The Effects of an Intervention on Students' Math Self-efficacy, Practices, and Achievement

Download or read book The Effects of an Intervention on Students' Math Self-efficacy, Practices, and Achievement written by Melinda K. Ensinger and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The work of teaching mathematics is ever-changing. Amidst changes in pedagogy, curricula, and standards, what is most important is the belief that students can achieve high levels of math. Mathematical attainment is related to positive math self-efficacy and the use of mathematical practices. This experimental design study aimed to analyze the effects of a six-week intervention on students’ math self-efficacy, practices, and achievement in grades four through six. The following research questions guided the study: RQ1. What effect does the intervention have on students’ math self-efficacy? RQ2. What effect does the intervention have on students’ math practices? RQ3. What effect does the intervention have on students’ math achievement? RQ4. What other student variables moderate the effects of the intervention (i.e., gender, grade level, teacher)? Study results indicated that students in the intervention group reported higher than average gains on the MSE and the SMP than the control group. However, the higher gains on these two measures were not statistically significant. Additionally, the control group’s average increase on the STAR math assessment was higher than the intervention groups but also not statistically significant. These findings provide a practical application for teachers to improve students’ math self-efficacy but suggest additional studies to expand the body of research and the potential benefits of such interventions to math education, teachers, and students alike.