A program evaluation of applications of Mathematics 10 in British Columbia public schools
Date
2018-02-22
Authors
McAskill, Donald Bruce
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Abstract
This is an outcomes based program evaluation which used a nonequivalent control-group design to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of Applications of Mathematics 10 in British Columbia public schools. The Experimental Group (10 classes, N = 154) and Control Group (13 classes, N = 232) were selected as intact classes from a population of schools offering Applications of Mathematics 10 (Experimental Group) and Principles of Mathematics 10 and Mathematics 10A (Control Group) in the 1998/99 school year. The criteria used to evaluate this program consisted of: (1) a comparison of teaching methodology used in the 23 classes participating in the study based upon teacher surveys (pre-test and post-test) and logbooks kept by the teachers reporting the methodology used in each class; (2) a comparison of student achievement in the three courses based upon student achievement scores (pre-test and post-test) on multiple choice mathematics assessments; and, (3) a comparison of student attitudes towards mathematics in the three courses based upon student attitude scores (pre-test and post-test) on two surveys.
Teachers in the Experimental and Control groups reported using different teaching strategies (but similar assessment strategies) in their respective classes. The Experimental Group teachers reported using teaching methodologies more consistent with the desired constructivist treatment than did the Control Group teachers.
Using analysis of variance and subsequent post-hoc multiple comparisons of pre- and post-test means it was determined that student achievement scores in the Control Sub-Group, Principles of Mathematics 10 (pre-test M = 17.5, SD = 5.1; post-test M = 23.0, SD = 6.8), were significantly higher (pre- and post-test) than the Experimental Group scores (M = 12.6, SD = 4.2; post-test M = 14.8, SD = 4.8) and the Control Sub-Group scores, Mathematics 10A, (pre-test M = 10.6, SD = 3.9; post-test M = 12.8, SD = 4.6). The Experimental Group scored significantly higher than the Mathematics 10A sub-group on the pre-test assessment, but not the post-test assessment.
It was also determined that student attitude toward mathematics scores in the Control Sub-Group, PM 10 (pre-test M = 13.2, SD = 3.0; post-test M = 12.8, SD = 3.2), were significantly higher (pre- and post-test) than the Experimental Group scores (M = 10.1, SD = 2.8; post-test M = 10.0, SD = 3.0) and the Control Sub-Group scores, 10A, (pre-test M = 9. 1, SD = 2.6; post-test M = 8.4, SD = 2.9). The Experimental Group scored significantly higher than the 10A sub-group on the post-test attitude toward mathematics assessment, but not the pre-test assessment.
It was concluded that the Applications of Mathematics 10 implementation is a qualified success and that this model of delivering mathematics instruction should be pursued.
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Keywords
Mathematics, Study and teaching (Secondary)