17-02-2016 | Empirical Research
Promotive and Corrosive Factors in African American Students’ Math Beliefs and Achievement
Auteurs:
Matthew A. Diemer, Aixa D. Marchand, Sarah E. McKellar, Oksana Malanchuk
Gepubliceerd in:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|
Uitgave 6/2016
Log in om toegang te krijgen
Abstract
Framed by expectancy-value theory (which posits that beliefs about and the subjective valuation of a domain predict achievement and decision-making in that domain), this study examined the relationships among teacher differential treatment and relevant math instruction on African American students’ self-concept of math ability, math task value, and math achievement. These questions were examined by applying structural equation modeling to 618 African American youth (45.6 % female) followed from 7th to 11th grade in the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study. While controlling for gender and prior math achievement, relevant math instruction promoted and teacher differential treatment corroded students’ math beliefs and achievement over time. Further, teacher discrimination undermined students’ perceptions of their teachers, a mediating process under-examined in previous inquiry. These findings suggest policy and practice levers to narrow opportunity gaps, as well as foster math achievement and science, technology, engineering and math success.