In this exploratory study, self-rated measures from two co-teachers who taught mathematics to a group of students with and without disabilities were gathered to determine perspectives about their co-teaching experiences. Students also completed three measures. Students and co-teachers agreed that the "one-teach, one observe or drift"…

The central research question of this empirical study was: How do student demographics, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety relate to and predict their choice of pedagogical agents serving as virtual math tutors? A total of 152 middle school students and 135 college students were surveyed on their perceived math self-efficacy, math anxiety, and…

The present study analyzed the factor validity of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale (PALS) to assess students' perceptions of mathematics classroom goal structures. Participants were N = 7,773 Italian students aged from 11 to 15 years (M = 11.97, SD = 0.50). The confirmatory factor analysis replicated a three-factor structure (i.e., mastery,…

This study uses student panel data to examine the association between algebra placement and student motivation for mathematics. Changes in achievement goals, expectancy, and task value for students in eighth-grade algebra are compared with those of peers placed in lower-level mathematics courses (N = 3,306). In our sample, students placed in…

Mathematical problem solving typically involves manipulating visual symbols (e.g., equations), and prior research suggests that those symbols serve as diagrammatic representations (e.g., Landy & Goldstone, 2010). The present work examines the ways that instructional design of student engagement with these diagrammatic representations may…

Learning algebra is difficult for many students in part because of an emphasis on the memorization of abstract rules. Algebraic reasoners across expertise levels often rely on perceptual-motor strategies to make these rules meaningful and memorable. However, in many cases, rules are provided as patterns to be memorized verbally, with little overt…

This study examined the effects of change in teacher goal emphases on students' efficacy beliefs in mathematics across the transition to middle school. The sample (N = 929) included primarily White (65%) and Black (27%) students, and approximately one third received free or reduced-fee lunch. Analyses grouped children by cross-classification of…

A national initiative encourages STEM careers to prepare students to succeed in an increasingly competitive economy (National Research Council, 2011). The STEM pipeline is dependent on students' mathematics course-taking trajectories, which are determined once a student enrolls in his/her first Algebra course. Despite efforts to increase access to…