ERIC Number: EJ1420682
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Aug
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2520-8705
EISSN: EISSN-2520-8713
Elementary Students' Mathematics Identity: Findings from a Longitudinal Study in an Out-of-School Setting
Michaela Gulemetova; Andrea D. Beesley; Cheri Fancsali; Uttara Balakrishnan
Journal for STEM Education Research, v5 n2 p187-213 2022
This study presents findings from a randomized controlled trial of an afterschool program intended to develop mathematics identity for students from grades 4 and 5 in groups underrepresented in STEM. Mathematics identity refers to the ways that students think about themselves in relation to mathematics and the extent to which they have developed a commitment to, and have come to see value in, mathematics. While the impact analyses showed no effects of the intervention on mathematics identity or achievement, the exploration of the longitudinal data collected over 2 years provided several insights. On average, student mathematics identity remained constant over the study period; however, the overall averages mask large variations in individual students and sites. Some students saw improvement in mathematics identity, while others saw decreases. Counter to findings in previous literature, we found no overall differences by gender suggesting that boys and girls report similar mathematics identity. Importantly, we found a positive relationship between mathematics identity and achievement. This finding holds in both directions and suggests that boosting mathematics identity could lead to improving mathematics achievement and vice versa. This study contributes to our understanding of mathematics identity, how it is measured, how it evolves over time, what relationship it has to mathematics achievement, and what its potential for development in afterschool environments could be.
Descriptors: After School Programs, Grade 4, Grade 5, Elementary School Students, Self Concept, Mathematics Instruction, Student Attitudes, Program Effectiveness, Mathematics Achievement
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 5; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1515586