The application of decomposition strategies (i.e., associative or distributive strategies) in two-digit multiplication problem solving supports algebraic thinking skills essential for later complex mathematical skills like solving algebra problems. Use of such strategies is also associated with improved accuracy and speed in mathematical problem…

Evidence suggests females' mathematics skills and abilities are not as well developed as males resulting in females being underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career fields. In addition, self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) plays a role in academic performance, giving those with greater SDLR and…

This qualitative case study pursued to describe the different strategies Mexican American adult students in a local community college used to graph function transformations. Participants in the study were purposefully selected using a criterion sampling to ensure participants were atypical, above average students between the ages 18-22, and had a…

The low academic learning outcomes and persistence rates among students starting in developmental mathematics at community colleges are concerning. Improving the teaching and learning of developmental mathematics is imperative. This Action Research study aimed to investigate and improve developmental mathematics students' low retention rate and…

This study examined how community college students' reflective sentiments about learning with the Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) ALEKS evolved in three developmental pre-Algebra Mathematics courses and how students' sentiments related to their metacognitive awareness and learning performance. Thirty-nine students participated in this study.…

The shift across developmental education from prerequisite to corequisite remediation has left students underprepared for college-level mathematics in need of additional support. Typically, this support takes the form of content remediation, but what happens when this extra help is reframed in terms of student learning skills and confidence?…

Students experience great social and academic challenges during their first semester of college and for many, the completion of required mathematics courses is one of those challenges. This study investigated the relationship of first-time college freshmen's mathematics course enrollment, gender, and high school mathematics course experience to…

The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of what students notice about symbols and use as they solve unfamiliar algebra problems based on familiar algebra concepts and involving symbolic inscriptions. The researcher conducted a study of students at three levels of algebra exposure: (a) students enrolled in a high school pre-calculus…

Students with learning disabilities are most typically characterized as struggling readers (i.e., 80-90% of students are identified on the basis of reading failure; LD OnLine, 2008 Lerner, 1989; Lyon, Fletcher, Shaywitz, Torgesen, Wood, et al., 2001); however, as many as 50% of students with learning disabilities have IEP goals in the area of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether high student accountability and formative assessment affected student motivation, learning and resource management strategies, and achievement in developmental algebra I. The setting was a fifteen-week semester at a community college in suburban New York. Two sections of developmental algebra I…

Recent reform efforts in mathematics education call for the development of early algebraic reasoning, and for the provision of rich mathematical experiences for all students. In spite of such emphasis, many elementary school students, especially those with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD), often experience great difficulty in early algebra…

The Program for International Assessment tested students in mathematics from 41 countries and found that students in the United States ranked in the lowest percentile. This struggle with math among youth in the United States prompted this quasi-experimental quantitative study about using interactive technology to engage and motivate 9th grade…

Over the past 2 years, almost 45% of the students attending a local suburban high school failed Algebra 2. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of a cooperative instructional technique (student teams-achievement divisions [STAD]) to traditional instructional methods on performance in high school algebra. Motivational and cognitive…

This dissertation analyzes differences found in Spanish-speaking middle school and high school students in algebra-based problem solving. It identifies the accuracy differences between word problems presented in English, Spanish and numerically based problems. The study also explores accuracy differences between each subgroup of Spanish-speaking…

In an era of new standards and emerging accountability systems, an understanding of the supports needed to aid teachers and students in making necessary transitions in mathematics teaching and learning is critical. Given the established research base demonstrating the importance of justification and reasoning in students' mathematics learning and…