Date Available

10-10-2022

Year of Publication

2022

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Education

Department/School/Program

Education Sciences

Advisor

Dr. Molly Fisher

Abstract

Previous research has shown that mathematical self-efficacy is positively correlated with mathematical achievement. However, in a high school classroom setting, teachers’ effectiveness varies based on experience, education, and how they incorporate certain pedagogical practices. The Modern Classroom Project was designed to have teachers integrate self-paced learning, mastery-based learning, metacognition, and blended instructions all within one classroom; with an emphasis placed on allowing students the opportunity to understand a particular skill before attempting the next skill. Discovering what components of the Modern Classroom Project enhances student’s self-efficacy score, and mathematical achievement was the focus of the study.

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was conducted in a high school geometry course with the research participants being in 8th grade. There were two stages of research for this study. The first phase was assessing students’ self-efficacy and mathematical achievement skills. Upon reviewing those scores phase two consisted of interviewing students who fell into one of the four categories high performance/high self-efficacy (High P/High SE), low performance/low self-efficacy (Low P/Low SE), high performance/low self-efficacy (High P/Low SE), or low performance/high self-efficacy (Low P/High SE).

Upon the completion of the interviews, they were analyzed by the researcher and codes were established to determine what factors could contribute to a higher self-efficacy and mathematical achievement score. Those aspects included self-paced learning, collaboration, academic feedback, and goal setting. This quantitative and qualitative study found that there was an increase in students’ mathematical achievement and self-efficacy scores for students who participated in the Modern Classroom Project. The implications of these results could help high school teachers identify practices that allow students to enhance their learning and feel more confident in their ability.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2022.363

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