Determining The Availability And Utilization Of Mathematics Instructional Resources For High School Algebra Students In An Urban School District
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Date
2011
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Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy
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Doctor of Education
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This item is made available by Morgan State University for personal, educational, and research purposes in accordance with Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Other uses may require permission from the copyright owner.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the availability and utilization of mathematics instructional resources. Secondarily, the study sought to determine if there are differences between male and female urban high school students' availability and utilization of mathematics instructional resources. For the sake of this study, mathematics instructional resources were those that should be available to students as they learn mathematics at the high school level. The instructional resources, sub-divided between those available at home and at school, included textbooks, worksheets, computers, the Internet with access to math sites, basic calculators, graphing calculators, and manipulatives. The study was conducted in Geometry and Algebra/Data Analysis HSA Mastery classes at high schools in an urban public school system. The participants of the study were high school students in regular education classes. The participants completed a survey about the availability and utilization of mathematics instructional resources at home and at school. The study revealed interesting results. The majority of students had mathematics instructional resources available at school and utilized most of the resources regularly while at school. The computer was found to be the most available and utilized resource at home. There was no difference between males and females in the availability and utilization of mathematics instructional resources at school. At home, a difference was discovered between males and females and the availability of textbooks and someone at home to assist with homework, with females having greater availability. There was no difference between males and females and the utilization of mathematics instructional resources at home. Graphing calculators were seen by the students as the resource at school that had the most effect on students' HSA scores, while there were no resources at home or school they wished were more available. The importance of this study was to determine the availability and utilization of mathematics instructional resources in the selected school system. The study was significant because it provided information about how resources are distributed and used in the classroom, which can affect policy decisions. It was also significant because it provided information about resource availability and utilization at home, which may be unknown to educators. The study also revealed whether or not gender affected the availability and utilization of mathematics instructional resources.