The impact of the quality of early mathematics instruction on mathematics achievement outcomes

Bilge Cerezci

doi:10.37291/2717638X.20201248

Authors

Bilge Cerezci National Louis University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9648-2387

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.20201248

Keywords:

Early mathematics, Instructional quality, Mathematics achievement

Abstract

The examination of teaching quality in mathematics in relation to student learning outcomes has become increasingly important following the research reports indicating that early mathematics teaching and learning experiences are critical contributors to students’ learning and later achievement in mathematics and other content areas. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the quality of early mathematics instruction and students’ mathematics learning outcomes in 73 Pre-K to 3rd grade classrooms in an urban public schools system. The results suggested that the quality mathematics instruction varies across observed classrooms but mostly mediocre. Limited but significant associations between instructional quality and mathematics achievement were also documented at the classroom level. More specifically, there was a positive significant interaction between quality of mathematics teaching and students’ mathematics achievement at the end of the school year in classrooms where ratings of the instructional quality was identified as “high,” after controlling for students’ pre-test scores and gender.

References

Anders, Y., & Rossbach, H. G. (2015). Preschool teachers' sensitivity to mathematics in children's play: The inﬂuence of math-related school experiences, emotional attitudes, and pedagogical beliefs, Journal of Research in Childhood Education 29(3), 305-322. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2015.1040564

Aunio, P., & Niemivirta, M. (2010). Predicting children's mathematical performance in grade one by early numeracy. Learning and Individual Differences, 20 (5), 427-435. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.06.003

Aunola, K., Leskinen, E., Lerkkanen, M. K., & Nurmi, J. E. (2004). Developmental dynamics of math performance from preschool to grade 2. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(4), 699-713. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.96.4.699

Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) and Early Childhood Australia (ECA) (2006). Position paper on early childhood mathematics. Retrieved from www.pa.ash.org.au/scmainc/docs/Reasearch/earlymaths.pdf.

Ball, D. L., & Rowan, B. (2004). Introduction: Measuring instruction. Elementary School Journal, 105(1), 3-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/428762

Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool education and its lasting effects: Research and policy implications. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit. Retrieved December 1, 2013, from http://epicpolicy.org/publication/preschool-education.

Bodovski, K., & Farkas, G. (2007) Mathematics growth in early elementary school: The roles of beginning knowledge, student engagement and instruction. The Elementary School Journal, 108(2), 115-130. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/525550

Brenneman, K., Boller, K., Atkins-Burnett, S., Stipek, D., Forry, N., Ertle, … Schultz T. (2011). Measuring the quality of early childhood math and science curricula and teaching. In M Zaslow, I. Martinez-Beck, K. Tout & T. Halle (Eds.), Quality Measurement in Early Childhood Settings (pp.77-103). Baltimore Maryland: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co..

Carmichael, C., MacDonald, A., & McFarland-Piazza, L. (2014). Predictors of numeracy performance in national testing programs: Insights from the longitudinal study of Australian children, British Educational Research Journal, 40(4), 637-659. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3104

Carr, M., Peters, S., & Young-Loveridge, J. (1994). Early childhood mathematics - A framework. In J. Neyland (Ed.), Mathematics Education -A Handbook for Teacher, Vol 1, (pp.262-269). Wellington: Wellington College of Education.

Cerezci, B. (2020). Mining the gap: Analysis of early mathematics instructional quality in pre-kindergarten classrooms, Early Education and Development. 1-24.

Clements, D. H., Sarama, J., & DiBiase, A. M. (Eds.). (2004). Engaging young children in mathematics: Standards for early childhood mathematics education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (2005). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P.,… Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428-1446. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428

Duncan, G.J., Magnuson, K. (2011). The nature and impact of early achievement skills, attention skills, and behavior problems. In Duncan, G.J., Murnane, R.J. (Eds.), Whither opportunity? Rising inequality, schools, and children's life chances (pp. 47–70). New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation & Spencer Foundation.

Engel, M., Claessens, A., & Finch, M.A. (2011). Teaching Students What They Already Know? The (mis)alignment between mathematics instructional content and student knowledge in kindergarten. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 35, 157 - 178.

Entwisle, D. R., and Alexander, K. L. (1990), Beginning school math competence: Minority and majority comparisons. Child Development, 61(2), 454-471. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1131107

Epstein, J. L. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships (4th ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED586508.

Erlwanger, S. H. (1973). Benny's conception of rules and answers in IPI mathematics. Journal of Children's Mathematical Behavior, 1(2), 88-107.

Garcia, E., & Weiss, E. (2017). Education inequalities at the school starting gate: Gaps, trends, and strategies to address them. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute.

Geary, D. C., Hoard, M. K., & Hamson, C. O. (1999). Numerical and arithmetical cognition: Patterns of functions and deficits in children at risk for a mathematical disability. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 74(3), 213-239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/jecp.1999.2515

Gersten, R., Jordan, N. C., & Flojo, J. R. (2005). Early identification and interventions for students with mathematics difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(4), 293‐304. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194050380040301

Gervasoni A., & Perry, B. (2017). Notice, explore, and talk about mathematics: Making a positive difference for preschool children, families, and educators in Australian communities that experience multiple disadvantages. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 53, 169‐225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.acdb.2017.04.001

Goldhaber, D. D., and Brewer, D. J. (2000). Does teacher certification matter? High school teacher certification status and student achievement. Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 22(2), 129-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737022002129

Jordan, N. C., Kaplan, D., Ramineni, C., & Locuniak, M. N. (2009). Early math matters: Kindergarten number competence and later mathematics outcomes. Developmental Psychology, 45(3), 850 - 867. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014939

Kane, T. J., Rockoff, J. E., & Staiger, D. O. (2006). What does certification tell us about teacher effectiveness? Evidence from New York City (Working Paper 12155). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w12155

King, M. B., & Newman, F.M. (2000). Building school capacity through professional development: Conceptual and empirical considerations. The International Journal of Educational Management, 15(2), 86-94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09513540110383818

Koretz, D., & Hamilton, L. S. (2005). Testing for accountability in K-12. In R. L. Brennan (Ed.), Educational measurement (4th ed) (pp.531-578). Westport, CT: Praeger.

Kyriakides, L., & Creemers, B.P.M. (2008). Using a multidimensional approach to measure the impact of classroom level factors upon student achievement: A study testing the validity of the dynamic model. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 19(2), 183-205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450802047873

Lange, A., Brenneman, K., & Mano, H. (2019). Teaching STEM in the preschool classroom. New York: Teachers College Press.

Lerkkanen, M.-K., Rasku-Puttonen, H., Aunola, K., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2005). Mathematical performance predicts progress in reading among 7-year olds. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 20(2), 121-137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173503

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2002/2010). Early childhood mathematics: Promoting good beginnings. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/psmath.asp

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.(2000). Mathematics teaching today. Reston, VA: NCTM.

National Research Council (2001). Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

National Research Council. (2009). Mathematics in early childhood: Learning paths toward excellence and equity. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Nye, B., Konstantopoulos, S., & Hedges, L. V. (2004). How large are teacher effects? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 26(3), 237-257. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737026003237

Raudenbush, S. W., & Bryk, A. S. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: applications and data analysis methods (2nd ed). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Ritchie, S. J., & Bates, T. C. (2013). Enduring links from childhood mathematics and reading achievement to adult socioeconomic status. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1301-1308. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612466268

Rivkin, S. G., Hanushek, E. A., & Kain, J. F. (2005). Teachers, schools, and academic achievement. Econometrica, 73(2), 417-458. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0262.2005.00584.x

Rockoff, J. E. (2004). The impact of individual teachers on student achievement: Evidence from panel data. American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings, 94(2), 247-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828041302244

Sass, T. (2008). The stability of value-added measures of teacher quality and implications for teacher compensation policy. Brief 4. Washington, DC: National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research.

Schoenfeld, A. (1988). When good teaching leads to bad results: The disasters of "well taught: mathematics classes. Educational Psychologist, 23(2), 145-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2302_5

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X015002004

Sonnenschein, S., & Galindo, C. (2015). Race/ethnicity and early mathematics skills: Relations between home, classroom, and mathematics achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 108(4), 261-277. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.880394

Stevenson, H. W., & Newman, R. S. (1986). Long-term prediction of achievement and attitudes in mathematics and reading. Child Development, 57(3), 646-659. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1130343

The Early Math Collaborative. (2011). High impact strategies in early mathematics. Unpublished.

Watts, T. W., Duncan, G. J., Siegler, R. S., & Davis-Kean, P. E. (2014). What's past is prologue: Relations between early mathematics knowledge and high school achievement. Educational Researcher, 43(7), 352-360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X14553660

Woodcock, R. W., McGrew, K. S., & Mather, N. (2001). Woodcock-Johnson III. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside.