems.

PubMed

Layte, Richard; McCrory, Cathal

2013-08-01

Chronic illness in childhood is associated with worse educational outcomes. The association is usually explained via lowered cognitive development, decreased readiness to learn and school absence. However, this paper examines whether worse psychological adjustment may also play a role. We use data from the Growing Up in Ireland study, a cohort study, which collected data on 8,568 nine-year-old children through the Irish national school system using a two-stage sampling method. Maximum likelihood path analytic models are used to assess the direct effect of child chronic illness on reading and maths test scores and the mediating role of emotional and behavioural problems. In unadjusted analyses, children with a mental and behavioural condition scored 14.5 % points less on reading tests and 16.9 % points less on maths tests than their healthy peers. Children with non-mental and behavioural conditions scored 3 % points less on both tests, a significant difference. Mental and behavioural (OR, 9.58) and other chronic conditions (OR, 1.61) were significantly more likely to have 'high' levels of difficulties on the SDQ. Path analysis models showed that the association between chronic illness and educational test scores was completely mediated by emotional and behavioural problems controlling for school absence and bullying by peers. Child and adolescent chronic illness can have significant effects on educational development and a long-lasting impact on future life-chances. The psychological adjustment of the child is important in mediating the effect of chronic illness on educational outcomes. Interventions should target this developmental pathway.

The Impact of Classroom Performance System-Based Instruction with Peer Instruction upon Student Achievement and Motivation in Eighth Grade Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, Tracy Michelle Hunter

2012-01-01

The researcher employed two designs to address the research question for this particular study. This quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group study compared the math achievement of 92 eighth grade students who received Classroom Performance System (CPS)-based instruction using Peer Instruction (PI) to 76 eighth grade students who received…

The Impact of Behavioural Executive Functioning and Intelligence on Math Abilities in Children with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dekker, M. C.; Ziermans, T. B.; Swaab, H.

2016-01-01

Background: Little is known about the role of behavioural executive functioning (EF) skills and level of intelligence (IQ) on math abilities in children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Method: Teachers of 63 children attending a school for special education (age: 10 to 13 years; IQ: 50 to 85) filled out a Behaviour Rating…

Architecture and Impact of an Open, Online, Remixable, and Multimedia-Rich Algebra 1 Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bissell, Ahrash N.

2012-01-01

Less than half of the students in the United States graduate from high school and are ready to take college-level math courses. Many years and varieties of remedial math programs have failed to dramatically improve outcomes, especially at scale. The question we face is whether technology in general, and open educational resources in particular,…

Computer Ratio and Student Achievement in Reading and Math in a North Carolina School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preswood, Erica

2017-01-01

This longitudinal research project explored the relationship between a 1:1 computing initiative and student achievement on the North Carolina End of Grade Reading Comprehension and Math tests in the study school district. The purpose of this research study was to determine if the implementation of a 1:1 computing initiative impacted student…

The Effects of Math Acceleration in Middle School at the High School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dossenbach, Chris Payton

2017-01-01

The purpose of this mixed-methods capstone is to investigate the effectiveness of the math acceleration initiative that began in the studied school district in 2009 and the impact the initiative has had on mathematics enrollment at the high school level. This research project followed cohorts of students during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school…

Games as Formative Assessment Environments: Examining the Impact of Explanations of Scoring and Incentives on Math Learning, Game Performance, and Help Seeking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delacruz, Girlie Castro

2010-01-01

To investigate whether games may serve as useful formative assessment environments, this study examined, experimentally, the effects of two aspects of formative assessment on math achievement, game play, and help-seeking behaviors: (a) making assessment criteria explicit through the explanation of scoring rules and (b) incentivizing the use of…

The Effects of Recorded Lectures on Passing Rates in Online Math Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fital-Akelbek, Sandra; Akelbek, Mahmud

2018-01-01

In this mixed method study we investigate the impact of recorded lectures on passing rates in an online math course. For three years, we collected data from approximately 380 students enrolled in a first-year undergraduate online course, College Algebra. The data was used to compare the amount of time students spent watching recorded lectures and…

Impact of Student Calculator Use on the 2013 NAEP Twelfth-Grade Mathematics Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klecker, Beverly M.; Klecker, Richard L.

2014-01-01

This descriptive research study examined 2013 NAEP 12th-grade mathematics scores by students' use of graphing calculators in math classes and the kind of calculator students used during NAEP assessment. NAEP Data Explorer analysis included two questions from Student Factors: How often do you use these different kinds of calculators in math class?…

Focusing on Mathematical Knowledge: The Impact of Content-Intensive Teacher Professional Development. Executive Summary. NCEE 2016-4009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garet, Michael S.; Heppen, Jessica B.; Walters, Kirk; Parkinson, Julia; Smith, Toni M.; Song, Mengli; Garrett, Rachel; Yang, Rui; Borman, Geoffrey D.

2016-01-01

Improving math achievement among U.S. students remains a high priority as results from recent math assessments continue to show room for improvement. For example, 60 percent of fourth-graders scored below the proficient level on the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress. On the most recent Program for International Student Assessment's…

The Impact of the Stanford Math Intervention Program and School Climate on Mathematics Achievement Levels of Female Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carwell, Tamika L.

2012-01-01

The study's focus was to determine whether or not there was a significant statistical relationship between improved student performance scores from the Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) Stanford Math Intervention Program and Discovery Formative Assessment mathematics mean scores of female middle school students. An additional focus of…

Implications for School Leaders of the Impact of Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Programs on Middle School Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinojosa, Lupita

2012-01-01

Although many national studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of magnet programs, there is limited research involving math, science, and technology magnet schools and their influence on student academic performance, especially at the middle school level. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a statistical difference existed…

Inspection of the Math Model Tools for On-Orbit Assessment of Impact Damage Report. Version 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E.; Raju, Ivatury S.; Piascik, Robert S.; Kramer White, Julie; Labbe, Steve G.; Rotter, Hank A.

2005-01-01

In Spring of 2005, the NASA Engineering Safety Center (NESC) was engaged by the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) to peer review the suite of analytical tools being developed to support the determination of impact and damage tolerance of the Orbiter Thermal Protection Systems (TPS). The NESC formed an independent review team with the core disciplines of materials, flight sciences, structures, mechanical analysis and thermal analysis. The Math Model Tools reviewed included damage prediction and stress analysis, aeroheating analysis, and thermal analysis tools. Some tools are physics-based and other tools are empirically-derived. Each tool was created for a specific use and timeframe, including certification, real-time pre-launch assessments, and real-time on-orbit assessments. The tools are used together in an integrated strategy for assessing the ramifications of impact damage to tile and RCC. The NESC teams conducted a peer review of the engineering data package for each Math Model Tool. This report contains the summary of the team observations and recommendations from these reviews.

Math and science community college faculty: A culture apart

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, Jane

This is a quantitative, survey-based study of Iowa community college faculty members. The survey was administered in the spring of 2011 to all faculty members identified by their colleges as being employed full time. This study compares the demographics of math and science faculty members to faculty within the arts and sciences who do not teach math or science. Comparisons of how the two groups interact with students and what they identify as barriers to student success are included, as well as their attitudes about mentoring, encouraging students, and their roles in student recruitment and student retention. Highly correlated variables are grouped as factors and used in the construction of prediction models for faculty engagement in student recruitment and student retention efforts. A contrast in the cultures of the math/science faculty members as compared to the non-math/science faculty is considered for its impact on faculty engagement with students and those variables believed to support undergraduate student success.

Effects of everyday romantic goal pursuit on women's attitudes toward math and science.

PubMed

Park, Lora E; Young, Ariana F; Troisi, Jordan D; Pinkus, Rebecca T

2011-09-01

The present research examined the impact of everyday romantic goal strivings on women's attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). It was hypothesized that women may distance themselves from STEM when the goal to be romantically desirable is activated because pursuing intelligence goals in masculine domains (i.e., STEM) conflicts with pursuing romantic goals associated with traditional romantic scripts and gender norms. Consistent with hypotheses, women, but not men, who viewed images (Study 1) or overheard conversations (Studies 2a-2b) related to romantic goals reported less positive attitudes toward STEM and less preference for majoring in math/science compared to other disciplines. On days when women pursued romantic goals, the more romantic activities they engaged in and the more desirable they felt, but the fewer math activities they engaged in. Furthermore, women's previous day romantic goal strivings predicted feeling more desirable but being less invested in math on the following day (Study 3).

Assessment of factors impacting success for incoming college engineering students in a summer bridge program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reisel, John R.; Jablonski, Marissa; Hosseini, Hossein; Munson, Ethan

2012-06-01

A summer bridge program for incoming engineering and computer science freshmen has been used at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2007 to 2010. The primary purpose of this program has been to improve the mathematics course placement for incoming students who initially place into a course below Calculus I on the math placement examination. The students retake the university's math placement examination after completing the bridge program to determine if they then place into a higher-level mathematics course. If the students improve their math placement, the program is considered successful for that student. The math portion of the bridge program is designed around using the ALEKS software package for targeted, self-guided learning. In the 2007 and 2008 versions of the program, both an on-line version and an on-campus version with additional instruction were offered. In 2009 and 2010, the program was exclusively in an on-campus format, and also featured a required residential component and additional engineering activities for the students. From the results of these four programs, we are able to evaluate the success of the program in its different formats. In addition, data has been collected and analysed regarding the impact of other factors on the program's success. The factors include student preparation before the beginning of the program (as measured by math ACT scores) and the amount of time the student spent working on the material during the program. Better math preparation and the amount of time spent on the program were found to be good indicators of success. Furthermore, the on-campus version of the program is more effective than the on-line version.

Exorcising the ghost of the Sputnik crisis.

PubMed

Kolberg, Espen Skarstein; Holt, Heidi Marie; Klevan, Ingvild

2017-10-01

Drug calculation is not immune to the undesirable impact of math anxiety and negative attitudes on test outcomes in nursing studies, and several studies indicate that math anxiety is present in the student population at such a degree that it is likely to interfere with these students' mathematical ability. Examining the educational system through the lens of history and adding a dash of cultural theory, a contributing cause to the math anxiety may be found in the Sputnik Crisis of the late 1950s, the ghostly remnants of which are still present in the stereotypes of mathematics promoted by mass media. In an effort to reshape the culturally conditioned attitudes which may be responsible for math anxiety, we suggest using elements from popular culture to diversify the perception and image of mathematics in drug calculation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Differential diagnosis of primary and secondary mathematical learning disability – indications from the dyscalculia test Basis-Math 4–8].

PubMed

Krinzinger, Helga

2016-09-01

Studies in children with AD(H)D without mathematical learning disability (MLD) as well as studies on the effects of methylphenidate on arithmetic have shown that most deficits in mathematics and most error types commonly described as specific to developmental dyscalculia (e. g., finger-counting, fact-retrieval deficit, complex counting, difficulties with carry/borrow procedures, self-corrections) cannot be classified as such and should thus not be used for the differential diagnosis of primary dyscalculia and secondary MLD. This article proposes using the overall score in the dyscalculia test Basis-Math 4-8 (Moser Opitz et al., 2010) as well as implausible subtraction errors as a marker for dyscalculia and the number of self-corrections made during the test as a cognitive marker for attention deficits. Hierarchical cluster analyses were calculated in a sample of 51 clinically referred children with normal IQ and suspicion of MLD, using IQ, years of schooling, overall score of the Basis-Math 4–8 and number of self-corrections in this test as variables. The results revealed a subgroup with primary dyscalculia as well as three subgroups with secondary MLD (two with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, one with depression and one small subgroup with high IQ). In conclusion, the Basis-Math 4–8 (Moser Opitz et al., 2010) can offer substantial information for the differential diagnosis of dyscalculia and secondary deficits in mathematics due to attention problems and enable optimization of treatment decisions for the different groups.

From road to lab to math: the co-evolution of technological, regulatory, and organizational innovations for automotive crash testing.

PubMed

Leonardi, Paul M

2010-04-01

Today, in the midst of economic crisis, senior executives at US automakers and influential industry analysts frequently reflect on the progression that safety testing has taken from the crude trials done on the road, to controlled laboratory experiments, and to today's complex math-based simulation models. They use stories of this seemingly linear and natural sequence to justify further investment in simulation technologies. The analysis presented in this paper shows that change in the structures of automakers' organizations co-evolved with regulations specifying who was at fault in vehicle impacts, how vehicles should be built to withstand the force of an impact, and how testing should be done to assure that vehicles met those requirements. Changes in the regulatory environment were bolstered by new theories about crash test dynamics and changing technologies with which to test those theories. Thus, as new technological and regulatory innovations co-evolved with innovations in organizational structuring, ideas about how to best conduct crash tests shifted and catalyzed new cycles of technological, regulatory, and organizational innovation. However, this co-evolutionary story tells us that the move from road to lab to math was not natural or linear as today's managerial rhetoric would have us believe. Rather, the logic of math-based simulation was the result of technological, regulatory and organizational changes that created an industry-wide ideology that supported the move toward math while making it appear natural within the shifting structure of the industry.

Final Report of the Impacts of the National Math + Science Initiative's (NMSI's) College Readiness Program on High School Students' Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Dan; Li, Yibing; Darwin, Marlene; Taylor, Suzanne; Song, Mengli

2017-01-01

The National Math + Science Initiative's (NMSI's) College Readiness Program (CRP) is an established program whose goal is to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in high schools to improve students' readiness for college. It provides teacher, student, and school supports to promote high school students' success in…

Examining the Predominant Parenting Style for Students in Academically Accelerated 8th Grade Math Classes as Compared to Students in Typical Math Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Melody

2013-01-01

Parenting style has been shown to have significant impact on a child's development. Baumrind developed the concept of three parenting styles that is still used today including: Authoritarian/controlling, authoritative/directive, and permissive. Of these, the authoritative/directive parenting style has proven the most effective with children.…

Cohort versus Non-Cohort High School Students' Math Performance: Achievement Test Scores and Coursework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parke, Carol S.; Keener, Dana

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare multiple measures of mathematics achievement for 1,378 cohort students who attended the same high school in a district from 9th to 12th grade with non-cohort students in each grade level. Results show that mobility had an impact on math achievement. After accounting for gender, ethnicity, and SES, adjusted…

Assessing Impacts of "Math in Focus," a "Singapore Math" Program for American Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaciw, Andrew P.; Hegseth, Whitney; Toby, Megan

2015-01-01

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been developed in response to the criticism that students in the U.S. are graduating from high school without being college and career ready and that they are falling behind their counterparts in other countries in key subject areas. In this work, the authors report the results of an efficacy study that…

How Does ICT Use Influence Students' Achievements in Math and Science over Time? Evidence from PISA 2000 to 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Danhui; Liu, Luman

2016-01-01

This study aims to investigate the impacts of information and communication technology (ICT) use on students' math and science achievements, with a special focus on examining the trends of these relationships over the past decade. Data from all five waves of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) from 2000 to 2012 were used.…

Impact of the Developing Mathematical Ideas Professional Development Program on Grade 4 Students' and Teachers' Understanding of Fractions. REL 2017-256

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jayanthi, Madhavi; Gersten, Russell; Taylor, Mary Jo; Smolkowski, Keith; Dimino, Joseph

2017-01-01

Contemporary state math standards emphasize that students must demonstrate an understanding of the mathematical ideas underlying the computations that have typically been the core of the elementary school math curriculum. The standards have put an increased emphasis on the study of fractions in upper elementary grades, which are the years during…

Gender-, Race-, and Income-Based Stereotype Threat: The Effects of Multiple Stigmatized Aspects of Identity on Math Performance and Working Memory Function

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tine, Michele; Gotlieb, Rebecca

2013-01-01

This study compared the relative impact of gender-, race-, and income-based stereotype threat and examined if individuals with multiple stigmatized aspects of identity experience a larger stereotype threat effect on math performance and working memory function than people with one stigmatized aspect of identity. Seventy-one college students of the…

The Impact of Supplemental Education Services Program on Middle School At-Risk Learners' Math and Reading Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, June B.

2010-01-01

In the state of Georgia, local school systems are under pressure to increase at-risk middle school students' state scores in reading and math. At the data site, the local school system implemented a supplemental education service (SES) program for at-risk students in order to pass the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) in reading…

Does Self-Regulated Learning-Skills Training Improve High-School Students' Self-Regulation, Math Achievement, and Motivation While Using an Intelligent Tutor?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrus, Angela

2013-01-01

This study empirically evaluated the effectiveness of the instructional design, learning tools, and role of the teacher in three versions of a semester-long, high-school remedial Algebra I course to determine what impact self-regulated learning skills and learning pattern training have on students' self-regulation, math achievement, and…

If We Build It, We Will Come: Impacts of a Summer Robotics Program on Regular Year Attendance in Middle School. Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mac Iver, Martha Abele; Mac Iver, Douglas J.

2014-01-01

Recognizing the importance of both keeping middle school students engaged and improving their math skills, Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) developed a summer school STEM program involving not only math and science instruction but also the experience of building a robot and competing with those robots in a city-wide tournament.…

A Small Learning Community's Impact on Students' Success Assessed by State Test Scores in Reading and Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Christiana Helen Croson

2013-01-01

Drastic reform measures have taken place at Howard High School of Technology to incorporate a 10th grade small learning community. Due to the costs and resources associated with implementing small learning communities, it is important to examine if the 10th graders' achievement on the state tests in reading and math were significantly different…

Impacts after One Year of "Healing Classroom" on Children's Reading and Math Skills in DRC: Results from a Cluster Randomized Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aber, J. Lawrence; Torrente, Catalina; Starkey, Leighann; Johnston, Brian; Seidman, Edward; Halpin, Peter; Shivshanker, Anjuli; Weisenhorn, Nina; Annan, Jeannie; Wolf, Sharon

2017-01-01

This article examines the effects of one year of exposure to "Learning to Read in a Healing Classroom" (LRHC) on the reading and math skills of second- to fourth-grade children in the low-income and conflict-affected Democratic Republic of the Congo. LRHC consists of two primary components: teacher resource materials that infuse…

Wild-type cells rescue genotypically Math1-null hair cells in the inner ears of chimeric mice.

PubMed

Du, Xiaoping; Jensen, Patricia; Goldowitz, Daniel; Hamre, Kristin M

2007-05-15

The transcription factor Math1 has been shown to be critical in the formation of hair cells (HCs) in the inner ear. However, the influence of environmental factors in HC specification suggests that cell extrinsic factors are also crucial to their development. To test whether extrinsic factors impact development of Math1-null (Math1(beta-Gal/beta-Gal)) HCs, we examined neonatal (postnatal ages P0-P4.5) Math1-null chimeric mice in which genotypically mutant and wild-type cells intermingle to form the inner ear. We provide the first direct evidence that Math1-null HCs are able to be generated and survive in the conducive chimeric environment. beta-Galactosidase expression was used to identify genetically mutant cells while cells were phenotypically defined as HCs by morphological characteristics notably the expression of HC-specific markers. Genotypically mutant HCs were found in all sensory epithelia of the inner ear at all ages examined. Comparable results were obtained irrespective of the wild-type component of the chimeric mice. Thus, genotypically mutant cells retain the competence to differentiate into HCs. The implication is that the lack of the Math1 gene in HC precursors can be overcome by environmental influences, such as cell-cell interactions with wild-type cells, to ultimately result in the formation of HCs.

Educational consequences of developmental speech disorder: Key Stage 1 National Curriculum assessment results in English and mathematics.

PubMed

Nathan, Liz; Stackhouse, Joy; Goulandris, Nata; Snowling, Margaret J

2004-06-01

Children with speech difficulties may have associated educational problems. This paper reports a study examining the educational attainment of children at Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum who had previously been identified with a speech difficulty. (1) To examine the educational attainment at Key Stage 1 of children diagnosed with speech difficulties two/three years prior to the present study. (2) To compare the Key Stage 1 assessment results of children whose speech problems had resolved at the time of assessment with those whose problems persisted. Data were available from 39 children who had an earlier diagnosis of speech difficulties at age 4/5 (from an original cohort of 47) at the age of 7. A control group of 35 children identified and matched at preschool on age, nonverbal ability and gender provided comparative data. Results of Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) in reading, reading comprehension, spelling, writing and maths, administered to children at the end of Year 2 of school were analysed. Performance across the two groups was compared. Performance was also compared to published statistics on national levels of attainment. Children with a history of speech difficulties performed less well than controls on reading, spelling and maths. However, children whose speech problems had resolved by the time of assessment performed no differently to controls. Children with persisting speech problems performed less well than controls on tests of literacy and maths. Spelling performance was a particular area of difficulty for children with persisting speech problems. Children with speech difficulties are likely to perform less well than expected on literacy and maths SAT's at age 7. Performance is related to whether the speech problem resolves early on and whether associated language problems exist. Whilst it is unclear whether poorer performance on maths is because of the language components of this task, the results indicate that speech problems, especially persisting ones, can affect the ability to access the National Curriculum to expected levels.

Socio-cognitive habilitation using the math interactive learning experience program for alcohol-affected children.

PubMed

Kable, Julie A; Coles, Claire D; Taddeo, Elles

2007-08-01

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) has been recognized as a disabling condition with a significant impact on the neurobehavioral functioning of affected individuals, including cognition, behavior, and academic functioning, but little research has been performed on targeted interventions for these children. A socio-cognitive habilitative program focused on improving behavior and math functioning in children 3 to 10 years of age (n=61) was developed and evaluated. The intervention provided parental instruction on FAS, advocacy, and behavioral regulation via workshops and interactive math tutoring with children. All families received parental instruction and were then randomly assigned to either the math instruction or standard psychoeducational care groups. Satisfaction with workshops was very high, with over 90% agreeing that trainers were knowledgeable and materials easy to understand and helpful. Significant gains in knowledge were found for information provided in the instructional groups. At posttesting, caregivers reported fewer problem behaviors on the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, Internalizing Problem Behavior, Externalizing Problem Behavior, and Total Problem Behavior summary scales. After 5 months, both groups of children demonstrated gains in math knowledge but significantly higher gains were found in the group receiving direct math instruction. The math treatment group was also more likely to demonstrate a gain of over 1 standard deviation on any of the 4 math outcome measures used. These findings suggest that parents of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FAS(D)) benefit from instruction in understanding their child's alcohol-related neurological damage and strategies to provide positive behavioral supports and that targeted psychoeducational programs may be able to remediate some of the math deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure.

Teachers' Spatial Anxiety Relates to 1st-and 2nd-Graders' Spatial Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunderson, Elizabeth A.; Ramirez, Gerardo; Beilock, Sian L.; Levine, Susan C.

2013-01-01

Teachers' anxiety about an academic domain, such as math, can impact students' learning in that domain. We asked whether this relation held in the domain of spatial skill, given the importance of spatial skill for success in math and science and its malleability at a young age. We measured 1st-and 2nd-grade teachers' spatial anxiety…

An Exploration of the Impact of Critical Math Literacies and Alternative Schooling Spaces on the Identity Development of High School-Aged Black Males in South Los Angeles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terry, Clarence La Mont

2009-01-01

Urban schools, for many African American students, have effectively become a space for the perpetuation of modern slavery. Large numbers of students, particularly Black males, are being funneled without choice into low-wage labor sectors, military service, underground economies and, eventually, prisons or worse. Key work by math education…

The Development of Cognitive Skills and Gains in Academic School Readiness for Children from Low-Income Families

PubMed Central

Welsh, Janet A.; Nix, Robert L.; Blair, Clancy; Bierman, Karen L.; Nelson, Keith E.

2010-01-01

This study examined developmental associations between growth in domain-general cognitive processes (working memory and attention control) and growth in domain-specific skills (emergent literacy and numeracy) across the pre-kindergarten year, and their relative contributions to kindergarten reading and math achievement. One hundred sixty-four Head Start children (44% African American or Latino; 57% female) were followed longitudinally. Path analyses revealed that working memory and attention control predicted growth in emergent literacy and numeracy skills during the pre-kindergarten year, and furthermore, that growth in these domain-general cognitive skills made unique contributions to the prediction of kindergarten math and reading achievement, controlling for growth in domain-specific skills. These findings extend research highlighting the importance of working memory and attention control for academic learning, demonstrating the effects in early childhood, prior to school entry. We discuss the implications of these findings for pre-kindergarten programs, particularly those designed to reduce the school readiness gaps associated with socio-economic disadvantage. PMID:20411025

Integrating Quantitative Reasoning into STEM Courses Using an Energy and Environment Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, J. D.; Lyford, M. E.; Mayes, R. L.

2010-12-01

Many secondary and post-secondary science classes do not integrate math into their curriculum, while math classes commonly teach concepts without meaningful context. Consequently, students lack basic quantitative skills and the ability to apply them in real-world contexts. For the past three years, a Wyoming Department of Education funded Math Science Partnership at the University of Wyoming (UW) has brought together middle and high school science and math teachers to model how math and science can be taught together in a meaningful way. The UW QR-STEM project emphasizes the importance of Quantitative Reasoning (QR) to student success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). To provide a social context, QR-STEM has focused on energy and the environment. In particular, the project has examined how QR and STEM concepts play critical roles in many of the current global challenges of energy and environment. During four 3-day workshops each summer and over several virtual and short face-to-face meetings during the academic year, UW and community college science and math faculty work with math and science teachers from middle and high schools across the state to improve QR instruction in math and science classes. During the summer workshops, faculty from chemistry, physics, earth sciences, biology and math lead sessions to: 1) improve the basic science content knowledge of teachers; 2) improve teacher understanding of math and statistical concepts, 3) model how QR can be taught by engaging teachers in sessions that integrate math and science in an energy and environment context; and 4) focus curricula using Understanding by Design to identify enduring understandings on which to center instructional strategies and assessment. In addition to presenting content, faculty work with teachers as they develop classroom lessons and larger units to be implemented during the school year. Teachers form interdisciplinary groups which often consist of math and science teachers from the same school or district. By jointly developing units focused on energy and environment, math and science curricula can be coordinated during the school year. During development, teams present their curricular ideas for peer-review. Throughout the school year, teachers implement their units and collect pre-post data on student learning. Ultimately, science teachers integrate math into their science courses, and math teachers integrate science content in their math courses. Following implementation, participants share their experiences with their peers and faculty. Of central interest during these presentations are: 1) How did the QR-STEM experience change teacher practices in the classroom?; and 2) How did the modification of their teaching practices impact student learning and their ability to successfully master QR? The UW QR-STEM has worked with Wyoming science and math teachers from across the state over the three year grant period.

Working memory, worry, and algebraic ability.

PubMed

Trezise, Kelly; Reeve, Robert A

2014-05-01

Math anxiety (MA)-working memory (WM) relationships have typically been examined in the context of arithmetic problem solving, and little research has examined the relationship in other math domains (e.g., algebra). Moreover, researchers have tended to examine MA/worry separate from math problem solving activities and have used general WM tasks rather than domain-relevant WM measures. Furthermore, it seems to have been assumed that MA affects all areas of math. It is possible, however, that MA is restricted to particular math domains. To examine these issues, the current research assessed claims about the impact on algebraic problem solving of differences in WM and algebraic worry. A sample of 80 14-year-old female students completed algebraic worry, algebraic WM, algebraic problem solving, nonverbal IQ, and general math ability tasks. Latent profile analysis of worry and WM measures identified four performance profiles (subgroups) that differed in worry level and WM capacity. Consistent with expectations, subgroup membership was associated with algebraic problem solving performance: high WM/low worry>moderate WM/low worry=moderate WM/high worry>low WM/high worry. Findings are discussed in terms of the conceptual relationship between emotion and cognition in mathematics and implications for the MA-WM-performance relationship. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

National Geographic Society Kids Network: Report on 1994 teacher participants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

In 1994, National Geographic Society Kids Network, a computer/telecommunications-based science curriculum, was presented to elementary and middle school teachers through summer programs sponsored by NGS and US DOE. The network program assists teachers in understanding the process of doing science; understanding the role of computers and telecommunications in the study of science, math, and engineering; and utilizing computers and telecommunications appropriately in the classroom. The program enables teacher to integrate science, math, and technology with other subjects with the ultimate goal of encouraging students of all abilities to pursue careers in science/math/engineering. This report assesses the impact of the networkmore » program on participating teachers.« less

Neighborhood Economic Disadvantage and Children’s Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development: Exploring Head Start Classroom Quality as a Mediating Mechanism

PubMed Central

McCoy, Dana Charles; Connors, Maia C.; Morris, Pamela A.; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Friedman-Krauss, Allison H.

2015-01-01

Past research has shown robust relationships between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and children’s school achievement and social-emotional outcomes, yet the mechanisms for explaining these relationships are poorly understood. The present study uses data from 1,904 Head Start participants enrolled in the Head Start Impact Study to examine the role that classroom structural and relational quality play in explaining the association between neighborhood poverty and children’s developmental gains over the preschool year. Results suggest that neighborhood poverty is directly related to lower levels of classroom quality, and lower gains in early literacy and math scores. Indirect relationships were also found between neighborhood poverty and children’s social-emotional outcomes (i.e., approaches to learning and behavior problems) via differences in the physical resources and negative student-teacher relationships within classrooms. These findings highlight the need for policy initiatives to consider community characteristics as potential predictors of disparities in classroom quality and children’s cognitive and social-emotional development in Head Start. PMID:25937703

Games as Formative Assessment Environments: Examining the Impact of Explanations of Scoring and Incentives on Math Learning, Game Performance, and Help Seeking. CRESST Report 796

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delacruz, Girlie C.

2011-01-01

Due to their motivational nature, there has been growing interest in the potential of games to help teach academic content and skills. This report examines how different levels of detail about a game's scoring rules affect math learning and performance. Data were collected from 164 students in the fourth to sixth grades at five after-school…

Acute Effect of Intermittent Exercise and Action-Based Video Game Breaks on Math Performance in Preadolescent Children.

PubMed

Block, Shannon S; Tooley, Trevor R; Nagy, Matthew R; O'Sullivan, Molly P; Robinson, Leah E; Colabianchi, Natalie; Hasson, Rebecca E

2018-02-27

The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of video game breaks and intermittent exercise breaks, performed at varying intensities, on math performance in preadolescent children. A total of 39 children (18 males and 21 females; aged 7-11 y) completed 4 experimental conditions in random order: 8 hours of sitting interrupted with 20 two-minute low-, moderate-, or high-intensity exercise breaks or 20 two-minute sedentary computer game breaks. The intensity of exercise breaks for the low-, moderate-, and high-intensity conditions corresponded with 25%, 50%, and 75% of heart rate reserve, respectively. Math performance was assessed 3 times throughout each condition day using a 90-second math test consisting of 40 single-digit addition and subtraction questions. There were no significant differences in percent change in math scores (correct answers out of attempted) by condition [low: -1.3 (0.8), moderate: 0.1 (1.3), high: -1.8 (0.7), and computer: -2.5 (0.8); P > .05]. There were significant differences in percent change in math scores over the course of the condition days with lower math scores reported at end-of-day test compared with midday test [-2.4 (0.5) vs -0.4 (0.3); P = .01]. There were no significant condition × time, time × age, condition × age, or condition × time × age interactions (all Ps > .05). Action-based video game and exercise breaks elicit the same level of math performance in children; however, time of day may impact this relationship. These findings may have important implications for instructional time in elementary classrooms.

Partnerships in Maths: Parents and Schools, The IMPACT Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merttens, Ruth, Ed.; Vass, Jeff, Ed.

The IMPACT Project is a parental involvement initiative originating in London, England. This book aims at a kaleidoscopic approach reflecting a variety of perspectives on the work in this project over five years. Chapters are grouped according to particular aspects of parental involvement. Part I, "Starting IMPACT," contains only one…

Developmental Markers of Genetic Liability to Autism in Parents: A Longitudinal, Multigenerational Study.

PubMed

Losh, Molly; Martin, Gary E; Lee, Michelle; Klusek, Jessica; Sideris, John; Barron, Sheila; Wassink, Thomas

2017-03-01

Genetic liability to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be expressed in unaffected relatives through subclinical, genetically meaningful traits, or endophenotypes. This study aimed to identify developmental endophenotypes in parents of individuals with ASD by examining parents' childhood academic development over the school-age period. A cohort of 139 parents of individuals with ASD were studied, along with their children with ASD and 28 controls. Parents' childhood records in the domains of language, reading, and math were studied from grades K-12. Results indicated that relatively lower performance and slower development of skills (particularly language related skills), and an uneven rate of development across domains predicted ASD endophenotypes in adulthood for parents, and the severity of clinical symptoms in children with ASD. These findings may mark childhood indicators of genetic liability to ASD in parents, that could inform understanding of the subclinical expression of ASD genetic liability.

The effects of Tulsa's CAP Head Start program on middle-school academic outcomes and progress.

PubMed

Phillips, Deborah; Gormley, William; Anderson, Sara

2016-08-01

This study presents evidence pertinent to current debates about the lasting impacts of early childhood educational interventions and, specifically, Head Start. A group of students who were first studied to examine the immediate impacts of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Community Action Project (CAP) Head Start program were followed-up in middle school, primarily as 8th graders. Using ordinary least squares and logistic regressions with a rich set of controls and propensity score weighting models to account for differential selection into Head Start, we compared students who had attended the CAP Head Start program and enrolled in the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) as kindergarteners with children who also attended TPS kindergarten but had attended neither CAP Head Start nor the TPS pre-K program as 4-year-olds. CAP Head Start produced significant positive effects on achievement test scores in math and on both grade retention and chronic absenteeism for middle-school students as a whole; positive effects for girls on grade retention and chronic absenteeism; for white students on math test scores; for Hispanic students on math test scores and chronic absenteeism, and for students eligible for free lunches on math test scores, grade retention, and chronic absenteeism. We conclude that the Tulsa CAP Head Start program produced significant and consequential effects into the middle school years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Developmental Advising for High-Achieving Minority Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novels, Alphonse N.; Ender, Steven C.

1988-01-01

The impact of developmental advising activities with high-achieving Black students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania was investigated. Results indicate that involvement in developmental advising had a positive impact on participating students' cumulative grade point average. (Author/MLW)

Performance in complex motor tasks deteriorates in hyperthermic humans.

PubMed

Piil, Jacob F; Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper; Trangmar, Steven J; Nybo, Lars

2017-01-01

Heat stress, leading to elevations in whole-body temperature, has a marked impact on both physical performance and cognition in ecological settings. Lab experiments confirm this for physically demanding activities, whereas observations are inconsistent for tasks involving cognitive processing of information or decision-making prior to responding. We hypothesized that divergences could relate to task complexity and developed a protocol consisting of 1) simple motor task [TARGET_pinch], 2) complex motor task [Visuo-motor tracking], 3) simple math task [MATH_type], 4) combined motor-math task [MATH_pinch]. Furthermore, visuo-motor tracking performance was assessed both in a separate- and a multipart protocol (complex motor tasks alternating with the three other tasks). Following familiarization, each of the 10 male subjects completed separate and multipart protocols in randomized order in the heat (40°C) or control condition (20°C) with testing at baseline (seated rest) and similar seated position, following exercise-induced hyperthermia (core temperature ∼ 39.5°C in the heat and 38.2°C in control condition). All task scores were unaffected by control exercise or passive heat exposure, but visuo-motor tracking performance was reduced by 10.7 ± 6.5% following exercise-induced hyperthermia when integrated in the multipart protocol and 4.4 ± 5.7% when tested separately (both P < 0.05 ). TARGET_pinch precision declined by 2.6 ± 1.3% ( P < 0.05 ), while no significant changes were observed for the math tasks. These results indicate that heat per se has little impact on simple motor or cognitive test performance, but complex motor performance is impaired by hyperthermia and especially so when multiple tasks are combined.

Positive Attitude Toward Math Supports Early Academic Success: Behavioral Evidence and Neurocognitive Mechanisms.

PubMed

Chen, Lang; Bae, Se Ri; Battista, Christian; Qin, Shaozheng; Chen, Tianwen; Evans, Tanya M; Menon, Vinod

2018-03-01

Positive attitude is thought to impact academic achievement and learning in children, but little is known about its underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. Using a large behavioral sample of 240 children, we found that positive attitude toward math uniquely predicted math achievement, even after we accounted for multiple other cognitive-affective factors. We then investigated the neural mechanisms underlying the link between positive attitude and academic achievement in two independent cohorts of children (discovery cohort: n = 47; replication cohort: n = 28) and tested competing hypotheses regarding the differential roles of affective-motivational and learning-memory systems. In both cohorts, we found that positive attitude was associated with increased engagement of the hippocampal learning-memory system. Structural equation modeling further revealed that, in both cohorts, increased hippocampal activity and more frequent use of efficient memory-based strategies mediated the relation between positive attitude and higher math achievement. Our study is the first to elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms by which positive attitude influences learning and academic achievement.

Neurobiological Underpinnings of Math and Reading Learning Disabilities

PubMed Central

Ashkenazi, Sarit; Black, Jessica M.; Abrams, Daniel A.; Hoeft, Fumiko; Menon, Vinod

2013-01-01

The primary goal of this review is to highlight current research and theories describing the neurobiological basis of math (MD), reading (RD), and comorbid math and reading disability (MD+RD). We first describe the unique brain and cognitive processes involved in acquisition of math and reading skills, emphasizing similarities and differences in each domain. Next we review functional imaging studies of MD and RD in children, integrating relevant theories from experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience to characterize the functional neuroanatomy of cognitive dysfunction in MD and RD. We then review recent research on the anatomical correlates of MD and RD. Converging evidence from morphometry and tractography studies are presented to highlight distinct patterns of white matter pathways which are disrupted in MD and RD. Finally, we examine how the intersection of MD and RD provides a unique opportunity to clarify the unique and shared brain systems which adversely impact learning and skill acquisition in MD and RD, and point out important areas for future work on comorbid learning disabilities. PMID:23572008

Gender, Math Confidence, and Grit: Relationships with Quantitative Skills and Performance in an Undergraduate Biology Course

PubMed Central

Flanagan, K. M.; Einarson, J.

2017-01-01

In a world filled with big data, mathematical models, and statistics, the development of strong quantitative skills is becoming increasingly critical for modern biologists. Teachers in this field must understand how students acquire quantitative skills and explore barriers experienced by students when developing these skills. In this study, we examine the interrelationships among gender, grit, and math confidence for student performance on a pre–post quantitative skills assessment and overall performance in an undergraduate biology course. Here, we show that females significantly underperformed relative to males on a quantitative skills assessment at the start of term. However, females showed significantly higher gains over the semester, such that the gender gap in performance was nearly eliminated by the end of the semester. Math confidence plays an important role in the performance on both the pre and post quantitative skills assessments and overall performance in the course. The effect of grit on student performance, however, is mediated by a student’s math confidence; as math confidence increases, the positive effect of grit decreases. Consequently, the positive impact of a student’s grittiness is observed most strongly for those students with low math confidence. We also found grit to be positively associated with the midterm score and the final grade in the course. Given the relationships established in this study among gender, grit, and math confidence, we provide “instructor actions” from the literature that can be applied in the classroom to promote the development of quantitative skills in light of our findings. PMID:28798209

The Achievement Impacts of Arkansas Open-Enrollment Charter Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Jonathan N.

2013-01-01

This article examines the impacts of Arkansas charter schools on the academic achievement of participating students. Our findings are that charter schools have small but statistically significant, negative impacts on student achievements for both math and literacy. Such negative effects, however, tend to decline with the number of years of charter…

Sustaining and Scaling up the Impact of Professional Development Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zehetmeier, Stefan

2015-01-01

This paper deals with a crucial topic: which factors influence the sustainability and scale-up of a professional development programme's impact? Theoretical models and empirical findings from impact research (e.g. Zehetmeier and Krainer, "ZDM Int J Math" 43(6/7):875-887, 2011) and innovation research (e.g. Cobb and Smith,…

Link between cognitive neuroscience and education: the case of clinical assessment of developmental dyscalculia.

PubMed

Rubinsten, Orly

2015-01-01

In recent years, cognitive neuroscience research has identified several biological and cognitive features of number processing deficits that may now make it possible to diagnose mental or educational impairments in arithmetic, even earlier and more precisely than is possible using traditional assessment tools. We provide two sets of recommendations for improving cognitive assessment tools, using the important case of mathematics as an example. (1) neurocognitive tests would benefit substantially from incorporating assessments (based on findings from cognitive neuroscience) that entail systematic manipulation of fundamental aspects of number processing. Tests that focus on evaluating networks of core neurocognitive deficits have considerable potential to lead to more precise diagnosis and to provide the basis for designing specific intervention programs tailored to the deficits exhibited by the individual child. (2) implicit knowledge, derived from inspection of variables that are irrelevant to the task at hand, can also provide a useful assessment tool. Implicit knowledge is powerful and plays an important role in human development, especially in cases of psychiatric or neurological deficiencies (such as math learning disabilities or math anxiety).

Children's school readiness: implications for eliminating future disparities in health and education.

PubMed

Pagani, Linda S; Fitzpatrick, Caroline

2014-02-01

School-entry characteristics predict adult educational attainment, which forecasts dispositions toward disease prevention. Health and education risks can also be transmitted from one generation to the next. As such, school readiness forecasts a set of intertwined biopsychosocial trajectories that can influence the developmental antecedents to health and disease prevalence in society. To predict children's health behaviors and academic adjustment at the end of fourth grade from their kindergarten entry math, vocabulary, and attention skills. We use a subsample of 614 girls and 541 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (Canada). Children were individually assessed for cognitive skills and teachers rated their classroom attention skills at 65 months. Outcome measures include health behaviors, psychosocial, and academic outcomes at 122 months. Multiple regression analyses were used. Receptive vocabulary in kindergarten exclusively predicted fourth-grade dietary habits. Unstandardized coefficients predicted decreases in sweet snack intake (β = -.009, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -.011 to -.006) and dairy product intake (β = .009, 95% CI = .005 to .013). Conversely, higher kindergarten math skills predicted increases in activities requiring physical effort (β = .030, 95% CI = .011 to .056). Although vocabulary and attention skills were found important, kindergarten math skills were stronger and more consistent predictors of later academic outcomes. From a population-health perspective, the skills children bring to the kindergarten classroom might reduce a host of lifestyle risks from childhood through adulthood. Early promotion of such skills also offers possibilities for ultimately reducing later disparities in health and education.

Making gender matter: the role of gender-based expectancies and gender identification on women's and men's math performance in Sweden.

PubMed

Eriksson, Kimmo; Lindholm, Torun

2007-08-01

It is well established that an emphasis on gender differences may have a negative effect on women's math performance in USA, Germany and the Netherlands. It has further been found that an individual's identification with the stereotyped group may moderate effects of negative stereotypes. The present study investigated how gender-based expectancies affected the math performance of women and men in Sweden, a nation with a smaller gender gap than in other countries, and a strong cultural emphasis on gender equality. Participants, 112 female and 74 male undergraduate math students from Swedish universities, completed a difficult math test in which their gender was either linked to their test performance or not. Men performed better than women when gender was made relevant among participants who did not see their gender as an important aspect of their identity, while participants high in gender identification were unaffected by gender identity relevance. Moreover, the gender relevance manipulation affected men's performance more than women's. The results deviate from findings on US samples, indicating that the role of group identification as a moderator of stereotype-based expectancy effects is complex, and that factors in the cultural context may interact with individual differences in identification to determine the impact of negative stereotypes.

The relationship between preadmission indicators and basic math skills at a new school of pharmacy.

PubMed

Grillo, J A; Latif, D A; Stolte, S K

2001-02-01

To examine the relationship between preadmission indicators of 49 PharmD students entering their first professional year at a new school of pharmacy and their scores on a Basic Math Skills Test (BMST). A secondary objective was to determine what factors, if any, contributed to the successful completion of the BMST. This cross-sectional investigation used a convenience sample of PharmD students entering the first professional year at a three-year-old, private, southeastern school of pharmacy. All first-year students who took the mandatory BMST, as part of a math mentor plot program, were eligible for enrollment. The BMST covered nine different competencies and was validated at the grade-8 level. Math test scores, the student's Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), and other demographic and scholastic information was obtained from the student's application file in a retrospective manner. All identifiers were removed before the data were submitted to the investigators. Statistical analysis suggested that two preadmission indicators strongly influenced BMST performance: percentile scores on the quantitative section of the PCAT (POAT-OP) and whether the student attended a private or public university prior to admission to the pharmacy school. In addition, four factors significantiy contributed to successful completion of the BMST: math/science grade point average (MS-GPA), PCAT percentile scores, PCAT-QP percentile scores, and the number of BMST Items left blank. A relationship exists between preadmission indicators of PharmD students entering their first professional year and their BMST score. In addition, certain identifiable factors impact BMST scores of first-year PharmD students. Admissions committees may find this useful in identifying students who may need remedial math assistance prior to beginning math-intensive courses such as pharmaceutical calculations and pharmacokinetics.

Developmental Education's Impact on Students' Academic Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Kimberly; Goldwasser, Molly; Harris, Eugenia

2017-01-01

Students who are enrolled in developmental courses often persist at lower rates than students who enter college prepared for college-level work. This phenomenon has been attributed to numerous potential factors, including the psychological impact of assignment to developmental courses. This study examines the impact of enrollment in multiple…

The effects of anxious responding on mental arithmetic and lexical decision task performance.

PubMed

Hopko, Derek R; McNeil, Daniel W; Lejuez, C W; Ashcraft, Mark H; Eifert, Georg H; Riel, Jim

2003-01-01

Anxiety-related responding and skill deficits historically are associated with performance-based problems such as mathematics anxiety, yet the relative contribution of these variables to substandard performance remains poorly understood. Utilizing a 7% carbon dioxide (CO2) gas to induce anxiety, the present study examined the impact of anxious responding on two performance tasks, mental arithmetic and lexical decision. Independent variables included math anxiety group, gender, and gas condition. Dependent variables included task performance and physiological and self-report indices of anxiety. A total of 64 university undergraduate students participated. Physiological and verbal-report measures of anxiety supported the utility of 7% carbon dioxide-enriched air as an anxiety-inducing stimulus. Behavioral disruption on performance tasks, however, did not differ as a function of carbon dioxide inhalation. Performance did differ as a function of math anxiety. High math anxious individuals generally exhibited higher error rates on mathematical tasks, particularly on tasks designed to measure advanced math skill and those requiring working memory resources. These findings are discussed with reference to processing efficiency theory, discordance among anxiety response systems, and the intricacies associated with skill measurement.

Examining the Impact of Afterschool STEM Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krishnamurthi, Anita; Ballard, Melissa; Noam, Gil G.

2014-01-01

Afterschool programs that provide strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning experiences are making an impact on participating youth not only become excited and engaged in these fields but develop STEM skills and proficiencies, come to value these fields and their contributions to society, and--significantly--begin to see…

The Impact of Brain-Based Strategies: One School's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodges, Jane Allen

2013-01-01

Research has shown student inattention, off-task behaviors, and lack of listening skills in the classroom can impact progress in reading, math, and language development. Lack of verbal interaction in home environments, variations in learning and teaching modalities, and larger class sizes contribute to the difficulties students have in developing…

The Engineering Process in Construction & Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoner, Melissa A.; Stuby, Kristin T.; Szczepanski, Susan

2013-01-01

Recent research suggests that high-impact activities in science and math classes promote positive attitudinal shifts in students. By implementing high-impact activities, such as designing a school and a skate park, mathematical thinking can be linked to the engineering design process. This hands-on approach, when possible, to demonstrate or…

Processing speed, executive function, and academic achievement in children with dextro-transposition of the great arteries: Testing a longitudinal developmental cascade model

PubMed Central

Cassidy, Adam R.; White, Matthew T.; DeMaso, David R.; Newburger, Jane W.; Bellinger, David C.

2016-01-01

Objective To establish executive function (EF) structure/organization and test a longitudinal developmental cascade model linking processing speed (PS) and EF skills at 8-years of age to academic achievement outcomes, both at 8- and 16-years, in a large sample of children/adolescents with surgically-repaired dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA). Method Data for this study come from the 8-(n = 155) and 16-year (n = 139) time points of the Boston Circulatory Arrest Study and included WISC-III, Trail Making Test, Test of Variables of Attention, and WIAT/WIAT-II tasks. Results A 2-factor model (Working Memory/Inhibition and Shifting) provided the best fit for the EF data, χ2(3) = 1.581, p = .66, RMSEA = 0, CFI = 1, NNFI = 1.044). Working Memory/Inhibition and Shifting factors were not correlated. In the structural equation model, PS was directly related to both EF factors and Reading at 8 years, and was indirectly related to Math and Reading achievement, both concurrently and longitudinally, via its effects on Working Memory/Inhibition. Shifting at 8 years was significantly associated with Math (but not Reading) at 16 years. Conclusions The academic difficulties experienced by children and adolescents with d-TGA may be driven, at least in part, by underlying deficits in processing speed and aspects of executive function. Intervention efforts aimed at bolstering these abilities, particularly if implemented early in development, may prove beneficial in improving academic outcomes and, perhaps by extension, in reducing the stress and diminished self-confidence often associated with academic underachievement. PMID:27077787

Solving Math Problems Approximately: A Developmental Perspective

PubMed Central

Ganor-Stern, Dana

2016-01-01

Although solving arithmetic problems approximately is an important skill in everyday life, little is known about the development of this skill. Past research has shown that when children are asked to solve multi-digit multiplication problems approximately, they provide estimates that are often very far from the exact answer. This is unfortunate as computation estimation is needed in many circumstances in daily life. The present study examined 4th graders, 6th graders and adults’ ability to estimate the results of arithmetic problems relative to a reference number. A developmental pattern was observed in accuracy, speed and strategy use. With age there was a general increase in speed, and an increase in accuracy mainly for trials in which the reference number was close to the exact answer. The children tended to use the sense of magnitude strategy, which does not involve any calculation but relies mainly on an intuitive coarse sense of magnitude, while the adults used the approximated calculation strategy which involves rounding and multiplication procedures, and relies to a greater extent on calculation skills and working memory resources. Importantly, the children were less accurate than the adults, but were well above chance level. In all age groups performance was enhanced when the reference number was smaller (vs. larger) than the exact answer and when it was far (vs. close) from it, suggesting the involvement of an approximate number system. The results suggest the existence of an intuitive sense of magnitude for the results of arithmetic problems that might help children and even adults with difficulties in math. The present findings are discussed in the context of past research reporting poor estimation skills among children, and the conditions that might allow using children estimation skills in an effective manner. PMID:27171224

Do the Effects of Head Start Vary by Parental Preacademic Stimulation?

PubMed Central

Miller, Elizabeth B.; Farkas, George; Vandell, Deborah Lowe; Duncan, Greg J.

2014-01-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N=3,185, age = 3–4 years) were used to determine whether one year of Head Start differentially benefited children from homes with high, middle, and low levels of parental preacademic stimulation on three academic outcome domains – early math, early literacy, and receptive vocabulary. Results from residualized growth models showed positive impacts of random assignment to Head Start on all three outcomes, and positive associations between parental preacademic stimulation and academic performance. Two moderated effects were also found. Head Start boosted early math skills the most for children receiving low parental preacademic stimulation. Effects of Head Start on early literacy skills were largest for children receiving moderate levels of parental preacademic stimulation. Implications for Head Start are discussed. PMID:24597729

Differential Impacts of Intensive District-Level Technical Assistance on Student Achievement: A Study of California's District Assistance and Intervention Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strunk, Katharine O.; McEachin, Andrew

2012-01-01

Building on Strunk, McEachin, and Westover (2011), the authors examine whether or not District Assistance and Intervention Teams (DAITs) have a differential impact on student performance across school and student characteristics. They use a quasi-experimental design to examine the impacts of DAITs on student achievement on math and English…

Calculation and word problem-solving skills in primary grades - Impact of cognitive abilities and longitudinal interrelations with task-persistent behaviour.

PubMed

Jõgi, Anna-Liisa; Kikas, Eve

2016-06-01

Primary school math skills form a basis for academic success down the road. Different math skills have different antecedents and there is a reason to believe that more complex math tasks require better self-regulation. The study aimed to investigate longitudinal interrelations of calculation and problem-solving skills, and task-persistent behaviour in Grade 1 and Grade 3, and the effect of non-verbal intelligence, linguistic abilities, and executive functioning on math skills and task persistence. Participants were 864 students (52.3% boys) from 33 different schools in Estonia. Students were tested twice - at the end of Grade1 and at the end of Grade 3. Calculation and problem-solving skills, and teacher-rated task-persistent behaviour were measured at both time points. Non-verbal intelligence, linguistic abilities, and executive functioning were measured in Grade 1. Cross-lagged structural equation modelling indicated that calculation skills depend on previous math skills and linguistic abilities, while problem-solving skills require also non-verbal intelligence, executive functioning, and task persistence. Task-persistent behaviour in Grade 3 was predicted by previous problem-solving skills, linguistic abilities, and executive functioning. Gender and mother's educational level were added as covariates. The findings indicate that math skills and self-regulation are strongly related in primary grades and that solving complex tasks requires executive functioning and task persistence from children. Findings support the idea that instructional practices might benefit from supporting self-regulation in order to gain domain-specific, complex skill achievement. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

The Impact of Low-Level Lead Toxicity on School Performance among Hispanic Subgroups in the Chicago Public Schools.

PubMed

Blackowicz, Michael J; Hryhorczuk, Daniel O; Rankin, Kristin M; Lewis, Dan A; Haider, Danish; Lanphear, Bruce P; Evens, Anne

2016-08-01

Environmental lead exposure detrimentally affects children's educational performance, even at very low blood lead levels (BLLs). Among children in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the severity of the effects of BLL on reading and math vary by racial subgroup (White vs. Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic Black). We investigated the impact of BLL on standardized test performance by Hispanic subgroup (Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Other Hispanic). We examined 12,319 Hispanic children born in Chicago between 1994 and 1998 who were tested for BLL between birth and 2006 and enrolled in the 3rd grade at a CPS school between 2003 and 2006. We linked the Chicago birth registry, the Chicago Blood Lead Registry, and 3rd grade Illinois Standard Achievement Test (ISAT) scores to examine associations between BLL and school performance. Primary analyses were restricted to children with BLL below 10 µg/dL (0.483 µmol/L). BLLs below 10 µg/dL (0.483 µmol/L) were inversely associated with reading and math scores in all Hispanic subgroups. Adjusted Relative Risks (RRadj) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for reading and math failure were 1.34 (95% CI = 1.25, 1.63) and 1.53 (95% CI = 1.32, 1.78), respectively, per each additional 5 µg/dL of lead exposure for Hispanic children; RRadj did not differ across subgroups. We estimate that 7.0% (95% CI = 1.8, 11.9) of reading and 13.6% (95% CI = 7.7, 19.2) of math failure among Hispanic children can be attributed to exposure to BLLs of 5-9 µg/dL (0.242 to 0.435 µmol/L) vs. 0-4 µg/dL (0-0.193 µmol/L). The RRadj of math failure for each 5 µg/dL (0.242 µmol/L) increase in BLL was notably (p = 0.074) stronger among black Puerto Rican children (RRadj = 5.14; 95% CI = 1.65-15.94) compared to white Puerto Rican children (RRadj = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.12-2.02). Early childhood lead exposure is associated with poorer achievement on standardized reading and math tests in the 3rd grade for Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Other Hispanic children enrolled in Chicago Public Schools. While we did not see interactions between BLL and ISAT performance by Hispanic subgroup, the stronger association between BLL and math failure for Black Puerto Rican children is intriguing and warrants further study.

Climate change in the classroom: Reaching out to middle school students through science and math suitcase lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobo, A. C.; Collay, R.; Harris, R. N.; de Silva, L.

2011-12-01

We have formed a link between the Increasing Diversity in Earth Sciences (IDES) program with the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) program, both at Oregon State University. The IDES mission is to strengthen the understanding of Earth Sciences and their relevance to society among broad and diverse segments of the population and the SMILE mission is to provide science and math enrichment for underrepresented and other educationally underserved students in grades 4-12. Traditionally, underserved schools do not have enough time or resources to spend on science and mathematics. Furthermore, numerous budget cuts in many Oregon school districts have negatively impacted math and science cirriculum. To combat this trend we have designed suitcase lessons in climate change that can be carried to a number of classrooms. These lesson plans are scientifically rich and economically attractive. These lessons are designed to engage students in math and science through climate change presentations, group discussions, and hands-on activities. Over the past year we have familiarized ourselves with the academic ability of sixth and seventh graders through in-class observation in Salem Oregon. One of the suit case lessons we developed focuses on climate change by exploring the plight of polar bears in the face of diminishing sea ice. Our presentation will report the results of this activity.

The Efficacy of Math Coaching: An Evaluative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbins, C. Neelie

2010-01-01

There is a lack of implementation of instructional strategies to assist middle school teachers in improving mathematics education for their students. Coaching is one solution to this problem, but its impact on student achievement is unclear. This case study evaluated the relationship between coaching and teacher efficacy and the impact of these…

The Impact of a Technology-Enhanced Math Performance Task on Student Cognitive Engagement in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerreiro, Meg

2017-01-01

Technology may play a critical role in impacting student engagement, specifically within an assessment context. Using a mixed methods approach, I examined the relationship between varying degrees of technology-enhancements applied in a mathematics performance task on the outcome of student cognitive engagement. Using a counterbalanced…

The Impact of Teacher Licensure Programs on Minority Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Rose S.

2013-01-01

This research examined the impact of teacher licensure routes, particularly those identified as either traditional or alternative on student achievement by comparing Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) end of year scores in math and reading for minority students in grades six through eight during the period from 2005 through 2009. To compare the…

"Math Makes Me Sweat" The Impact of Pre-Service Courses on Mathematics Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Beth; vanderSandt, Suriza

2011-01-01

We investigate mathematics anxiety amongst education majors currently enrolled as pre-service teachers in special education, deaf and hard of hearing, early childhood and elementary education. The impact of a compulsory freshmen content course and sophomore methodology course on mathematics anxiety for each education major was studied over a two…

Impact of Fab Lab Tulsa on Student Self-Efficacy toward STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubriwny, Nicholas; Pritchett, Nathan; Hardesty, Michelle; Hellman, Chan M.

2016-01-01

Student self-confidence is important to any attempt to increase interest and achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. This study presents a longitudinal examination of Fab Lab Tulsa's impact on attitude and self-efficacy toward STEM education among middle-school aged students. Paired samples t-test showed a…

Impact of a Web-Based Adaptive Supplemental Digital Resource on Student Mathematics Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Laurie A.; Hamil, Marc

2018-01-01

Much literature has presented evidence that supplemental digital resources enhance student performance with mathematics. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a web-adaptive digital resource, Think Through Math©, on student performance with state-mandated annual standardized mathematics assessments. This study utilized a…

The role of self-math overlap in understanding math anxiety and the relation between math anxiety and performance

PubMed Central

Necka, Elizabeth A.; Sokolowski, H. Moriah; Lyons, Ian M.

2015-01-01

Recent work has demonstrated that math anxiety is more than just the product of poor math skills. Psychosocial factors may play a key role in understanding what it means to be math anxious, and hence may aid in attempts to sever the link between math anxiety and poor math performance. One such factor may be the extent to which individuals integrate math into their sense of self. We adapted a well-established measure of this degree of integration (i.e., self-other overlap) to assess individuals’ self-math overlap. This non-verbal single-item measure showed that identifying oneself with math (having higher self-math overlap) was strongly associated with lower math anxiety (r = -0.610). We also expected that having higher self-math overlap would leave one especially susceptible to the threat of poor math performance to the self. We identified two competing hypotheses regarding how this plays out in terms of math anxiety. Those higher in self-math overlap might be more likely to worry about poor math performance, exacerbating the negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. Alternatively, those higher in self-math overlap might exhibit self-serving biases regarding their math ability, which would instead predict a decoupling of the relation between their perceived and actual math ability, and in turn the relation between their math ability and math anxiety. Results clearly favored the latter hypothesis: those higher in self-math overlap exhibited almost no relation between math anxiety and math ability, whereas those lower in self-math overlap showed a strong negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. This was partially explained by greater self-serving biases among those higher in self-math overlap. In sum, these results reveal that the degree to which one integrates math into one’s self – self-math overlap – may provide insight into how the pernicious negative relation between math anxiety and math ability may be ameliorated. PMID:26528210

The role of self-math overlap in understanding math anxiety and the relation between math anxiety and performance.

PubMed

Necka, Elizabeth A; Sokolowski, H Moriah; Lyons, Ian M

2015-01-01

Recent work has demonstrated that math anxiety is more than just the product of poor math skills. Psychosocial factors may play a key role in understanding what it means to be math anxious, and hence may aid in attempts to sever the link between math anxiety and poor math performance. One such factor may be the extent to which individuals integrate math into their sense of self. We adapted a well-established measure of this degree of integration (i.e., self-other overlap) to assess individuals' self-math overlap. This non-verbal single-item measure showed that identifying oneself with math (having higher self-math overlap) was strongly associated with lower math anxiety (r = -0.610). We also expected that having higher self-math overlap would leave one especially susceptible to the threat of poor math performance to the self. We identified two competing hypotheses regarding how this plays out in terms of math anxiety. Those higher in self-math overlap might be more likely to worry about poor math performance, exacerbating the negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. Alternatively, those higher in self-math overlap might exhibit self-serving biases regarding their math ability, which would instead predict a decoupling of the relation between their perceived and actual math ability, and in turn the relation between their math ability and math anxiety. Results clearly favored the latter hypothesis: those higher in self-math overlap exhibited almost no relation between math anxiety and math ability, whereas those lower in self-math overlap showed a strong negative relation between math anxiety and math ability. This was partially explained by greater self-serving biases among those higher in self-math overlap. In sum, these results reveal that the degree to which one integrates math into one's self - self-math overlap - may provide insight into how the pernicious negative relation between math anxiety and math ability may be ameliorated.

The impact of early behavior disturbances on academic achievement in high school.

PubMed

Breslau, Joshua; Miller, Elizabeth; Breslau, Naomi; Bohnert, Kipling; Lucia, Victoria; Schweitzer, Julie

2009-06-01

Previous research has indicated that childhood behavioral disturbances predict lower scores on academic tests and curtail educational attainment. It is unknown which types of childhood behavioral problems are most likely to predict these outcomes. An ethnically diverse cohort was assessed at 6 years of age for behavioral problems and IQ and at 17 years of age for academic achievement in math and reading. Of the original cohort of 823 children, 693 (84%) had complete data. Multiple regressions were used to estimate associations of attention and internalizing and externalizing problems at age 6 and with math and reading achievement at age 17, adjusting for IQ and indicators of family socioeconomic status. Adjusting for IQ, inner-city community, and maternal education and marital status, teacher ratings of attention, internalizing behavior, and externalizing problems at age 6 significantly predict math and reading achievement at age 17. When types of problems are examined simultaneously, attention problems predict math and reading achievement with little attenuation, whereas the influence of externalizing and internalizing problems is materially reduced and not significant. Interventions that target attention problems at school entry should be tested as a potential avenue for improving educational achievement.

Gender, Math Confidence, and Grit: Relationships with Quantitative Skills and Performance in an Undergraduate Biology Course.

PubMed

Flanagan, K M; Einarson, J

2017-01-01

In a world filled with big data, mathematical models, and statistics, the development of strong quantitative skills is becoming increasingly critical for modern biologists. Teachers in this field must understand how students acquire quantitative skills and explore barriers experienced by students when developing these skills. In this study, we examine the interrelationships among gender, grit, and math confidence for student performance on a pre-post quantitative skills assessment and overall performance in an undergraduate biology course. Here, we show that females significantly underperformed relative to males on a quantitative skills assessment at the start of term. However, females showed significantly higher gains over the semester, such that the gender gap in performance was nearly eliminated by the end of the semester. Math confidence plays an important role in the performance on both the pre and post quantitative skills assessments and overall performance in the course. The effect of grit on student performance, however, is mediated by a student's math confidence; as math confidence increases, the positive effect of grit decreases. Consequently, the positive impact of a student's grittiness is observed most strongly for those students with low math confidence. We also found grit to be positively associated with the midterm score and the final grade in the course. Given the relationships established in this study among gender, grit, and math confidence, we provide "instructor actions" from the literature that can be applied in the classroom to promote the development of quantitative skills in light of our findings. © 2017 K. M. Flanagan and J. Einarson. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Cognitive and Neural Correlates of Mathematical Giftedness in Adults and Children: A Review

PubMed Central

Myers, Timothy; Carey, Emma; Szűcs, Dénes

2017-01-01

Most mathematical cognition research has focused on understanding normal adult function and child development as well as mildly and moderately impaired mathematical skill, often labeled developmental dyscalculia and/or mathematical learning disability. In contrast, much less research is available on cognitive and neural correlates of gifted/excellent mathematical knowledge in adults and children. In order to facilitate further inquiry into this area, here we review 40 available studies, which examine the cognitive and neural basis of gifted mathematics. Studies associated a large number of cognitive factors with gifted mathematics, with spatial processing and working memory being the most frequently identified contributors. However, the current literature suffers from low statistical power, which most probably contributes to variability across findings. Other major shortcomings include failing to establish domain and stimulus specificity of findings, suggesting causation without sufficient evidence and the frequent use of invalid backward inference in neuro-imaging studies. Future studies must increase statistical power and neuro-imaging studies must rely on supporting behavioral data when interpreting findings. Studies should investigate the factors shown to correlate with math giftedness in a more specific manner and determine exactly how individual factors may contribute to gifted math ability. PMID:29118725

Preschool Predictors of School-Age Academic Achievement in Autism Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Miller, Lauren E.; Burke, Jeffrey D.; Troyb, Eva; Knoch, Kelley; Herlihy, Lauren E.; Fein, Deborah A.

2017-01-01

Objective Characterization of academic functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly predictors of achievement, may have important implications for intervention. The current study aimed to characterize achievement profiles, confirm associations between academic ability and concurrent intellectual and social skills, and explore preschool predictors of school-age academic achievement in a sample of children with ASD. Method Children with ASD (N = 26) were evaluated at the approximate ages of two, four, and ten years. Multiple regression was used to predict school-age academic achievement in reading and mathematics from both concurrent (i.e., school-age) and preschool variables. Results Children with ASD demonstrated a weakness in reading comprehension relative to word reading. There was a smaller difference between mathematics skills; math reasoning was lower than numerical operations, but this did not quite reach trend level significance. Concurrent IQ and social skills were associated with school-age academic achievement across domains. Preschool verbal abilities significantly predicted school-age reading comprehension, above and beyond concurrent IQ, and early motor functioning predicted later math skills. Conclusions Specific developmental features of early ASD predict specific aspects of school-age achievement. Early intervention targeting language and motor skills may improve later achievement in this population. PMID:27705180

Preschool predictors of school-age academic achievement in autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Miller, Lauren E; Burke, Jeffrey D; Troyb, Eva; Knoch, Kelley; Herlihy, Lauren E; Fein, Deborah A

2017-02-01

Characterization of academic functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly predictors of achievement, may have important implications for intervention. The current study aimed to characterize achievement profiles, confirm associations between academic ability and concurrent intellectual and social skills, and explore preschool predictors of school-age academic achievement in a sample of children with ASD. Children with ASD (n = 26) were evaluated at the approximate ages of two, four, and ten. Multiple regression was used to predict school-age academic achievement in reading and mathematics from both concurrent (i.e. school-age) and preschool variables. Children with ASD demonstrated a weakness in reading comprehension relative to word reading. There was a smaller difference between mathematics skills; math reasoning was lower than numerical operations, but this did not quite reach trend level significance. Concurrent IQ and social skills were associated with school-age academic achievement across domains. Preschool verbal abilities significantly predicted school-age reading comprehension, above and beyond concurrent IQ, and early motor functioning predicted later math skills. Specific developmental features of early ASD predict specific aspects of school-age achievement. Early intervention targeting language and motor skills may improve later achievement in this population.

Cortical circuits for mathematical knowledge: evidence for a major subdivision within the brain's semantic networks.

PubMed

Amalric, Marie; Dehaene, Stanislas

2017-02-19

Is mathematical language similar to natural language? Are language areas used by mathematicians when they do mathematics? And does the brain comprise a generic semantic system that stores mathematical knowledge alongside knowledge of history, geography or famous people? Here, we refute those views by reviewing three functional MRI studies of the representation and manipulation of high-level mathematical knowledge in professional mathematicians. The results reveal that brain activity during professional mathematical reflection spares perisylvian language-related brain regions as well as temporal lobe areas classically involved in general semantic knowledge. Instead, mathematical reflection recycles bilateral intraparietal and ventral temporal regions involved in elementary number sense. Even simple fact retrieval, such as remembering that 'the sine function is periodical' or that 'London buses are red', activates dissociated areas for math versus non-math knowledge. Together with other fMRI and recent intracranial studies, our results indicated a major separation between two brain networks for mathematical and non-mathematical semantics, which goes a long way to explain a variety of facts in neuroimaging, neuropsychology and developmental disorders.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Functional hyperconnectivity vanishes in children with developmental dyscalculia after numerical intervention.

PubMed

Michels, Lars; O'Gorman, Ruth; Kucian, Karin

2018-04-01

Developmental dyscalculia (DD) is a developmental learning disability associated with deficits in processing numerical and mathematical information. Although behavioural training can reduce these deficits, it is unclear which neuronal resources show a functional reorganization due to training. We examined typically developing (TD) children (N=16, mean age: 9.5 years) and age-, gender-, and handedness-matched children with DD (N=15, mean age: 9.5 years) during the performance of a numerical order task with fMRI and functional connectivity before and after 5-weeks of number line training. Using the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) as seed region, DD showed hyperconnectivity in parietal, frontal, visual, and temporal regions before the training controlling for age and IQ. Hyperconnectivity disappeared after training, whereas math abilities improved. Multivariate classification analysis of task-related fMRI data corroborated the connectivity results as the same group of TD could be discriminated from DD before but not after number line training (86.4 vs. 38.9%, respectively). Our results indicate that abnormally high functional connectivity in DD can be normalized on the neuronal level by intensive number line training. As functional connectivity in DD was indistinguishable to TD's connectivity after training, we conclude that training lead to a re-organization of inter-regional task engagement. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Intergenerational Effects of Parents' Math Anxiety on Children's Math Achievement and Anxiety.

PubMed

Maloney, Erin A; Ramirez, Gerardo; Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Levine, Susan C; Beilock, Sian L

2015-09-01

A large field study of children in first and second grade explored how parents' anxiety about math relates to their children's math achievement. The goal of the study was to better understand why some students perform worse in math than others. We tested whether parents' math anxiety predicts their children's math achievement across the school year. We found that when parents are more math anxious, their children learn significantly less math over the school year and have more math anxiety by the school year's end-but only if math-anxious parents report providing frequent help with math homework. Notably, when parents reported helping with math homework less often, children's math achievement and attitudes were not related to parents' math anxiety. Parents' math anxiety did not predict children's reading achievement, which suggests that the effects of parents' math anxiety are specific to children's math achievement. These findings provide evidence of a mechanism for intergenerational transmission of low math achievement and high math anxiety. © The Author(s) 2015.

Parent-child math anxiety and math-gender stereotypes predict adolescents' math education outcomes

PubMed Central

Casad, Bettina J.; Hale, Patricia; Wachs, Faye L.

2015-01-01

Two studies examined social determinants of adolescents' math anxiety including parents' own math anxiety and children's endorsement of math-gender stereotypes. In Study 1, parent-child dyads were surveyed and the interaction between parent and child math anxiety was examined, with an eye to same- and other-gender dyads. Results indicate that parent's math anxiety interacts with daughters' and sons' anxiety to predict math self-efficacy, GPA, behavioral intentions, math attitudes, and math devaluing. Parents with lower math anxiety showed a positive relationship to children's math outcomes when children also had lower anxiety. The strongest relationships were found with same-gender dyads, particularly Mother-Daughter dyads. Study 2 showed that endorsement of math-gender stereotypes predicts math anxiety (and not vice versa) for performance beliefs and outcomes (self-efficacy and GPA). Further, math anxiety fully mediated the relationship between gender stereotypes and math self-efficacy for girls and boys, and for boys with GPA. These findings address gaps in the literature on the role of parents' math anxiety in the effects of children's math anxiety and math anxiety as a mechanism affecting performance. Results have implications for interventions on parents' math anxiety and dispelling gender stereotypes in math classrooms. PMID:26579000

Parent-child math anxiety and math-gender stereotypes predict adolescents' math education outcomes.

PubMed

Casad, Bettina J; Hale, Patricia; Wachs, Faye L

2015-01-01

Two studies examined social determinants of adolescents' math anxiety including parents' own math anxiety and children's endorsement of math-gender stereotypes. In Study 1, parent-child dyads were surveyed and the interaction between parent and child math anxiety was examined, with an eye to same- and other-gender dyads. Results indicate that parent's math anxiety interacts with daughters' and sons' anxiety to predict math self-efficacy, GPA, behavioral intentions, math attitudes, and math devaluing. Parents with lower math anxiety showed a positive relationship to children's math outcomes when children also had lower anxiety. The strongest relationships were found with same-gender dyads, particularly Mother-Daughter dyads. Study 2 showed that endorsement of math-gender stereotypes predicts math anxiety (and not vice versa) for performance beliefs and outcomes (self-efficacy and GPA). Further, math anxiety fully mediated the relationship between gender stereotypes and math self-efficacy for girls and boys, and for boys with GPA. These findings address gaps in the literature on the role of parents' math anxiety in the effects of children's math anxiety and math anxiety as a mechanism affecting performance. Results have implications for interventions on parents' math anxiety and dispelling gender stereotypes in math classrooms.

Impacts of Professional Development in Integrated STEM Education on Teacher Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectancy, and STEM Career Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowles, J. Geoff

2017-01-01

This research analyzed the effects of teacher professional development and lesson implementation in integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) on: (1.) Teacher self-efficacy and their confidence to teach specific STEM subjects; (2.) Teaching outcome expectancy beliefs concerning the impact of actions by teachers on student…

The Impact of Computer-Assisted Instruction on Mathematics Achievement of Underachieving Fifth-Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce-Simmons, Christine

2013-01-01

This study examined the impact of computer-assisted instruction on the mathematics performance of underachieving fifth-grade students in a rural school district in South Carolina. The instructional technology program ([IF) is South Carolina's response to addressing the needs of its young, struggling math students. The 449 fifth-grade students in…

Impact of Environment-Based Teaching on Student Achievement: A Study of Washington State Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartosh, Oksana; Tudor, Margaret; Ferguson, Lynne; Taylor, Catherine

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a project which investigates the impact of systemic environmental education (EE) programs on student achievement on EE-based integrated tests and standardized tests in math, language arts, and listening. Systemic environmental education programs are defined by curriculum designed to align and integrate subjects around real…

Changing Pedagogical Practice in Kenyan Primary Schools: The Impact of School-Based Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardman, Frank; Abd-Kadir, Jan; Agg, Catherine; Migwi, James; Ndambuku, Jacinta; Smith, Fay

2009-01-01

This study reports on an investigation into the impact of a national, school-based teacher development programme on learning and teaching in Kenyan primary schools. Building on a national baseline study (n=102), 144 video-recorded lessons, covering the teaching of English, maths and science at Standards 3 and 6, were analysed to investigate…

The Impact of Music Education on Academic Achievement in Reading and Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deere, Kelli Beth

2010-01-01

Increased scrutiny on the place of music education in school systems has caused some school systems to eliminate their music program entirely. School systems are being forced to place more emphasis on increased testing and accountability with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This study examined the impact music education has on academic…

Teachers' Perceptions about the Types, Quality, and Impact of Their Job-Embedded Professional Development Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Delilah

2013-01-01

This study was designed to determine eighth grade teachers' perceptions of the impact, quality, and types of job-embedded professional development activities they have participated in and the relationship to student achievement in language arts, math, or science. The researcher identified school districts with 50% or more of their eighth grade…

The Impact of Music on Student Achievement in the Third and Fifth Grade Math Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albright, Ruth E.

2012-01-01

Research indicates students who engage in music exhibit improved cognitive development. The quantitative study was conducted in a large suburban school district in Southeast Georgia. This study investigated the impact of music on student achievement when music is incorporated with the core academic subject of mathematics at the elementary level.…

Chapter One in Ohio. Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. 22nd Annual Evaluation Report. Fiscal 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus.

Chapter 1 activities in Ohio for 1986-87 are summarized. The basic programs are described with emphasis on the following components: (1) student participation; (2) instructional areas; (3) impact of reading instruction; (4) impact of math instruction; (5) expenditure patterns; (6) staff positions; (7) inservice teacher education; (8) parent…

Stereotype threat in classroom settings: the interactive effect of domain identification, task difficulty and stereotype threat on female students' maths performance.

PubMed

Keller, Johannes

2007-06-01

Stereotype threat research revealed that negative stereotypes can disrupt the performance of persons targeted by such stereotypes. This paper contributes to stereotype threat research by providing evidence that domain identification and the difficulty level of test items moderate stereotype threat effects on female students' maths performance. The study was designed to test theoretical ideas derived from stereotype threat theory and assumptions outlined in the Yerkes-Dodson law proposing a nonlinear relationship between arousal, task difficulty and performance. Participants were 108 high school students attending secondary schools. Participants worked on a test comprising maths problems of different difficulty levels. Half of the participants learned that the test had been shown to produce gender differences (stereotype threat). The other half learned that the test had been shown not to produce gender differences (no threat). The degree to which participants identify with the domain of maths was included as a quasi-experimental factor. Maths-identified female students showed performance decrements under conditions of stereotype threat. Moreover, the stereotype threat manipulation had different effects on low and high domain identifiers' performance depending on test item difficulty. On difficult items, low identifiers showed higher performance under threat (vs. no threat) whereas the reverse was true in high identifiers. This interaction effect did not emerge on easy items. Domain identification and test item difficulty are two important factors that need to be considered in the attempt to understand the impact of stereotype threat on performance.

Our Practice, Their Readiness: Teacher Educators Collaborate to Explore and Improve Preservice Teacher Readiness for Science and Math Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, Astrid; Brew, Christine; Rees, Carol; Ibrahim-Khan, Sheliza

2013-02-01

Since many preservice teachers (PTs) display anxiety over teaching math and science, four PT educators collaborated to better understand the PTs' background experiences and attitudes toward those subjects. The research project provided two avenues for professional learning: the data collected from the PTs and the opportunity for collaborative action research. The mixed method study focused on: the relationship between gender and undergraduate major (science versus non-science) with respect to previous and current engagement in science and math, understanding the processes of inquiry, and learning outside the classroom. A field trip to a science center provided the setting for the data collection. From a sample of 132 PTs, a multivariate analysis showed that the science major of PTs explained most of the gender differences with respect to the PTs' attitudes toward science and mathematics. The process of inquiry is generally poorly interpreted by PTs, and non-science majors prefer a more social approach in their learning to teach science and math. The four educators/collaborators reflect on the impacts of the research on their individual practices, for example, the need to: include place-based learning, attend to the different learning strategies taken by non-science majors, emphasize social and environmental contexts for learning science and math, be more explicit regarding the processes of science inquiry, and provide out-of-classroom experiences for PTs. They conclude that the collaboration, though difficult at times, provided powerful opportunities for examining individual praxis.

Affective and Motivational Factors Mediate the Relation between Math Skills and Use of Math in Everyday Life

PubMed Central

Jansen, Brenda R. J.; Schmitz, Eva A.; van der Maas, Han L. J.

2016-01-01

This study focused on the use of math in everyday life (the propensity to recognize and solve quantitative issues in real life situations). Data from a Dutch nation-wide research on math among adults (N = 521) were used to investigate the question whether math anxiety and perceived math competence mediated the relationship between math skills and use of math in everyday life, taken gender differences into account. Results showed that women reported higher math anxiety, lower perceived math competence, and lower use of math in everyday life, compared to men. Women's skills were estimated at a lower level than men's. For both women and men, higher skills were associated with higher perceived math competence, which in turn was associated with more use of math in everyday life. Only for women, math anxiety also mediated the relation between math skills and use of math in everyday life. PMID:27148122

Impacts of a Comprehensive School Readiness Curriculum for Preschool Children at Risk for Educational Difficulties.

PubMed

Lonigan, Christopher J; Phillips, Beth M; Clancy, Jeanine L; Landry, Susan H; Swank, Paul R; Assel, Michael; Taylor, Heather B; Klein, Alice; Starkey, Prentice; Domitrovich, Celene E; Eisenberg, Nancy; de Villiers, Jill; de Villiers, Peter; Barnes, Marcia

2015-01-01

This article reports findings from a cluster-randomized study of an integrated literacy- and math-focused preschool curriculum, comparing versions with and without an explicit socioemotional lesson component to a business-as-usual condition. Participants included 110 classroom teachers from randomized classrooms and approximately eight students from each classroom (N = 760) who averaged 4.48 (SD = 0.44) years of age at the start of the school year. There were positive impacts of the two versions of the curriculum on language, phonological awareness, math, and socioemotional outcomes, but there were no added benefits to academic or socioemotional outcomes for the children receiving explicit socioemotional instruction. Results are discussed with relevance to early childhood theory, policy, and goals of closing the school readiness gap. © 2015 The Authors. Child Development © 2015 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The relationship between service-learning participation and high school students' achievement in math and science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, Eddie Brown

This study examined a causal relationship between service-learning participation and academic achievement of 9th grade students in math and science courses. The central purpose of the study was to examine the impact of service-learning participation on students' academic outcomes, and to determine if this impact was consistent after controlling for the socioeconomic status (SES) of the student. The participants in this study were from the base year data of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). For this study, 15,058 students identified as being enrolled in mathematics and science classes were selected. Quantitative methods were used to analyze cross-sectional data from the HSLS:09 study. The initial findings from this study suggest that service-learning participation was consistent in student's academic achievement of all students regardless of socioeconomic status.

Mathematics anxiety: separating the math from the anxiety.

PubMed

Lyons, Ian M; Beilock, Sian L

2012-09-01

Anxiety about math is tied to low math grades and standardized test scores, yet not all math-anxious individuals perform equally poorly in math. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to separate neural activity during the anticipation of doing math from activity during math performance itself. For higher (but not lower) math-anxious individuals, increased activity in frontoparietal regions when simply anticipating doing math mitigated math-specific performance deficits. This network included bilateral inferior frontal junction, a region involved in cognitive control and reappraisal of negative emotional responses. Furthermore, the relation between frontoparietal anticipatory activity and highly math-anxious individuals' math deficits was fully mediated (or accounted for) by activity in caudate, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus during math performance. These subcortical regions are important for coordinating task demands and motivational factors during skill execution. Individual differences in how math-anxious individuals recruit cognitive control resources prior to doing math and motivational resources during math performance predict the extent of their math deficits. This work suggests that educational interventions emphasizing control of negative emotional responses to math stimuli (rather than merely additional math training) will be most effective in revealing a population of mathematically competent individuals, who might otherwise go undiscovered.

Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement.

PubMed

Beilock, Sian L; Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Ramirez, Gerardo; Levine, Susan C

2010-02-02

People's fear and anxiety about doing math--over and above actual math ability--can be an impediment to their math achievement. We show that when the math-anxious individuals are female elementary school teachers, their math anxiety carries negative consequences for the math achievement of their female students. Early elementary school teachers in the United States are almost exclusively female (>90%), and we provide evidence that these female teachers' anxieties relate to girls' math achievement via girls' beliefs about who is good at math. First- and second-grade female teachers completed measures of math anxiety. The math achievement of the students in these teachers' classrooms was also assessed. There was no relation between a teacher's math anxiety and her students' math achievement at the beginning of the school year. By the school year's end, however, the more anxious teachers were about math, the more likely girls (but not boys) were to endorse the commonly held stereotype that "boys are good at math, and girls are good at reading" and the lower these girls' math achievement. Indeed, by the end of the school year, girls who endorsed this stereotype had significantly worse math achievement than girls who did not and than boys overall. In early elementary school, where the teachers are almost all female, teachers' math anxiety carries consequences for girls' math achievement by influencing girls' beliefs about who is good at math.

The Impact of Length of Engagement in After-School STEM Programs on Middle School Girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cupp, Garth Meichel

An underrepresentation of females exists in the STEM fields. In order to tackle this issue, work begins early in the education of young women to ensure they are interested and have the confidence to gain a career in the STEM fields. It is important to engage girls in STEM opportunities in and out of school to ignite their interest and build their confidence. Brigid Barron's learning ecology perspective shows that girls pursuing STEM outside of the classroom is critical to their achievement in the STEM pipeline. This study investigated the impact after-school STEM learning opportunities have on middle school girls by investigating (a) how the length of engagement in after-school programs can affect the confidence of female students in their science and math abilities; (b) how length of engagement in after-school programs can affect the interest of female students in attaining a career in STEM; (c) how length of engagement in after-school programs can affect interest in science and math classes; and (d) how length of engagement can affect how female students' view gender parity in the STEM workforce. The major findings revealed no statistical significance when comparing confidence in math or science abilities or the perception that gender plays a role in attaining a career in STEM. The findings revealed statistical significance in the areas when comparing length of engagement in the girls' interest in their math class and attaining a career in three of the four STEM fields: science, technology, and engineering. The findings showed that multiple terms of engagement in the after-school STEM programs appear to be an effective catalyst to maintain the interest of girls pursuing STEM-related careers, in addition to allowing their interest in a topic to provide a new lens for the way they see their math work during the school day. The implications of this study show that schools must engage middle school girls who are interested in STEM in a multitude of settings, including outside of the classroom in order to maintain engagement in the STEM pipeline.

Examining the Impact of Chess Instruction for the Visual Impairment on Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Mensure

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study is to explore the impact of chess instruction for visually impaired children on math achievement. The study group consists of a total of 26 visually impaired students from inclusion classes in inclusive secondary schools of MoNE (Ministry of National Education), 9 male and 5 female students in the experiment group and 8…

An Integrated Learning System: Impact on At-Risk Students' Ninth Grade TAKS Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Tina D.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an integrated learning system on students who were considered at-risk of academic failure on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) mathematics assessment. Voyager Math (VMath), an integrated learning system had been implemented to address the needs of students at-risk of…

Impact of an Afterschool Program on Middle School MAP Scale Scores for Math and Communication Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Chris

2016-01-01

With the ever-increasing demands of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) being placed on school districts, many are looking to afterschool programs to help students meet increasing standards. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of an afterschool program on Middle School academic achievement. Principally, this study sought to…

Everyday Arts for Special Education Impact Evaluation. District 75, New York City Department of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horowitz, Rob

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Everyday Arts for Special Education (EASE) program on elementary special education students' academic achievement (reading and math) and social-emotional learning. EASE was a 5-year program providing professional development and instruction in the arts in 10 New York City special education…

Observed Characteristics and Teacher Quality: Impacts of Sample Selection on a Value Added Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Marcus A.; Dixon, Bruce L.; Greene, Jay P.

2012-01-01

We measure the impact of observed teacher characteristics on student math and reading proficiency using a rich dataset from Florida. We expand upon prior work by accounting directly for nonrandom attrition of teachers from the classroom in a sample selection framework. We find evidence that sample selection is present in the estimation of the…

The Impact of Children's Public Health Insurance Expansions on Educational Outcomes. NBER Working Paper No. 14671

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Phillip B.; Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore

2009-01-01

This paper examines the impact of public health insurance expansions through both Medicaid and SCHIP on children's educational outcomes, measured by 4th and 8th grade reading and math test scores, available from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). We use a triple difference estimation strategy, taking advantage of the…

Investigating Mathematics Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Elementary Pre-Service Teachers in a Reform-Based Mathematics Methods Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setra, Abdelghani

2017-01-01

For the last thirty years research has unfailingly shown that teacher efficacy has a positive impact on student outcomes, making teacher efficacy an critical element in quality mathematics instruction. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a math methods course on the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs of elementary pre-service…

The Impact of a Positive Environment and Shared Leadership to Empower Collegial School Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pretz, Benjamin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop an empowered collegial school culture to systemically improve the function of the academic institution through the impact of a positive environment and shared leadership. When compared to the other middle schools in the district, Eagle Middle School had the lowest math achievement growth index during the…

Universals and Specifics of Math Self-Concept, Math Self-Efficacy, and Math Anxiety across 41 PISA 2003 Participating Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jihyun

2009-01-01

The overarching goal of the present study is to investigate the factorial structure of three closely related constructs: math self-concept, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety. The factorial structure consisting of three factors, each representing math self-concept, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety, is supported in all 41 countries employed…

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report IV, Volume I: Pilot Year Impact Study--Instrument Characteristics and Attrition Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur C.; And Others

This interim report of a pilot year impact study on evaluation methodology is part of a series of documents on the evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity, a Head Start demonstration program aimed at promoting educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and primary school experiences. This report deals with…

Impact of High Mathematics Education on the Number Sense

PubMed Central

Castronovo, Julie; Göbel, Silke M.

2012-01-01

In adult number processing two mechanisms are commonly used: approximate estimation of quantity and exact calculation. While the former relies on the approximate number sense (ANS) which we share with animals and preverbal infants, the latter has been proposed to rely on an exact number system (ENS) which develops later in life following the acquisition of symbolic number knowledge. The current study investigated the influence of high level math education on the ANS and the ENS. Our results showed that the precision of non-symbolic quantity representation was not significantly altered by high level math education. However, performance in a symbolic number comparison task as well as the ability to map accurately between symbolic and non-symbolic quantities was significantly better the higher mathematics achievement. Our findings suggest that high level math education in adults shows little influence on their ANS, but it seems to be associated with a better anchored ENS and better mapping abilities between ENS and ANS. PMID:22558077

Teacher’s Autonomy Support and Engagement in Math: Multiple Mediating Roles of Self-efficacy, Intrinsic Value, and Boredom

PubMed Central

Wang, Jia; Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Xu, Le; Liu, Ying; Zhen, Rui

2017-01-01

Previous studies have highlighted the impacts of environmental factors (teacher’s autonomy support) and individual factors (self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom) on academic engagement. This study aimed to investigate these variables and examine the relations among them. Three structural equation models tested the multiple mediational roles of self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom in the relation between teacher’s autonomy support and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, in math. A total of 637 Chinese middle school students (313 males, 324 females; mean age = 14.82) voluntarily participated in this study. Results revealed that self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom played important and mediating roles between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and student engagement. Specifically, these three individual variables partly mediated the relations between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and behavioral and cognitive engagement, while fully mediating the relation between perceived teacher’s autonomy support and emotional engagement. These findings complement and extend the understanding of factors affecting students’ engagement in math. PMID:28690560

Impact of high mathematics education on the number sense.

PubMed

Castronovo, Julie; Göbel, Silke M

2012-01-01

In adult number processing two mechanisms are commonly used: approximate estimation of quantity and exact calculation. While the former relies on the approximate number sense (ANS) which we share with animals and preverbal infants, the latter has been proposed to rely on an exact number system (ENS) which develops later in life following the acquisition of symbolic number knowledge. The current study investigated the influence of high level math education on the ANS and the ENS. Our results showed that the precision of non-symbolic quantity representation was not significantly altered by high level math education. However, performance in a symbolic number comparison task as well as the ability to map accurately between symbolic and non-symbolic quantities was significantly better the higher mathematics achievement. Our findings suggest that high level math education in adults shows little influence on their ANS, but it seems to be associated with a better anchored ENS and better mapping abilities between ENS and ANS.

Teacher's Autonomy Support and Engagement in Math: Multiple Mediating Roles of Self-efficacy, Intrinsic Value, and Boredom.

PubMed

Wang, Jia; Liu, Ru-De; Ding, Yi; Xu, Le; Liu, Ying; Zhen, Rui

2017-01-01

Previous studies have highlighted the impacts of environmental factors (teacher's autonomy support) and individual factors (self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom) on academic engagement. This study aimed to investigate these variables and examine the relations among them. Three structural equation models tested the multiple mediational roles of self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom in the relation between teacher's autonomy support and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, in math. A total of 637 Chinese middle school students (313 males, 324 females; mean age = 14.82) voluntarily participated in this study. Results revealed that self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom played important and mediating roles between perceived teacher's autonomy support and student engagement. Specifically, these three individual variables partly mediated the relations between perceived teacher's autonomy support and behavioral and cognitive engagement, while fully mediating the relation between perceived teacher's autonomy support and emotional engagement. These findings complement and extend the understanding of factors affecting students' engagement in math.

Reducing the Impact of Stereotype Threat on Women's Math Performance: Are Two Strategies Better Than One?

PubMed Central

Jones, Paul R.

2012-01-01

Introduction Two studies examined whether stereotype threat impairs women's math performance and whether concurrent threat reduction strategies can be used to offset this effect. Method In Study 1, collegiate men and women (N = 100) watched a video purporting that males and females performed equally well (gender-fair) or males outperformed females (gender differences) on an imminent math test. In Study 2, (N = 44) women viewed the gender differences video, followed by misattribution (cue present, absent) and self-affirmation (present, absent) manipulations, before taking the aforesaid test. Results In the initial study, women underperformed men on the test after receiving the gender differences video, whereas no gender differences emerged in the gender-fair condition. In Study 2, affirming the self led to better performance than not doing so. Planned contrasts indicated, however, that only women receiving a misattribution cue and self-affirmation opportunity outperformed their counterparts not given these reduction strategies. Discussion These findings are discussed relative to Stereotype Threat Theory and educational implications are provided. PMID:22545058

On the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in early elementary school: The role of problem solving strategies.

PubMed

Ramirez, Gerardo; Chang, Hyesang; Maloney, Erin A; Levine, Susan C; Beilock, Sian L

2016-01-01

Even at young ages, children self-report experiencing math anxiety, which negatively relates to their math achievement. Leveraging a large dataset of first and second grade students' math achievement scores, math problem solving strategies, and math attitudes, we explored the possibility that children's math anxiety (i.e., a fear or apprehension about math) negatively relates to their use of more advanced problem solving strategies, which in turn relates to their math achievement. Our results confirm our hypothesis and, moreover, demonstrate that the relation between math anxiety and math problem solving strategies is strongest in children with the highest working memory capacity. Ironically, children who have the highest cognitive capacity avoid using advanced problem solving strategies when they are high in math anxiety and, as a result, underperform in math compared with their lower working memory peers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Math Anxiety Always Bad for Math Learning? The Role of Math Motivation.

PubMed

Wang, Zhe; Lukowski, Sarah L; Hart, Sara A; Lyons, Ian M; Thompson, Lee A; Kovas, Yulia; Mazzocco, Michèle M M; Plomin, Robert; Petrill, Stephen A

2015-12-01

The linear relations between math anxiety and math cognition have been frequently studied. However, the relations between anxiety and performance on complex cognitive tasks have been repeatedly demonstrated to follow a curvilinear fashion. In the current studies, we aimed to address the lack of attention given to the possibility of such complex interplay between emotion and cognition in the math-learning literature by exploring the relations among math anxiety, math motivation, and math cognition. In two samples-young adolescent twins and adult college students-results showed inverted-U relations between math anxiety and math performance in participants with high intrinsic math motivation and modest negative associations between math anxiety and math performance in participants with low intrinsic math motivation. However, this pattern was not observed in tasks assessing participants' nonsymbolic and symbolic number-estimation ability. These findings may help advance the understanding of mathematics-learning processes and provide important insights for treatment programs that target improving mathematics-learning experiences and mathematical skills. © The Author(s) 2015.

Principals in Partnership with Math Coaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Catherine Miles; Davenport, Linda Ruiz

2009-01-01

One of the most promising developments in math education is the fact that many districts are hiring math coaches--also called math resource teachers, math facilitators, math lead teachers, or math specialists--to assist elementary-level teachers with math instruction. What must not be lost, however, is that principals play an essential role in…

When math hurts: math anxiety predicts pain network activation in anticipation of doing math.

PubMed

Lyons, Ian M; Beilock, Sian L

2012-01-01

Math can be difficult, and for those with high levels of mathematics-anxiety (HMAs), math is associated with tension, apprehension, and fear. But what underlies the feelings of dread effected by math anxiety? Are HMAs' feelings about math merely psychological epiphenomena, or is their anxiety grounded in simulation of a concrete, visceral sensation - such as pain - about which they have every right to feel anxious? We show that, when anticipating an upcoming math-task, the higher one's math anxiety, the more one increases activity in regions associated with visceral threat detection, and often the experience of pain itself (bilateral dorso-posterior insula). Interestingly, this relation was not seen during math performance, suggesting that it is not that math itself hurts; rather, the anticipation of math is painful. Our data suggest that pain network activation underlies the intuition that simply anticipating a dreaded event can feel painful. These results may also provide a potential neural mechanism to explain why HMAs tend to avoid math and math-related situations, which in turn can bias HMAs away from taking math classes or even entire math-related career paths.

Is Mathematical Anxiety Always Bad for Math Learning: The Role of Math Motivation

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhe; Lukowski, Sarah L.; Hart, Sara Ann; Lyons, Ian M.; Thompson, Lee A.; Kovas, Yulia; Mazzocco, Michèle M.; Plomin, Robert; Petrill, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

The linear relations between math anxiety and math cognition have been frequently studied. However, the relations between anxiety and performance on complex cognitive tasks have been repeatedly demonstrated to follow a curvilinear fashion. Given the lack of attention to the possibility of such complex interplay between emotion and cognition in the math learning literature, the current study aimed to address this gap via exploring the relations between math anxiety, math motivation, and math cognition. The current study consisted of two samples. One sample included 262 pairs of young adolescent twins and the other included 237 adult college students. Participants self-reported their math anxiety and math motivation. Math cognition was assessed using a comprehensive battery of mathematics tasks. In both samples, results showed inverted-U relations between math anxiety and math performance in students with high intrinsic math motivation, and modest negative associations between math anxiety and math performance in students with low intrinsic math motivation. However, this pattern was not observed in tasks assessing student’s nonsymbolic and symbolic number estimation. These findings may help advance our understanding of mathematics learning processes and may provide important insights for treatment programs that target improving mathematics learning experiences and mathematical skills. PMID:26518438

When approximate number acuity predicts math performance: The moderating role of math anxiety

PubMed Central

Libertus, Melissa E.

2018-01-01

Separate lines of research suggest that people who are better at estimating numerical quantities using the approximate number system (ANS) have better math performance, and that people with high levels of math anxiety have worse math performance. Only a handful of studies have examined both ANS acuity and math anxiety in the same participants and those studies report contradictory results. To address these inconsistencies, in the current study 87 undergraduate students completed assessments of ANS acuity, math anxiety, and three different measures of math. We considered moderation models to examine the interplay of ANS acuity and math anxiety on different aspects of math performance. Math anxiety and ANS acuity were both unique significant predictors of the ability to automatically recall basic number facts. ANS acuity was also a unique significant predictor of the ability to solve applied math problems, and this relation was further qualified by a significant interaction with math anxiety: the positive association between ANS acuity and applied problem solving was only present in students with high math anxiety. Our findings suggest that ANS acuity and math anxiety are differentially related to various aspects of math and should be considered together when examining their respective influences on math ability. Our findings also raise the possibility that good ANS acuity serves as a protective factor for highly math-anxious students on certain types of math assessments. PMID:29718939

Math anxiety and math performance in children: The mediating roles of working memory and math self-concept.

PubMed

Justicia-Galiano, M José; Martín-Puga, M Eva; Linares, Rocío; Pelegrina, Santiago

2017-12-01

Numerous studies, most of them involving adolescents and adults, have evidenced a moderate negative relationship between math anxiety and math performance. There are, however, a limited number of studies that have addressed the mechanisms underlying this relation. This study aimed to investigate the role of two possible mediational mechanisms between math anxiety and math performance. Specifically, we sought to test the simultaneous mediating role of working memory and math self-concept. A total of 167 children aged 8-12 years participated in this study. Children completed a set of questionnaires used to assess math and trait anxiety, math self-concept as well as measures of math fluency and math problem-solving. Teachers were asked to rate each student's math achievement. As measures of working memory, two backward span tasks were administered to the children. A series of multiple mediation analyses were conducted. Results indicated that both mediators (working memory and math self-concept) contributed to explaining the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement. Results suggest that working memory and self-concept could be worth considering when designing interventions aimed at helping students with math anxiety. Longitudinal designs could also be used to better understand the mediational mechanisms that may explain the relationship between math anxiety and math performance. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

When approximate number acuity predicts math performance: The moderating role of math anxiety.

PubMed

Braham, Emily J; Libertus, Melissa E

2018-01-01

Separate lines of research suggest that people who are better at estimating numerical quantities using the approximate number system (ANS) have better math performance, and that people with high levels of math anxiety have worse math performance. Only a handful of studies have examined both ANS acuity and math anxiety in the same participants and those studies report contradictory results. To address these inconsistencies, in the current study 87 undergraduate students completed assessments of ANS acuity, math anxiety, and three different measures of math. We considered moderation models to examine the interplay of ANS acuity and math anxiety on different aspects of math performance. Math anxiety and ANS acuity were both unique significant predictors of the ability to automatically recall basic number facts. ANS acuity was also a unique significant predictor of the ability to solve applied math problems, and this relation was further qualified by a significant interaction with math anxiety: the positive association between ANS acuity and applied problem solving was only present in students with high math anxiety. Our findings suggest that ANS acuity and math anxiety are differentially related to various aspects of math and should be considered together when examining their respective influences on math ability. Our findings also raise the possibility that good ANS acuity serves as a protective factor for highly math-anxious students on certain types of math assessments.

The Influence of Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits on Academic Development Among Youth.

PubMed

Horan, Jacqueline M; Brown, Joshua L; Jones, Stephanie M; Aber, J Lawrence

2016-06-01

The present study attempted to address developmental differences within the large group of youth with conduct problems through an examination of the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and academic outcomes in an effort to expand the field's understanding of heterogeneity in outcomes associated with behavior problems. Data were collected from a cohort of 3rd grade students (N = 942; 51 % female; 45.6 % Hispanic/Latino, 41.1 % Black/African American, 4.7 % Non-Hispanic White; mean age = 8.07 years) in eighteen public elementary schools, as well as their parents and teachers. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that callous-unemotional traits were associated with lower quality student-teacher relationships and worse performance on standardized math and reading exams over and above the effects of conduct problems. These findings suggest that school-based interventions may be particularly effective in ameliorating some of the deficits noted within this subset of youth exhibiting conduct problems. This finding has important policy implications as the field of developmental science attempts to design and enrich programs that focus on improving social-emotional learning.

Are trajectories of self-regulation abilities from ages 2-3 to 6-7 associated with academic achievement in the early school years?

PubMed

Sawyer, A C P; Chittleborough, C R; Mittinty, M N; Miller-Lewis, L R; Sawyer, M G; Sullivan, T; Lynch, J W

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the association between two key aspects of self-regulation, 'task attentiveness' and 'emotional regulation' assessed from ages 2-3 to 6-7 years, and academic achievement when children were aged 6-7 years. Participants (n = 3410) were children in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Parents rated children's task attentiveness and emotional regulation abilities when children were aged 2-3, 4-5 and 6-7. Academic achievement was assessed using the Academic Rating Scale completed by teachers. Linear regression models were used to estimate the association between developmental trajectories (i.e. rate of change per year) of task attentiveness and emotional regulation, and academic achievement at 6-7 years. Improvements in task attentiveness between 2-3 and 6-7 years, adjusted for baseline levels of task attentiveness, child and family confounders, and children's receptive vocabulary and non-verbal reasoning skills at age 6-7 were associated with greater teacher-rated literacy [B = 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.04-0.06] and maths achievement (B = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.03-0.06) at 6-7 years. Improvements in emotional regulation, adjusting for baseline levels and covariates, were also associated with better teacher-rated literacy (B = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.01-0.04) but not with maths achievement (B = 0.01, 95% CI = -0.01-0.02) at 6-7 years. For literacy, improvements in task attentiveness had a stronger association with achievement at 6-7 years than improvements in emotional regulation. Our study shows that improved trajectories of task attentiveness from ages 2-3 to 6-7 years are associated with improved literacy and maths achievement during the early school years. Trajectories of improving emotional regulation showed smaller effects on academic outcomes. Results suggest that interventions that improve task attentiveness when children are aged 2-3 to 6-7 years have the potential to improve literacy and maths achievement during the early school years. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

77 FR 38611 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records-Study of Promising Features of Teacher Preparation Programs

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... question: What is the impact on students' reading and math achievement of novice elementary school teachers... received the appropriate level of security clearance from the Department. Before entering into such a...

Measurement of math beliefs and their associations with math behaviors in college students.

PubMed

Hendy, Helen M; Schorschinsky, Nancy; Wade, Barbara

2014-12-01

Our purpose in the present study was to expand understanding of math beliefs in college students by developing 3 new psychometrically tested scales as guided by expectancy-value theory, self-efficacy theory, and health belief model. Additionally, we identified which math beliefs (and which theory) best explained variance in math behaviors and performance by college students and which students were most likely to have problematic math beliefs. Study participants included 368 college math students who completed questionnaires to report math behaviors (attending class, doing homework, reading textbooks, asking for help) and used a 5-point rating scale to indicate a variety of math beliefs. For a subset of 84 students, math professors provided final math grades. Factor analyses produced a 10-item Math Value Scale with 2 subscales (Class Devaluation, No Future Value), a 7-item single-dimension Math Confidence Scale, and an 11-item Math Barriers Scale with 2 subscales (Math Anxiety, Discouraging Words). Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that high levels of the newly discovered class devaluation belief (guided by expectancy-value theory) were most consistently associated with poor math behaviors in college students, with high math anxiety (guided by health belief model) and low math confidence (guided by self-efficacy theory) also found to be significant. Analyses of covariance revealed that younger and male students were at increased risk for class devaluation and older students were at increased risk for poor math confidence. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

When Math Hurts: Math Anxiety Predicts Pain Network Activation in Anticipation of Doing Math

PubMed Central

Lyons, Ian M.; Beilock, Sian L.

2012-01-01

Math can be difficult, and for those with high levels of mathematics-anxiety (HMAs), math is associated with tension, apprehension, and fear. But what underlies the feelings of dread effected by math anxiety? Are HMAs’ feelings about math merely psychological epiphenomena, or is their anxiety grounded in simulation of a concrete, visceral sensation – such as pain – about which they have every right to feel anxious? We show that, when anticipating an upcoming math-task, the higher one’s math anxiety, the more one increases activity in regions associated with visceral threat detection, and often the experience of pain itself (bilateral dorso-posterior insula). Interestingly, this relation was not seen during math performance, suggesting that it is not that math itself hurts; rather, the anticipation of math is painful. Our data suggest that pain network activation underlies the intuition that simply anticipating a dreaded event can feel painful. These results may also provide a potential neural mechanism to explain why HMAs tend to avoid math and math-related situations, which in turn can bias HMAs away from taking math classes or even entire math-related career paths. PMID:23118929

A latent profile analysis of math achievement, numerosity, and math anxiety in twins

PubMed Central

Hart, Sara A.; Logan, Jessica A.R.; Thompson, Lee; Kovas, Yulia; McLoughlin, Gráinne; Petrill, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

Underperformance in math is a problem with increasing prevalence, complex etiology, and severe repercussions. This study examined the etiological heterogeneity of math performance in a sample of 264 pairs of 12-year-old twins assessed on measures of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety. Latent profile analysis indicated five groupings of individuals representing different patterns of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety, coupled with differing degrees of familial transmission. These results suggest that there may be distinct profiles of math achievement, numerosity and anxiety; particularly for students who struggle in math. PMID:26957650

A latent profile analysis of math achievement, numerosity, and math anxiety in twins.

PubMed

Hart, Sara A; Logan, Jessica A R; Thompson, Lee; Kovas, Yulia; McLoughlin, Gráinne; Petrill, Stephen A

2016-02-01

Underperformance in math is a problem with increasing prevalence, complex etiology, and severe repercussions. This study examined the etiological heterogeneity of math performance in a sample of 264 pairs of 12-year-old twins assessed on measures of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety. Latent profile analysis indicated five groupings of individuals representing different patterns of math achievement, numerosity and math anxiety, coupled with differing degrees of familial transmission. These results suggest that there may be distinct profiles of math achievement, numerosity and anxiety; particularly for students who struggle in math.

Protecting the Development of 5-11-Year-Olds from the Impacts of Early Disadvantage: The Role of Primary School Academic Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sammons, Pam; Hall, James; Sylva, Kathy; Melhuish, Edward; Siraj-Blatchford, Iram; Taggart, Brenda

2013-01-01

Whether or not more effective schools can successfully mitigate the impacts of early disadvantage upon educational attainment remains uncertain. We investigated 2,664 children aged 6-11 years and measured their academic skills in English and maths along with self-regulation at 6, 7, and 11. Experiencing multiple disadvantages before age 5 strongly…

The Impact of Religious Beliefs on Professional Ethics: A Case Study of a New Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Sarah Elizabeth

2015-01-01

This case study of a math and science teacher in a private religious school looks at the impact of a teacher's religious beliefs on her experience of engaging with ethical issues in her practice. A Freirean ethical framework is used to analyze her struggles with differences between her own personal religious convictions and those of the school in…

Children's Temperament and Academic Skill Development during First Grade: Teachers' Interaction Styles as Mediators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viljaranta, Jaana; Aunola, Kaisa; Mullola, Sari; Virkkala, Johanna; Hirvonen, Riikka; Pakarinen, Eija; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2015-01-01

The present study followed 156 Finnish children (M[subscript age] = 7.25 years) during the first grade of primary school to examine to what extent parent- and teacher-rated temperament impacts children's math and reading skill development during the first grade, and the extent to which this impact would be mediated by teachers' interaction styles…

The Impact of the Great Recession on Student Achievement: Evidence from Population Data. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-09

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shores, Kenneth; Steinberg, Matthew P.

2017-01-01

The Great Recession was the most severe economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression. Using newly available population-level achievement data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA), we estimate the impact of the Great Recession on the math and English language arts (ELA) achievement of all grade 3-8 students in the…

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Morningside Math Facts Curriculum on Fluency, Stability, Endurance and Application Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McTiernan, Aoife; Holloway, Jennifer; Healy, Olive; Hogan, Michael

2016-01-01

A randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the impact of a frequency-building curriculum to increase the fluency of component mathematics skills in a sample of 28 males aged 9-11 years. Assessments of mathematical ability were conducted before and after the training period to evaluate the impact of learning component skills fluently on…

The Effects of the Elevate Math Summer Program on Math Achievement and Algebra Readiness. REL 2015-096

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snipes, Jason; Huang, Chun-Wei; Jaquet, Karina; Finkelstein, Neal

2015-01-01

The Effects of the Elevate Math summer program on math achievement and algebra readiness: This randomized trial examined the effects of the Elevate Math summer program on math achievement and algebra readiness, as well as math interest and self-efficacy, among rising 8th grade students in California's Silicon Valley. The Elevate Math summer math…

Developmental Impact Evaluation for Facilitating Learning in Innovation Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saari, Eveliina; Kallio, Katri

2011-01-01

Innovations and new project ideas often emerge in networks of researchers, users of research, and societal actors. This article analyzes and discusses how research scientists learn to conduct research that has an impact on their clients, scientific community, and society. We describe a new developmental impact evaluation method based on the theory…

Age-related differences in neuropsychological assessment of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Taylor, Nicole M; Enns, Leah N

2018-04-01

This cross-sectional study examined 6 key areas of neuropsychological functioning (cognitive, academic, attention, executive function, adaptive skills) comparing adolescents and school-age children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The aims were: (i) to examine which neuropsychological measures were predictive of an FASD diagnosis in adolescents and school-age children with PAE, and (ii) to compare the neuropsychological performance of adolescents and children diagnosed with FASD. Hierarchical logistic regressions determined that the Full-Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning indices, basic reading and math skills, adaptive functioning at school, and components of executive functioning (dependent on age) improved the probability of an accurate FASD diagnosis in both groups: 9.1% to 19.2% for adolescents and 10.9% to 19.4% for school-age children (61.5%-80.9% correct classifications overall). For the age comparison analyses (ANOVAs/MANOVAs), a significant difference was observed in the cognitive domain, as well as with basic math skills (trend) in the sample diagnosed with FASD, with lower scores observed for adolescents across these measures. These findings provide further evidence for age differences in neuropsychological assessment as well as increased neuropsychological difficulties in adolescence by comparison with childhood with FASD. Longitudinal studies will be needed to make further inferences about developmental changes in neuropsychological functioning in FASD.

Identifying Maths Anxiety in Student Nurses and Focusing Remedial Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Heather

2009-01-01

Maths anxiety interferes with maths cognition and thereby increases the risk of maths errors. To initiate strategies for preventing anxiety-related errors progressing into nursing practice, this study explored the hypothesis that student nurses experience high maths anxiety in association with poor maths performance, and that high maths anxiety is…

Unmet Health Services Needs Among US Children with Developmental Disabilities: Associations with Family Impact and Child Functioning.

PubMed

Lindly, Olivia J; Chavez, Alison E; Zuckerman, Katharine E

To determine associations of unmet needs for child or family health services with (1) adverse family financial and employment impacts and (2) child behavioral functioning problems among US children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay (DD), and/or intellectual disability (ID). This was a secondary analysis of parent-reported data from the 2009 to 2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs linked to the 2011 Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services. The study sample (n = 3,518) represented an estimated 1,803,112 US children aged 6 to 17 years with current ASD, DD, and/or ID (developmental disabilities). Dependent variables included adverse family financial and employment impacts, as well as child behavioral functioning problems. The independent variables of interest were unmet need for (1) child health services and (2) family health services. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to examine associations. Unmet need for child and family health services, adverse family financial and employment impacts, and child behavioral functioning problems were prevalent among US children with developmental disabilities. Unmet needs were associated with an increased likelihood of adverse family employment and financial impacts. Unmet needs were associated with an increased likelihood of child behavioral functioning problems the following year; however, this association was not statistically significant. Unmet needs are associated with adverse impacts for children with developmental disabilities and their families. Increased access to and coordination of needed health services following ASD, DD, and/or ID diagnosis may improve outcomes for children with developmental disabilities and their families.

Math anxiety differentially affects WAIS-IV arithmetic performance in undergraduates.

PubMed

Buelow, Melissa T; Frakey, Laura L

2013-06-01

Previous research has shown that math anxiety can influence the math performance level; however, to date, it is unknown whether math anxiety influences performance on working memory tasks during neuropsychological evaluation. In the present study, 172 undergraduate students completed measures of math achievement (the Math Computation subtest from the Wide Range Achievement Test-IV), math anxiety (the Math Anxiety Rating Scale-Revised), general test anxiety (from the Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College version), and the three Working Memory Index tasks from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Edition (WAIS-IV; Digit Span [DS], Arithmetic, Letter-Number Sequencing [LNS]). Results indicated that math anxiety predicted performance on Arithmetic, but not DS or LNS, above and beyond the effects of gender, general test anxiety, and math performance level. Our findings suggest that math anxiety can negatively influence WAIS-IV working memory subtest scores. Implications for clinical practice include the utilization of LNS in individuals expressing high math anxiety.

Cluster (School) RCT of ParentCorps: Impact on Kindergarten Academic Achievement

PubMed Central

Dawson-McClure, Spring; Calzada, Esther J.; Huang, Keng-Yen; Kamboukos, Dimitra; Palamar, Joseph J.; Petkova, Eva

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an early childhood, family-centered, school-based intervention on children’s kindergarten academic achievement. METHODS: This was a cluster (school) randomized controlled trial with assessments from pre-kindergarten (pre-k) entry through the end of kindergarten. The setting was 10 public elementary schools with 26 pre-k classes in 2 school districts in urban disadvantaged neighborhoods serving a largely black, low-income population. Participants were 1050 black and Latino, low-income children (age 4; 88% of pre-k population) enrolled in 10 schools over 4 years. Universal intervention aimed to promote self-regulation and early learning by strengthening positive behavior support and effective behavior management at home and school, and increasing parent involvement in education. Intervention included after-school group sessions for families of pre-k students (13 2-hour sessions; co-led by pre-k teachers) and professional development for pre-k and kindergarten teachers. The outcome measures were standardized test scores of kindergarten reading, writing, and math achievement by independent evaluators masked to intervention condition (primary outcome); developmental trajectories of teacher-rated academic performance from pre-k through kindergarten (secondary outcome). RESULTS: Relative to children in control schools, children in intervention schools had higher kindergarten achievement test scores (Cohen’s d = 0.18, mean difference = 2.64, SE = 0.90, P = .03) and higher teacher-rated academic performance (Cohen’s d = 0.25, mean difference = 5.65, SE = 2.34, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood population-level intervention that enhances both home and school environments shows promise to advance academic achievement among minority children from disadvantaged, urban neighborhoods. PMID:23589806

Cluster (school) RCT of ParentCorps: impact on kindergarten academic achievement.

PubMed

Brotman, Laurie Miller; Dawson-McClure, Spring; Calzada, Esther J; Huang, Keng-Yen; Kamboukos, Dimitra; Palamar, Joseph J; Petkova, Eva

2013-05-01

To evaluate the impact of an early childhood, family-centered, school-based intervention on children's kindergarten academic achievement. This was a cluster (school) randomized controlled trial with assessments from pre-kindergarten (pre-k) entry through the end of kindergarten. The setting was 10 public elementary schools with 26 pre-k classes in 2 school districts in urban disadvantaged neighborhoods serving a largely black, low-income population. Participants were 1050 black and Latino, low-income children (age 4; 88% of pre-k population) enrolled in 10 schools over 4 years. Universal intervention aimed to promote self-regulation and early learning by strengthening positive behavior support and effective behavior management at home and school, and increasing parent involvement in education. Intervention included after-school group sessions for families of pre-k students (13 2-hour sessions; co-led by pre-k teachers) and professional development for pre-k and kindergarten teachers. The outcome measures were standardized test scores of kindergarten reading, writing, and math achievement by independent evaluators masked to intervention condition (primary outcome); developmental trajectories of teacher-rated academic performance from pre-k through kindergarten (secondary outcome). Relative to children in control schools, children in intervention schools had higher kindergarten achievement test scores (Cohen's d = 0.18, mean difference = 2.64, SE = 0.90, P = .03) and higher teacher-rated academic performance (Cohen's d = 0.25, mean difference = 5.65, SE = 2.34, P = .01). Early childhood population-level intervention that enhances both home and school environments shows promise to advance academic achievement among minority children from disadvantaged, urban neighborhoods.

Plumbing the STEM Pipeline: Exploring Areas of Influence for Promoting STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linger, Matthew

The U.S. has enjoyed several decades of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) success but that is changing as U.S. students show less interest in advanced learning in STEM fields. Consequently, U.S. students are less scientifically and mathematically literate than past generations, a state that may negatively impact their chances of educational and career success. The reasons for the decline in STEM interest are unclear as many U.S. students still go on to earn STEM degrees and work in STEM fields. Often, these are students who showed a particular capacity for STEM subjects, identified through existing research as earning higher than average SAT scores, especially SAT-math, or high science and math achievement test scores. This study looked at these and other factors as a means to determine what impact they have on U.S. students' interest in pursuing a STEM line of study. The study aimed to determine in what way the U.S. educational system can positively influence high school students toward pursuing a STEM college education. The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) was used as the data source. More than 21,000 students were part of the observations. Factor analysis was used to turn related variables into larger constructs. Constructs and original HSLS:09 variables were analyzed through logistic regression analysis with STATA software. Few high school level instructional and non-instructional interventions were found to have an impact on a student's career choice in 9 th grade of his or her choice of college major in 12th grade. On the contrary, student attitudinal variables were shown to be most influential.

College Math Assessment: SAT Scores vs. College Math Placement Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley-Peres, Kathleen; Poirier, Dawn

2008-01-01

Many colleges and university's use SAT math scores or math placement tests to place students in the appropriate math course. This study compares the use of math placement scores and SAT scores for 188 freshman students. The student's grades and faculty observations were analyzed to determine if the SAT scores and/or college math assessment scores…

Mathematical learning instruction and teacher motivation factors affecting science technology engineering and math (STEM) major choices in 4-year colleges and universities: Multilevel structural equation modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ahlam

2011-12-01

Using the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002/06, this study examined the effects of the selected mathematical learning and teacher motivation factors on graduates' science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related major choices in 4-year colleges and universities, as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, I analyzed: (1) the association between mathematical learning instruction factors (i.e., computer, individual, and lecture-based learning activities in mathematics) and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities as mediated by math performance and math self-efficacy and (2) the association between school factor, teacher motivation and students' STEM major choices in 4-year colleges and universities via mediators of math performance and math self-efficacy. The results revealed that among the selected learning experience factors, computer-based learning activities in math classrooms yielded the most positive effects on math self-efficacy, which significantly predicted the increase in the proportion of students' STEM major choice as mediated by math self-efficacy. Further, when controlling for base-year math Item Response Theory (IRT) scores, a positive relationship between individual-based learning activities in math classrooms and the first follow-up math IRT scores emerged, which related to the high proportion of students' STEM major choices. The results also indicated that individual and lecture-based learning activities in math yielded positive effects on math self-efficacy, which related to STEM major choice. Concerning between-school levels, teacher motivation yielded positive effects on the first follow up math IRT score, when controlling for base year IRT score. The results from this study inform educators, parents, and policy makers on how mathematics instruction can improve student math performance and encourage more students to prepare for STEM careers. Students should receive all possible opportunities to use computers to enhance their math self-efficacy, be encouraged to review math materials, and concentrate on listening to math teachers' lectures. While all selected math-learning activities should be embraced in math instruction, computer and individual-based learning activities, which reflect student-driven learning, should be emphasized in the high school instruction. Likewise, students should be encouraged to frequently engage in individual-based learning activities to improve their math performance.

Is math anxiety in the secondary classroom limiting physics mastery? A study of math anxiety and physics performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercer, Gary J.

This quantitative study examined the relationship between secondary students with math anxiety and physics performance in an inquiry-based constructivist classroom. The Revised Math Anxiety Rating Scale was used to evaluate math anxiety levels. The results were then compared to the performance on a physics standardized final examination. A simple correlation was performed, followed by a multivariate regression analysis to examine effects based on gender and prior math background. The correlation showed statistical significance between math anxiety and physics performance. The regression analysis showed statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and prior math background, but did not show statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and gender.

Math practice and its influence on math skills and executive functions in adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability.

PubMed

Jansen, Brenda R J; De Lange, Eva; Van der Molen, Mariët J

2013-05-01

Adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) often complete schooling without mastering basic math skills, even though basic math is essential for math-related challenges in everyday life. Limited attention to cognitive skills and low executive functioning (EF) may cause this delay. We aimed to improve math skills in an MBID-sample using computerized math training. Also, it was investigated whether EF and math performance were related and whether computerized math training had beneficial effects on EF. The sample consisted of a total of 58 adolescents (12-15 years) from special education. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or a treatment as usual (TAU) group. In the experimental condition, participants received 5 weeks of training. Math performance and EF were assessed before and after the training period. Math performance improved equally in both groups. However, frequently practicing participants improved more than participants in the control group. Visuo-spatial memory skills were positively related to addition and subtraction skills. Transfer effects from math training to EF were absent. It is concluded that math skills may increase if a reasonable effort in practicing math skills is made. The relation between visuo-spatial memory skills provides opportunities for improving math performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does Math Self-Efficacy Mediate the Effect of the Perceived Classroom Environment on Standardized Math Test Performance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fast, Lisa A.; Lewis, James L.; Bryant, Michael J.; Bocian, Kathleen A.; Cardullo, Richard A.; Rettig, Michael; Hammond, Kimberly A.

2010-01-01

We examined the effect of the perceived classroom environment on math self-efficacy and the effect of math self-efficacy on standardized math test performance. Upper elementary school students (N = 1,163) provided self-reports of their perceived math self-efficacy and the degree to which their math classroom environment was mastery oriented,…

Developmental Assets and the Middle School Counselor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scales, Peter C.

2005-01-01

Search Institute has identified 40 Developmental Assets[TM] that are building blocks of healthy development and success for children and adolescents. Young people's experience of most of these developmental assets declines over the middle school years. In this article, research is described showing the prevalence and impact of developmental assets…

Behavior: My Problem or Yours?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trede, Mildred

1991-01-01

Activities are described for learning about problem classroom behaviors, the impact of one's manner of attire on one's behavior, and personal responsibility for one's behavior. Learning activities include role playing, making math puzzles, writing personal anecdotes, drawing a persuasive cartoon concerning smoking and discipline, and making bar…

The Holistic Impact of Classroom Spaces on Learning in Specific Subjects

PubMed Central

Barrett, Peter; Davies, Fay; Zhang, Yufan; Barrett, Lucinda

2016-01-01

The Holistic Evidence and Design (HEAD) study of U.K. primary schools sought to isolate the impact of the physical design of classrooms on the learning progress of pupils aged from 5 to 11 years (U.S. kindergarten to fifth grade). One hundred fifty-three classrooms were assessed and links made to the learning of the 3,766 pupils in them. Through multilevel modeling, the role of physical design was isolated from the influences of the pupils’ characteristics. This article presents analyses for the three main subjects assessed, namely, reading, writing, and math. Variations in the importance of the physical design parameters are revealed for the learning of each subject. In addition to some common factors, such as lighting, a heavy salience for Individualization in relation to math becomes apparent and the importance emerges of Connection for reading and of Links to Nature for writing. Possible explanations are suggested. These results provide a stimulus for additional finesse in practice and for further investigation by researchers. PMID:28458394

Understanding the Home Math Environment and Its Role in Predicting Parent Report of Children's Math Skills.

PubMed

Hart, Sara A; Ganley, Colleen M; Purpura, David J

2016-01-01

There is a growing literature concerning the role of the home math environment in children's math development. In this study, we examined the relation between these constructs by specifically addressing three goals. The first goal was to identify the measurement structure of the home math environment through a series of confirmatory factor analyses. The second goal was to examine the role of the home math environment in predicting parent report of children's math skills. The third goal was to test a series of potential alternative explanations for the relation between the home math environment and parent report of children's skills, specifically the direct and indirect role of household income, parent math anxiety, and parent math ability as measured by their approximate number system performance. A final sample of 339 parents of children aged 3 through 8 drawn from Mechanical Turk answered a questionnaire online. The best fitting model of the home math environment was a bifactor model with a general factor representing the general home math environment, and three specific factors representing the direct numeracy environment, the indirect numeracy environment, and the spatial environment. When examining the association of the home math environment factors to parent report of child skills, the general home math environment factor and the spatial environment were the only significant predictors. Parents who reported doing more general math activities in the home reported having children with higher math skills, whereas parents who reported doing more spatial activities reported having children with lower math skills.

Math anxiety and its relationship with basic arithmetic skills among primary school children.

PubMed

Sorvo, Riikka; Koponen, Tuire; Viholainen, Helena; Aro, Tuija; Räikkönen, Eija; Peura, Pilvi; Dowker, Ann; Aro, Mikko

2017-09-01

Children have been found to report and demonstrate math anxiety as early as the first grade. However, previous results concerning the relationship between math anxiety and performance are contradictory, with some studies establishing a correlation between them while others do not. These contradictory results might be related to varying operationalizations of math anxiety. In this study, we aimed to examine the prevalence of math anxiety and its relationship with basic arithmetic skills in primary school children, with explicit focus on two aspects of math anxiety: anxiety about failure in mathematics and anxiety in math-related situations. The participants comprised 1,327 children at grades 2-5. Math anxiety was assessed using six items, and basic arithmetic skills were assessed using three assessment tasks. Around one-third of the participants reported anxiety about being unable to do math, one-fifth about having to answer teachers' questions, and one tenth about having to do math. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that anxiety about math-related situations and anxiety about failure in mathematics are separable aspects of math anxiety. Structural equation modelling suggested that anxiety about math-related situations was more strongly associated with arithmetic fluency than anxiety about failure. Anxiety about math-related situations was most common among second graders and least common among fifth graders. As math anxiety, particularly about math-related situations, was related to arithmetic fluency even as early as the second grade, children's negative feelings and math anxiety should be identified and addressed from the early primary school years. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Understanding the Home Math Environment and Its Role in Predicting Parent Report of Children’s Math Skills

PubMed Central

Ganley, Colleen M.; Purpura, David J.

2016-01-01

There is a growing literature concerning the role of the home math environment in children’s math development. In this study, we examined the relation between these constructs by specifically addressing three goals. The first goal was to identify the measurement structure of the home math environment through a series of confirmatory factor analyses. The second goal was to examine the role of the home math environment in predicting parent report of children’s math skills. The third goal was to test a series of potential alternative explanations for the relation between the home math environment and parent report of children’s skills, specifically the direct and indirect role of household income, parent math anxiety, and parent math ability as measured by their approximate number system performance. A final sample of 339 parents of children aged 3 through 8 drawn from Mechanical Turk answered a questionnaire online. The best fitting model of the home math environment was a bifactor model with a general factor representing the general home math environment, and three specific factors representing the direct numeracy environment, the indirect numeracy environment, and the spatial environment. When examining the association of the home math environment factors to parent report of child skills, the general home math environment factor and the spatial environment were the only significant predictors. Parents who reported doing more general math activities in the home reported having children with higher math skills, whereas parents who reported doing more spatial activities reported having children with lower math skills. PMID:28005925

Enjoying mathematics or feeling competent in mathematics? Reciprocal effects on mathematics achievement and perceived math effort expenditure.

PubMed

Pinxten, Maarten; Marsh, Herbert W; De Fraine, Bieke; Van Den Noortgate, Wim; Van Damme, Jan

2014-03-01

The multidimensionality of the academic self-concept in terms of domain specificity has been well established in previous studies, whereas its multidimensionality in terms of motivational functions (the so-called affect-competence separation) needs further examination. This study aims at exploring differential effects of enjoyment and competence beliefs on two external validity criteria in the field of mathematics. Data analysed in this study were part of a large-scale longitudinal research project. Following a five-wave design, math enjoyment, math competence beliefs, math achievement, and perceived math effort expenditure measures were repeatedly collected from a cohort of 4,724 pupils in Grades 3-7. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the internal factor structure of the math self-concept. Additionally, a series of nested models was tested using structural equation modelling to examine longitudinal reciprocal interrelations between math competence beliefs and math enjoyment on the one hand and math achievement and perceived math effort expenditure on the other. Our results showed that CFA models with separate factors for math enjoyment and math competence beliefs fit the data substantially better than models without it. Furthermore, differential relationships between both constructs and the two educational outcomes were observed. Math competence beliefs had positive effects on math achievement and negative effects on perceived math effort expenditure. Math enjoyment had (mild) positive effects on subsequent perceived effort expenditure and math competence beliefs. This study provides further support for the affect-competence separation. Theoretical issues regarding adequate conceptualization and practical consequences for practitioners are discussed. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Simulations of the Evolution of Vapor Ejected by the LCROSS Impact on the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurley, D. M.; Killen, R. M.; Team, L.; Potter, A. E.

2009-12-01

We present simulations of the vapor plume evolution resulting from the LCROSS impact onto the Moon. The simulation employs the Monte Carlo technique to follow the trajectory of particles assuming a collisionless atmosphere from the time the particle reaches the collisionless regime until the particle is lost from the Moon. We use realistic topography and examine how different implementation of physics within the model affect the evolution of the vapor plume. We simulate Na, H2O, OH, H, O, and Ar. If observations from LAMP and ground-based observations of Na are successful (they are TBD at the time of writing the abstract), we present the observations and use the model to interpret them. LAMP is the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project onboard Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. After impact, LAMP will observe FUV spectra in search of H and Ar in the atmosphere. We propose to use the McMath-Pierce Main to observe the impact plume, which is scheduled to occur on October 9, 2009 at 11:30 UT (7:30 a.m. EDT, 4:30 a.m. PDT), +/- 30 minutes. The spectrum of the impact plume will be measured using the Stellar Spectrograph and the McMath-Pierce Main telescope. The spectral range will be chosen to observed sodium. The purpose of this observation is to calibrate the impact. We know the sodium content of the regolith. A measure of the extra sodium content in the impact plume will serve to calibrate the impact. We will observe the impact region with the East Auxillary Telescope in white light to estimate the amount of dust produced by the impact. Distribution of simulated Ar particles 2 hours after the LCROSS impact.

Short-Term Memory, Working Memory, and Executive Functioning in Preschoolers: Longitudinal Predictors of Mathematical Achievement at Age 7 Years

PubMed Central

Bull, Rebecca; Espy, Kimberly Andrews; Wiebe, Sandra A.

2009-01-01

This study examined whether measures of short-term memory, working memory, and executive functioning in preschool children predict later proficiency in academic achievement at 7 years of age (third year of primary school). Children were tested in preschool (M age = 4 years, 6 months) on a battery of cognitive measures, and mathematics and reading outcomes (from standardized, norm-referenced school-based assessments) were taken on entry to primary school, and at the end of the first and third year of primary school. Growth curve analyses examined predictors of math and reading achievement across the duration of the study and revealed that better digit span and executive function skills provided children with an immediate head start in math and reading that they maintained throughout the first three years of primary school. Visual-spatial short-term memory span was found to be a predictor specifically of math ability. Correlational and regression analyses revealed that visual short-term and working memory were found to specifically predict math achievement at each time point, while executive function skills predicted learning in general rather than learning in one specific domain. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to further understanding the role of cognitive skills in different mathematical tasks, and in relation to the impact of limited cognitive skills in the classroom environment. PMID:18473197

The Sum of All Fears: The Effects of Math Anxiety on Math Achievement in Fifth Grade Students and the Implications for School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruff, Sarah E.; Boes, Susan R.

2014-01-01

Low math achievement is a recurring weakness in many students. Math anxiety is a persistent and significant theme to math avoidance and low achievement. Causes for math anxiety include social, cognitive, and academic factors. Interventions to reduce math anxiety are limited as they exclude the expert skills of professional school counselors to…

Errors in Multi-Digit Arithmetic and Behavioral Inattention in Children With Math Difficulties

PubMed Central

Raghubar, Kimberly; Cirino, Paul; Barnes, Marcia; Ewing-Cobbs, Linda; Fletcher, Jack; Fuchs, Lynn

2009-01-01

Errors in written multi-digit computation were investigated in children with math difficulties. Third-and fourth-grade children (n = 291) with coexisting math and reading difficulties, math difficulties, reading difficulties, or no learning difficulties were compared. A second analysis compared those with severe math learning difficulties, low average achievement in math, and no learning difficulties. Math fact errors were related to the severity of the math difficulties, not to reading status. Contrary to predictions, children with poorer reading, regardless of math achievement, committed more visually based errors. Operation switch errors were not systematically related to group membership. Teacher ratings of behavioral inattention were related to accuracy, math fact errors, and procedural bugs. The findings are discussed with respect to hypotheses about the cognitive origins of arithmetic errors and in relation to current discussions about how to conceptualize math disabilities. PMID:19380494

The Impact of Competition on Raising Mathematics Competency at Camelot Elementary School in Chesapeake, Virginia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayden, L. B.; Johnson, D.

2012-12-01

In 1995, the Virginia Department of Education approved a federal mandate for No Child Left Behind 2001 Education Act implementing the Standards of Learning (SOL) in four content areas: Mathematics, Science, English, and History and Social Sciences. These new guidelines set forth learning and achievement expectations for content areas for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools. Given the SOL mandates, Virginia's elementary teachers and school leaders utilized research for specific teaching methods intended to encourage score improvements on end of year mathematics tests. In 2001, the concept of the Math Sprint Competition was introduced to Camelot Elementary School in Chesapeake Virginia, by researchers at Elizabeth City State University of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Camelot Elementary, a K-5 school, is a Title I school nestled in a lower middle class neighborhood and houses a high number of minority students. On average, these students achieve lower test score gains than students in higher socioeconomic status district schools. Defined as a test-review based in relay format that utilizes released SOL test items, Math Sprint promotes mathematical skills outlined in Virginia SOL's and encourages competition among students that motivated them to quickly pick up on new material and retain the old material in order to out-do the others. Research identified was based on specific relationships between student competition and statewide testing results in mathematics for grades three, four, and five at Camelot Elementary. Data was compiled from results of the Math Sprint Competition and research focused on methods for motivating students encouraged by the use of a math sprint competition. Individual Pearson Product Moment Correlations were conducted to determine which variables possess strong and statistically significant relationships. Significantly, positive results came from 2005 to 2010 math sprints data from which students participated.

Estimation of heat loss from a cylindrical cavity receiver based on simultaneous energy and exergy analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madadi, Vahid; Tavakoli, Touraj; Rahimi, Amir

2015-03-01

This study undertakes the experimental and theoretical investigation of heat losses from a cylindrical cavity receiver employed in a solar parabolic dish collector. Simultaneous energy and exergy equations are used for a thermal performance analysis of the system. The effects of wind speed and its direction on convection loss has also been investigated. The effects of operational parameters, such as heat transfer fluid mass flow rate and wind speed, and structural parameters, such as receiver geometry and inclination, are investigated. The portion of radiative heat loss is less than 10%. An empirical and simplified correlation for estimating the dimensionless convective heat transfer coefficient in terms of the Re mathrm {Re} number and the average receiver wall temperature is proposed. This correlation is applicable for a wind speed range of 0.10.1 to 10 m/s. Moreover, the proposed correlation for Nu mathrm {Nu} number is validated using experimental data obtained through the experiments carried out with a conical receiver with two aperture diameters. The coefficient of determination R2 and the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) parameters were calculated, and the results show that there is a good agreement between predicted results and experimental data. R2 is greater than 0.950.95 and the NRMSE parameters is less than 0.060.06 in this analysis.

Mathematical calculation skills required for drug administration in undergraduate nursing students to ensure patient safety: A descriptive study: Drug calculation skills in nursing students.

PubMed

Bagnasco, Annamaria; Galaverna, Lucia; Aleo, Giuseppe; Grugnetti, Anna Maria; Rosa, Francesca; Sasso, Loredana

2016-01-01

In the literature we found many studies that confirmed our concerns about nursing students' poor maths skills that directly impact on their ability to correctly calculate drug dosages with very serious consequences for patient safety. The aim of our study was to explore where students had most difficulty and identify appropriate educational interventions to bridge their mathematical knowledge gaps. This was a quali-quantitative descriptive study that included a sample of 726 undergraduate nursing students. We identified exactly where students had most difficulty and identified appropriate educational interventions to bridge their mathematical knowledge gaps. We found that the undergraduate nursing students mainly had difficulty with basic maths principles. Specific learning interventions are needed to improve their basic maths skills and their dosage calculation skills. For this purpose, we identified safeMedicate and eDose (Authentic World Ltd.), only that they are only available in English. In the near future we hope to set up a partnership to work together on the Italian version of these tools. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report II, Part B: Recommendations for Measuring Program Impact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, John M.; And Others

This report presents recommendations for measures to be used in assessing the impact of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC). Chapter I reviews the purpose of the impact study and presents the basic considerations guiding the selection of measures. Chapter II describes the review process that led to the final recommendations. Chapter III…

Predicting Impact of Childhood Disability on Families: Results from the 1995 National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neely-Barnes, Susan; Marcenko, Maureen

2004-01-01

Predictors of impact on families with a child who has developmental disabilities were examined using results from the 1995 National Health Interview Study Disability Supplement (NHIS-D). From this sample, 505 children who met criteria for a developmental disability were selected. Predictors of impact on these families were investigated across and…

The Impact of Adolescent Stuttering and Other Speech Problems on Psychological Well-Being in Adulthood: Evidence from a Birth Cohort Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAllister, Jan; Collier, Jacqueline; Shepstone, Lee

2013-01-01

Background: Developmental stuttering is associated with increased risk of psychological distress and mental health difficulties. Less is known about the impact of other developmental speech problems on psychological outcomes, or the impact of stuttering and speech problems once other predictors have been adjusted for. Aims: To determine the impact…

Effects of methylphenidate on acute math performance in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Grizenko, Natalie; Cai, Emmy; Jolicoeur, Claude; Ter-Stepanian, Mariam; Joober, Ridha

2013-11-01

Examine the short-term (acute) effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on math performance in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and what factors predict improvement in math performance. One hundred ninety-eight children with ADHD participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover MPH trial. Math response to MPH was determined through administration of math problems adjusted to their academic level during the Restricted Academic Situation Scale (RASS). Student t tests were conducted to assess change in math performance with psychostimulants. Correlation between change on the RASS and change on the math performance was also examined. Linear regression was performed to determine predictor variables. Children with ADHD improved significantly in their math with MPH (P < 0.001). The degree of improvement on the RASS (which evaluates motor activity and orientation to task) and on math performance on MPH was highly correlated. A child's age at baseline and Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)-Numerical Operations standard scores at baseline accounted for 15% of variances for acute math improvement. MPH improves acute math performance in children with ADHD. Younger children with lower math scores (as assessed by the WIAT) improved most on math scores when given psychostimulants. NCT00483106.

Access to services, quality of care, and family impact for children with autism, other developmental disabilities, and other mental health conditions.

PubMed

Vohra, Rini; Madhavan, Suresh; Sambamoorthi, Usha; St Peter, Claire

2014-10-01

This cross-sectional study examined perceived access to services, quality of care, and family impact reported by caregivers of children aged 3-17 years with autism spectrum disorders, as compared to caregivers of children with other developmental disabilities and other mental health conditions. The 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs was utilized to examine the association between child's special needs condition and three outcomes (N = 18,136): access to services (difficulty using services, difficulty getting referrals, lack of source of care, and inadequate insurance coverage), quality of care (lack of care coordination, lack of shared decision making, and no routine screening), and family impact (financial, employment, and time-related burden). Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to compare caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders to caregivers of children with developmental disabilities (cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental delay, or intellectual disability), mental health conditions (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, behavioral/conduct problems, or depression), or both developmental disabilities and mental health conditions. Caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders were significantly more likely to report difficulty using services, lack of source of care, inadequate insurance coverage, lack of shared decision making and care coordination, and adverse family impact as compared to caregivers of children with developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, or both. © The Author(s) 2013.

A protocol for a three-arm cluster randomized controlled superiority trial investigating the effects of two pedagogical methodologies in Swedish preschool settings on language and communication, executive functions, auditive selective attention, socioemotional skills and early maths skills.

PubMed

Gerholm, Tove; Hörberg, Thomas; Tonér, Signe; Kallioinen, Petter; Frankenberg, Sofia; Kjällander, Susanne; Palmer, Anna; Taguchi, Hillevi Lenz

2018-06-19

During the preschool years, children develop abilities and skills in areas crucial for later success in life. These abilities include language, executive functions, attention, and socioemotional skills. The pedagogical methods used in preschools hold the potential to enhance these abilities, but our knowledge of which pedagogical practices aid which abilities, and for which children, is limited. The aim of this paper is to describe an intervention study designed to evaluate and compare two pedagogical methodologies in terms of their effect on the above-mentioned skills in Swedish preschool children. The study is a randomized control trial (RCT) where two pedagogical methodologies were tested to evaluate how they enhanced children's language, executive functions and attention, socioemotional skills, and early maths skills during an intensive 6-week intervention. Eighteen preschools including 28 units and 432 children were enrolled in a municipality close to Stockholm, Sweden. The children were between 4;0 and 6;0 years old and each preschool unit was randomly assigned to either of the interventions or to the control group. Background information on all children was collected via questionnaires completed by parents and preschools. Pre- and post-intervention testing consisted of a test battery including tests on language, executive functions, selective auditive attention, socioemotional skills and early maths skills. The interventions consisted of 6 weeks of intensive practice of either a socioemotional and material learning paradigm (SEMLA), for which group-based activities and interactional structures were the main focus, or an individual, digitally implemented attention and math training paradigm, which also included a set of self-regulation practices (DIL). All preschools were evaluated with the ECERS-3. If this intervention study shows evidence of a difference between group-based learning paradigms and individual training of specific skills in terms of enhancing children's abilities in fundamental areas like language, executive functions and attention, socioemotional skills and early math, this will have big impact on the preschool agenda in the future. The potential for different pedagogical methodologies to have different impacts on children of different ages and with different backgrounds invites a wider discussion within the field of how to develop a preschool curriculum suited for all children.

STEAM: A National Study of the Integration of the Arts Into STEM Instruction and its Impact on Student Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabalais, Mark E.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between exposure to the arts and performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. STEAM, an integration of arts-based instruction into science and math related fields, is viewed as an alternative to traditional STEM academies. The literature briefly examines the current state of STEM programs and the deficiencies in graduate quality and quantity and the call from employers for a more innovative workforce. Advocates for STEAM argue for arts as a means to improve creativity, collaboration, risk-taking and exploration. Arguments against arts in STEM are grounded in political opinions concerning arts funding and logistical complications of implementing STEAM. However, some schools and STEM programs have embraced the STEAM premise and have begun to integrate arts into the traditional curriculum. The 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset was utilized to determine a correlation between the number of arts credits earned and mathematics/science achievement. Results from the NAEP dataset indicated a correlation between the amount of arts credits and increased achievement scores in science and math. The same correlation was found when controlling for demographic factors such as gender, race, and socio-economic status (SES). Overall, the arts' greatest impact was on students identified as "at-risk" or underrepresented in STEM fields. Controlling for these variable groups, one can note the quantifiable differences in scores. Overall, findings of the study provide empirical support for the addition of arts in STEM.

Math anxiety and exposure to statistics in messages about genetically modified foods: effects of numeracy, math self-efficacy, and form of presentation.

PubMed

Silk, Kami J; Parrott, Roxanne L

2014-01-01

Health risks are often communicated to the lay public in statistical formats even though low math skills, or innumeracy, have been found to be prevalent among lay individuals. Although numeracy has been a topic of much research investigation, the role of math self-efficacy and math anxiety on health and risk communication processing has received scant attention from health communication researchers. To advance theoretical and applied understanding regarding health message processing, the authors consider the role of math anxiety, including the effects of math self-efficacy, numeracy, and form of presenting statistics on math anxiety, and the potential effects for comprehension, yielding, and behavioral intentions. The authors also examine math anxiety in a health risk context through an evaluation of the effects of exposure to a message about genetically modified foods on levels of math anxiety. Participants (N = 323) were randomly assigned to read a message that varied the presentation of statistical evidence about potential risks associated with genetically modified foods. Findings reveal that exposure increased levels of math anxiety, with increases in math anxiety limiting yielding. Moreover, math anxiety impaired comprehension but was mediated by perceivers' math confidence and skills. Last, math anxiety facilitated behavioral intentions. Participants who received a text-based message with percentages were more likely to yield than participants who received either a bar graph with percentages or a combined form. Implications are discussed as they relate to math competence and its role in processing health and risk messages.

Hydroponic Garden Promotes Hands-on Learning, Healthy Eating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Melinda; Swafford, Melinda

2011-01-01

The Carl D. Perkins Career Technical Improvement Act of 2006 encourages integration of academic instruction to improve student learning, impact employment skills of students, and enhance problem-solving skills by using authentic real-world situations. Academic integration is accomplished by integrating concepts of English, math, science,…

Simulated developmental and reproductive impacts on amphibian populations and implications for assessing long-term effects

EPA Science Inventory

Fish endpoints measured in early life stage toxicity tests are often used as representative of larval amphibian sensitivity in Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA). This application potentially overlooks the impact of developmental delays on amphibian metamorphosis, and thereby red...

Motivation and Math Anxiety for Ability Grouped College Math Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helming, Luralyn

2013-01-01

The author studied how math anxiety, motivation, and ability group interact to affect performance in college math courses. This clarified the effects of math anxiety and ability grouping on performance. It clarified the interrelationships between math anxiety, motivation, and ability grouping by considering them in a single analysis. It introduces…