Races of humans exist only as socially defined constructs.  It is widely believed that there is a difference in educational  achievement between the major "races" in America - "blacks" and "whites".  The objective here was to test the veracity of this belief by studying a population that was relatively homogenous on parental occupation.  This study found that in a population of 133 13 to 14 year old science students in an affluent public middle school, there was no gap between the academic achievement of students categorized as "black" and students categorized as "white".  Stratifying by parental occupation eliminated any distinction.  "Asian" students outperformed all other students.   Solving the inequities in education should involve consideration of parental occupation.

In this paper, the categories and influence of teachers’ classroom characteristics relative to effective mathematics teaching in secondary schools in Plateau state, Nigeria were examined. The aim was to see how students are assisted to learn mathematics from teachers engaging fully their professional practices fully. Exploratory and descriptive survey research methods were used to examine the trajectories. Sample for the study consisted of 60 trained mathematics teachers from secondary schools in Plateau state that participated in a week-long capacity building workshop on teaching new concepts from secondary school mathematics curriculum in Nigeria organized recently by the state chapter of the Mathematics Association of Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample based on the fact that the study targeted only mathematics teachers that participated in the capacity building workshop. A 52-item TCCQ on teacher effectiveness, interest, rapport with students, etc. was used for data collection. The findings from the study revealed that mathematics teachers’ ability to teach effectively is significantly associated with many factors including the use of different strategies (χ2=52.75), revision (χ2=47.13), good lesson plans (χ2=53.93) and being friendly with students (χ2=35.66). There was no significant variation regarding how the characteristics influence teacher effectiveness based on qualification (F2, 58=0.689). Among other things, therefore, it was recommended that teachers should be committed to teaching mathematics effectively in the classroom by taking cognizance of the variables especially designing of good lesson plans and previous knowledge irrespective of their qualifications.

Mathematics teaching efficacy is an important construct as confidence in one’s ability to teach influences teaching practices. This paper explores pre-service primary teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy on entry to initial teacher education and the extent that pre-tertiary mathematics experiences and resultant beliefs affected their mathematics teaching efficacy. A mixed-methods approach combined the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (N=420) and qualitative interviews (N=30). The findings suggest medium personal mathematics teaching efficacy among participants with limited conceptions of what mathematics teaching involves. While uncertain regarding their immediate teaching ability, participants reported confidence regarding their potential. Mathematics teaching outcome expectancy was high; however, an undercurrent of conviction exists that external factors, most notably learners’ natural mathematical ability, are critical to student learning.

The prediction potential of the model "emotional intelligence and self-reliance" to students' mathematical performance was investigated in this study. This research was conducted in the third and fourth quarters of the academic year 2021-2022. The quantitative research design, specifically comparative and regression analysis, was used in this study. The comparative design was utilized to assess the differences in emotional intelligence and self-reliance between male and female students, and the regression analysis was performed to see if the model "emotional intelligence and self-reliance" can predict students' mathematical performance. In terms of emotional intelligence and self-reliance, the findings show no significant difference between male and female students. Furthermore, the student's emotional intelligence and self-reliance were strong predictors of mathematics performance. It implies that emotional intelligence and self-reliance are essential factors in better math learning. The study suggested that teachers may improve their students' emotional intelligence and self-reliance by integrating social and emotional learning programs into their classes.

The study on mathematical performance was significant enough to be studied further to measure students' self-efficacy. Although studies on student self-efficacy in math performance from a gender perspective were abundant, studies on this relationship from the perspectives of ethnic culture and gender were scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the self-efficacy of Bugis Junior High School students in solving math problems based on gender. The researchers used an algebra problem in the context of the Bugis ethnic culture. For this data set, two of 25 students at a public junior high school in Bone, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, were interviewed based on ethnicity and gender. Qualitatively, the triangulation technique was employed for data analysis. The study results revealed that male students outperformed girls in terms of self-efficacy, namely magnitude, strength, and generality, in math performance. Furthermore, female students had lower self-efficacy in terms of confidence, supportive experience in completing math tasks, and confidence in their ability to complete math tasks in similar or different contexts, compared to male students, who had higher self-efficacy. This result provided new knowledge by exploring the characteristics of students' self-efficacy by integrating ethnicity and gender.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to measure students’ knowledge and skills needed for today’s society. PISA is a large-scale assessment of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science. In this analysis of PISA data from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), we examined the relationship between gender, mathematics achievement, and perceived meaning in life in BIH students. The sample for this analysis comprised 6480 students (3148 females and 3332 males). The results of the analysis revealed a small but statistically significant, negative relationship between mathematics and the student’s perception of the meaning in life. Boys achieved higher scores in mathematics than girls, but the difference was relatively small. In addition, boys’ rating of meaning in life was higher than that of girls. Knowing what factors influence mathematical achievement might help educators create better intervention programs. In conclusion, we provided some possible explanations for these data.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate synchronous and asynchronous mathematics teaching modalities at Isabela State University. The qualitative research method was used to collect information, opinions, and experiences of Isabela State University mathematics faculty in employing synchronous and asynchronous modes in teaching mathematical courses in terms of strengths, weaknesses, possibilities, and problems. The study's subjects were 15 Mathematics Instructors chosen at random from Isabela State University's nine campuses. A structured interview was created and distributed to participants using Google Form. The limitations on face-to-face encounters prompted the use of such data-gathering technique. The researcher followed up with another video call interview to validate the participants' responses. The data was transcribed and processed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that the synchronous and asynchronous learning modalities both have strengths and disadvantages that influence the quality of the teaching-learning process throughout the epidemic. Given this, distant learning is thought to be more effective when both modalities are used rather to just one of the aforementioned. This is because the strengths of one of the two modalities can solve the flaws highlighted in the other. As a result, mathematics instructors may receive more in-depth training in both asynchronous and synchronous teaching approaches, as well as strategies for becoming more successful teachers during the present school closures.

This study tested hypotheses of a hypothetical model determining the influence of teacher clarity and real-world applications while teaching group theory concepts on students’ achievement in modern algebra. The data collected from 139 undergraduate students were analyzed by regression analysis using Stata14’s structural equation model building and estimation. The path regression analysis of the model using SEM model building and estimation confirmed the research hypotheses. First, the utilization of real-world application problems while teaching group theory concepts has a significant influence on students’ achievement in modern algebra. Second, the clear presentation of group theory concepts by the teacher has a significant influence on students’ achievement in modern algebra. Finally, both teachers’ clear presentation of group theory concepts and utilization of its real-world applications have a significant influence on students’ achievement in modern algebra.

Preservice elementary teachers have had a variety of experiences in their math classes which influence their willingness to engage in math as well as their confidence in doing so. This study examined the responses of two sets of preservice elementary teachers, in 2017 and in 2022, to questions about their "best" and "worst" experiences in math classes. Previous research has seldom asked preservice elementary teachers to examine what they do as students to create a better math experience and research is only now beginning on how COVID-19 may have affected student behavior. Inductive analysis revealed that the emotional intelligence of teachers greatly affected preservice elementary teachers' willingness to meaningfully engage in math. For example, a recurring theme in the data was a strong sense of not wanting to appear dumb, which prevented the students from asking questions or seeking help when needed. This study demonstrates that the classroom environment plays a significant role in preservice elementary teachers' success in math, confidence and comfort level with the subject, and, undoubtedly, how they will eventually teach math to their future students.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, this study investigated the role of metacognitive awareness as a mediator in the correlation between attitude and mathematical reasoning among undergraduates who are first year university students. These studies distribute mathematical reasoning assessments, metacognitive awareness questionnaires, and attitude surveys as research data. One hundred eighty-four undergraduate students from one public institution in Malaysia's Klang Valley area participated in the research. The impact of metacognitive awareness on attitude and mathematical reasoning was studied using Version 25 of the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences. The findings indicated that undergraduate mathematics and science education students excelled in non-mathematics and science education students in mathematical reasoning capacity. According to the findings, undergraduate mathematics and science education students had good metacognitive understanding and used more approaches in mathematical reasoning assessment. Further study implies that more research should be conducted to assess different demographics, such as institute training teachers' metacognitive awareness and attitude towards mathematical reasoning.

Much research in Mathematics instruction has focused on collaborative learning and differentiated instruction. However, very little research in the Philippines focused on utilizing writing activities as an instructional intervention. Even in Mathematics, a subject grounded in computations, this can be beneficial. By explaining how a problem is solved, or why a solution is erroneous, students will learn how the concepts may be applied in a deeper sense. Given the pandemic's limits and the Philippines' low-performance ratings in international assessments, there is a pressing need to develop innovations to continue learning. Hence, this study investigated whether writing activities are effective in improving academic achievement in mathematics classrooms. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, the study involved selected Grade 8 students in a public school in Pasig City. The results of the quantitative data showed a significant difference in the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group as compared to the control. This was supported by the qualitative data which revealed that writing activities help understand the topics, remember concepts, and serve as a reviewer before an assessment. Overall, the study suggests that writing activities as an intervention in mathematics are effective in improving the student’s academic achievement.

The study investigated the attitudes of Biology teachers towards the Biology Competence-Based Curriculum (BCBC) and their instructional practices at the lower secondary school level in Nyamagabe district, Rwanda. A descriptive survey design was adopted. Also, a purposive sampling technique was used to select 26 (16 male and 10 female) teachers of Biology. Data were collected using a questionnaire addressed to Biology teachers in selected schools and analyzed and presented in terms of frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. A one-way ANOVA was employed in the hypothesis testing. The findings indicated that these teachers had positive attitudes towards the implementation of BCBC. As for female ones, they had more positive attitudes towards BCBC implementation than the male ones. Considering those from boarding schools, they had a more positive attitude than the ones from day schools. Additionally, teachers with less teaching experience had more favorable attitudes than those with long experience. Teachers' age did not have any effect on their attitudes. The study also revealed that teachers of Biology rarely applied competence-based approaches in their teaching and assessment processes of students’ learning. It was inferred that the usage of CBC approaches differed significantly among teachers from boarding and day schools. The usage of CBC assessment methods did not differ significantly among teachers. From the findings, it was concluded that CBC seems not to be effectively implemented in the lower secondary schools under the study. Consequently, a recommendation was made to facilitate Biology teachers in schools with in-service training for professional development.

Teachers and teaching styles are two important factors influencing students’ academic performance. In this action research study, we investigated the differential effectiveness of two teaching methods, conventional learning (CL) and peer-cooperative learning (PCL), on students’ academic performance in fractions. A sample of 120 tenth grade mathematics students from Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State in Nigeria was used for the study. The students were selected from three different secondary schools and grouped into two groups: the experimental (PCL) group and the control (CL) group, each having 60 students. A sample of 5 multiple-choice objective and 5 theory test questions titled Fraction Performance Test (FPT) was used to measure their academic performance after the treatment, and the assessment test scores were recorded. Descriptive statistics of the mean were used to answer the research question, while the two-way ANOVA technique was adopted for testing the research hypothesis at an alpha of 0.05. Summarily, the F (3, 116) statistic (= 8.55, p < .001) indicates significant differences in the effectiveness of the teaching methods. The mean scores also reveal that peer-cooperative learning was more effective than the conventional teaching approach. While the former proved to be a more efficacious treatment for female students, the latter was more suitable for male students. We recommend that different approaches be attempted by teachers, and the most effective in overcoming students’ resistance to learning and improving their academic performance be adopted.

The overall aim of this study is to examine the association between Swedish students’ attitudes towards mathematics, mathematics achievement as measured by the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), socioeconomic status (SES), and educational background variables. A further aim is to investigate whether students’ attitudes towards mathematics have a mediating role between their mathematics achievement and their background. Several indicators of students’ SES and background, taken from both the TIMSS 2015 database and from Swedish official registers, were used. The overall results show that there were differences in attitudes towards mathematics in relation to the different SES and educational background measures. There are also associations between students’ SES and both TIMSS mathematics achievement and their attitudes towards mathematics. The students’ attitudes towards mathematics only had a small mediation role between the students’ backgrounds and TIMSS mathematics achievement. Finally, although the mediation models had a better fit when including other information, the mediation effect was lower. Practical implications of the obtained results are discussed.

Each student has a different amount of time to fully understand information, students with high academic ability (UA) need less time than students with low academic ability (LA). Teachers should apply learning models that can facilitate their study time according to their individual needs. The aim of this research is to assess which learning model is most optimal in reducing the gap in understanding mathematical concepts between UA and LA students. Apart from that, this research also evaluates the effectiveness of implementing the flipped class (FC) model in increasing students' understanding of mathematical concepts, compared to the problem-based learning (PBL) model and conventional learning models. The research method used was the N-Gain Test and ANCOVA. The research results show that the FC model is the most optimal in reducing the gap in understanding mathematical concepts between LA and UA students. In addition, both FC and PBL models have proven effective in increasing students' understanding of mathematical concepts when compared to conventional models. Future research could consider combining the FC model with PBL or other learning models to see whether combining these models can improve students' understanding of mathematical concepts more significantly.

The study investigated the impact of YouTube video assisted instructions (YVAI) on pre-service teachers’(PSTs) attitudes and academic performance in chemistry classroom. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. One hundred and twenty (120) Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) pursuing primary education programme constituted the participants of the study. Sixty (60) PSTs each were non-randomly assigned to the Experimental Group (EG) and Control Group (CG). Data on PSTs’ attitude and performance were collected with PSTAS and GCPT respectively. The SPSS software version 20 was used to analyse the data to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. A non-parametric analysis was used in the inferential statistics. The attitude means rank (MR=78.62) of EG (U = 713.000, Z=-6.924, p <.001) was statistically higher than CG (MR=42.38) (U = 713.000, Z=-6.924, p <.001) after treatment. The EG after treatment recorded a mean rank (80.86) statistically higher than CG (40.14), U = 578.500, Z = -6.441, p <.001 after treatment. YVAI was proven as an effective instructional strategy that enhances learners’ altitudinal changes and performance. The study recommended the use of YouTube technological-driven instructions to support classroom instructions.

Learning to teach mathematics has become crucial since its application in real life cannot go unmentioned. The desire of mathematics education researchers to make mathematics concepts easier for pre-service teachers to easily understand has attracted attention. This has become indispensable since after college, pre-service teachers are deployed from K-12 to assist learners in understanding mathematics concepts. The study aimed to ascertain how improvement in the learning of mathematics concepts using the Problem-based learning (PBL) approach could be understood and/or explained among pre-service teachers. This was viewed in two folds: how improvement in learning outcomes using the PBL approach could be explained; and how pre-service teachers’ disposition about the PBL could be explained/understood. Exploratory case study design involving qualitative and quantitative data was concurrently gathered and used. This involved the use of data collection instruments such as focus group discussion, pre-post-test scores, PBL observation protocol, and PBL disposition questionnaire. The study showed that the PBL method improved the learning of mathematics concepts among pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers also showed a positive disposition (interest, belief, and attitude) toward the PBL intervention. The authors advocated for the conduct of a longitudinal study to understand the direction of change over time.

Recent studies in mathematics education have focused on students' geometric problem-solving abilities, self-regulation, and the problem-based learning (PBL) model. The goal of this study is to examine how well junior high school students' self-regulation and geometric problem-solving skills are enhanced by the PBL model. In this study, quantitative methods using a quasi-experimental design were used. The sample consisted of 45 students from Amanatul Ummah junior high school in Mojokerto, Indonesia. Five types of instruments were utilized to collect data for this research, namely Syllabus, lesson plans, student worksheets, Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ), and Geometry Problem-solving Test (GPST). The outcomes of the N-Gain test demonstrated how well the PBL model works to help students develop their capacity for self-regulation and geometric problem-solving. Apart from that, there are some notable differences between the traditional technique and the experimental class that is taught using the PBL paradigm. It is advised that similar trials be conducted in the future with a larger population and sample size. In both public and private junior high schools, it is strongly advised that more research be done with a larger population and sample size. Future researchers can also expand the study materials of geometry, not only to flat-sided geometric shapes but even further to curved-sided geometric shapes and also other subject matters.