• The Mathematical Education
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) if sociocultural factors that are known to influence gender gap in mathematics achievement are gender equitable for Singaporean eighth grade students, (2) if there is a higher level of gender equitability in students' attitudes towards mathematics and (3) how sociocultural factors influence mathematics achievement for Singaporean eighth grade students. This study is based on 5,923 Singaporean eighth grade students who participated in TIMSS 2011 assessment. The study found that there were no statistically significant gender differences in 'parental involvement in education' and 'teacher efficacy.' There were no statistically significant gender differences in students' attitudes of 'like learning mathematics,' and 'value learning mathematics'. A significant gender difference was identified for the attitude of 'confident with mathematics.' The boys displayed a higher level of confidence in mathematics than the girls consistent with other study findings for Asian students. The degree of effect from 'parental involvement in education,' 'teacher efficacy,' and 'confident with mathematics' on mathematics achievement are found to be stronger for girls than boys. The finding implies that girls' mathematics achievement can benefit from having more positive encouragement and involvement of parents and teachers and strengthening confidence in mathematics.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.45 no.3 s.114
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• pp.251-262
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• 2006

This study investigates 628 high school students' math dislike tendencies by their math achievement levels. The findings show that, firstly, as the sample students' math achievement level decreases, the number of dislike factors increase. Secondly, students' math dislike factors are differentiated by their math achievement levels. Math high achievers show high math disliking tendency by teacher factor. Middle achievers show high math disliking tendency by complex application and relation factors. Low achievers show high math disliking tendency by comprehension factor. Finally the math disliking factors affecting the level of math achievement are influenced by schools and grades that students' attend. While math disliking factors such as comprehension factor, teacher factor, affection factor are generally present among sample schools, exceptionally JS high school students(high achieving students) are only affected by mentality factor. In addition, mentality factor affects the second grade students only. The implications of the study argue that students' math disliking tendencies could be systematically reduced by paying attention to such dependent variables students' achievement levels, grade, school characteristics, and independent variables including teacher, application, mentality, comprehension, and affection.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.191-206
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• 2009

In this study, we investigate the effects of the methods of time allocation in lecturing on the mathematical academic achievement of freshmen in institute of technologies. The subjects are 392 freshmen from three universities participated in ABEEK(Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea). They belong to three groups in accordance with the methods of time allocation in lecturing; 75 minutes twice a week(79 students) and 150 minutes continuously once a week(77 students) (university 1 of 156 students), 100 minutes twice a week(56 students) and 200 minutes continuously once a week(60 students) (university 2 of 116 students) and 50 minutes and 100 minutes separately once a week(62 students) and 150 minutes continuously once a week(58 students) (university 3 of 120 students). The results of this paper are summarized as follows: Firstly, the achievement of separate time-allocation groups is higher than that of continuous time-allocation groups. Secondly, the achievement of middle class students and low class students has higher effects when they are taught by using the methods of separate time-allocation in lecturing. Finally, the achievement of groups using 75 minutes twice a week is higher than that of using 50 minutes and 100 minutes separately once a week. In conclusion, this study suggests that the method of separate time allocation in lecturing using 75 minutes twice a week could be an advisable means to help those who achieve middle and low scores in the first college mathematics.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.167-184
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• 2011

In D university, 2010 year engineering freshmen were taken basic mathematical ability test and were given basic mathematical ability improvement program based on the test. In order to study the effect of this program for scholastic achievement, we analyse basic mathematical ability test score and college mathematics score among student groups. And to study the effect of this program for scholastic motivation, we survey the mathematical inclination, the recognition of mathematics, and classes of mathematics. As results, engineering freshmen in D university were poor at basic mathematical ability and basic mathematical ability improvement program effected scholastic achievement and motivation in mathematics, greatly. For the success of college mathematics in engineering college, this study suggests basic mathematical ability test and the survey for engineering freshmen's mathematical background. Finally, we suggest that college mathematics must be focused on the improvement of basic mathematical abilities.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.183-202
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• 2004

The former study results demonstrate that differences between people of creativity and non-creativity lie in differences of the self-efficacies rather than those of cognitive aspects and a man of higher self-efficacy has a tendency to set up a higher goal of achievement and higher self-efficacy influences his or her achievement results as well (Zimmerman & Bandura 1994). Using the method of mathematical creative responses of open-ended approach (Lee, Hwang & Seo 2003), difference of mathematical self-efficacies has been surveyed in the study. Results of the survey showed that some students of a high mathematical self-efficacy even had bad marks in the originality or creativity but, in some cases, some students of a low mathematical self-efficacy rather had good marks in the fluency. Therefore, the response results mathematical creativity ability may be a special ability and not just a combination of self-efficacy ability. The fluency of the mathematical creative ability may be a combination of mathematical motivation ability that have been surveyed in the study suggest that not only cognitive components but also social and emotional components should be included in a development process of new creative method for teaching and learning mathematics.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.553-571
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• 2015

Mathematical, verbal, and spatial abilities are known as three important indicators for the success in the STEM disciplines. In this study, Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotation, College Entrance Scholastic Aptitude Test- Math and Verbal score of engineering freshmen students have been used to find the relationships among these areas. In addition, gender differences in spatial visualization, verbal achievement and mathematical achievement have been investigated, too. In this research, I found that gender difference was highest in spatial visualization ability, followed by verbal achievement and smallest in mathematical achievement. Substantial number of male students possess high level of spatial abilities, but only half of female students were at the same level where their male colleagues were. The correlation between spatial ability and mathematical ability was negligible, contrary to former researches on elementary and middle school students. But the correlation was stronger for female students than male students. The correlation between mathematical achievement and verbal achievement was negative. It reflects the fact that when one section of SAT score is low, score of other sections should be higher to get admitted to college. Gender difference in mathematics was smallest for high achieving spatial ability group. For low spatial ability group gender difference in mathematics achievement has been observed, too. To find the combined contribution of spatial and verbal abilities to mathematics achievement, students were divided into 4 ability groups. Mathematics achievement decreased in the order of (1) high spatial -low verbal group, (2) low spatial - low verbal group, (3) high spatial - high verbal group, (4) low spatial - high verbal group.

• School Mathematics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.373-388
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• 2004

This paper is to develop teaching procedures of low achievers in mathematics by using mindmaps. For this, we firstly set the teaching process on basis of literature research. And then we choose four subjects who had serious problems of both memory and mathematics achievement. we also choose the several topics of geometry and measure which could be a big burden of memory as stuff for mindmap activities. The results led us to that using mindmap activities in learning and teaching mathematics could effect on that kind of students' mathematical achievement and mathematical attitude as well as retention of mathematical concepts. It implied that we could develop individual programs for students who have different problems in learning mathematics.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.301-321
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• 2012

Since research has barely been done on the minority with low-achievement & low-SES in probability, this research attempted to search the change of their thinking level in the classes of probability and motivate them on the mathematical learning to feel confident in mathematics. We can say that the problems of the educational discriminations are due to the overlook on the individual conditions, situations, and environments. Therefore, in order to resolve some discrimination, 4 students who belonged to the minority group, engaged in the research, based on 10 units of the instructional materials designed for the research. As a result, for the student's thinking level, it was observed that they were improved from the 1st to the 3rd level in probability. Also, the researcher found that the adequate use of the encouragement, the praise, the direct explanation, and the scaffolding enabled them to prompt their learning motives and the increased responsibility on the learning. As time passed, the participants could share their mathematical knowledge and its concept with others, in the increased confidence.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.299-311
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of abstraction offer of basic concept principle and feedback of self-efficacy attributional and mathematical study ability of math underachievers in high school based on the attribution theory and self-efficacy theory. The hypothesis were posed as below : Hypothesis 1: The experimental group that takes the abstraction offer of concept principle and attributional feedback training would be better at most self-efficacy than the control group that doesn't. Hypothesis 2: The experimental group that takes the abstraction offer of concept principle and attributional feedback training would have better math achievement than the control group that doesn't. They were divided into an experimental group and a control group, and the attribution disposition, self-efficacy and academic achievement of the children were measured by pretest and posttest. For data analysis, SPSS/PC+ program was employed and t-test was conducted. The main findings of this study were as below : First, the abstraction offer of concept principle and attributional feedback training was effective for enhancing the math self-efficacy in high school underachievers. Second, the abstraction offer of concept principle and attributional feedback training was effective for increasing the math achievement in high school underachievers.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.46 no.1 s.116
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• pp.97-122
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• 2007

This article provides how to implement the use of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) in a teaching a function at a school to improve students' mathematization for their mathematical thinking using technology, This study was planed to get research results using the mixed methodology with quantitative and qualitative methodologies. 120 middle school students participated in the study to bring us data about their mathematical achievement and disposition. Through the data analysis used ANCOVA, the students with the experiment of the mathematization and technology excelled the other groups of students who were not provided with technology or both of them. In analysis of the questions of the achievement test, the problems for vertical mathematization were presented harder for the students than the other problems for horizontal and applicative mathematization. The technology environment might have helped students manipulate the application of real-life problems easier. This means that teachers can put more careful assignment on vertical mathematization using technology. We also explored that learning and teaching under RME using technology encouraged students to refine and develop their informal functional concept and pursue higher thinking of formalization. The study results in a lot of resources for teachers to use into their teaching mathematics for improving students' mathematical thinking.