Parenting sets up the characteristics of the environment in which development takes place, making it a major predictor of most developmental outcomes, including academic skills. Much research has demonstrated that parenting behaviors influence math performance, however, the mechanisms and conditions under which this association takes place remain unclear. My thesis project assessed how child executive functions (EFs) influence the effects of middle childhood parenting on adolescents’ math skills. 77 mother-child dyads from Blacksburg contributed data in two different occasions: during the first visit (child age=9), maternal parenting behaviors (supportive and non-supportive), and child EF were assessed via questionnaires, behavioral coding, and a battery of EF tasks; during the second visit (child age=14), children’s math skills were assessed using a standardized test of achievement. Regression analyses revealed a direct effect of a composite measure of non-supportive parenting during middle childhood on adolescents’ math performance. Furthermore, EF did not mediate or moderate the effect of parenting on math skills, when using composite measures of parenting. However, when the parenting behaviors were assessed individually, maternal facilitation of attention, maternal expressive encouragement, and maternal minimizing reactions had indirect effects on adolescents’ math skills via EFs; specifically, working memory and inhibitory control were significant mediators. Furthermore, child cognitive flexibility moderated the effect of maternal distress reactions on adolescents’ math skills, but only when the levels of cognitive flexibility are considerably low. / M.S. / Parenting has great impact on different areas of child development, including academic skills. Researchers have shown strong associations between parenting and children’s math outcomes, however, the mechanisms explaining this associations remain unclear. This project explored how child Executive Functions explain the effect of different types of childhood parenting on adolescents’ math performance. 77 mothers and their children were assessed when the child was 9 and 14 years old; data on parenting and child executive functions were obtained during the age 9 assessment, and data on adolescent math performance was obtained at age 14. Results reveal that the combination multiple non-supportive parenting behaviors during childhood has a direct and negative effect on adolescents’ math skills. Furthermore, specific parenting behaviors such as maternal attentiveness and encouragement have a positive effect on children’s working memory and inhibitory control, which in turn has a positive effect on math skills in adolescence. Oppositely, minimization of the child’s negative emotions had a negative effect on child inhibitory control, which in turn had a negative effect on math skills at age 14.

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of video self-modelling (VSM) and the iPad application (Fast Fact Math, FFM) interventions on a group of Year 5 students to increase their knowledge of basic number facts. This study also aimed to measure the intervention group’s self-efficacy levels (Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales, PALS) before and following the interventions. Participants were drawn from a decile 9 primary school in a suburban area (teaches Year 1 to Year 6). The Test (pre-, mid-, and post-test phases) were administered by a class teacher to all Year 5 students. Following consultation with the teacher, eight students whose scores fell below the 25th percentile were invited to participate in the study. The intervention group took a specific level test to ascertain their basic number facts performance on all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). The videos and the FFM app were personalised to each intervention group’s members in an effort to elicit from the errors that they made on specific level test. At the completion of each intervention sessions, session probes were conducted. Meanwhile, the researcher gave a self-efficacy test (PALS) to the participants before and following intervention phases. Results showed that, although more than half of the intervention group increased their basic number fact performance level following the interventions, their overall self-efficacy rating on PALS did not change. Results also showed that VSM is a time-efficient and rapid learning method to use with the intervention group as opposed to the iPad app, which took two times longer to complete a session. Further areas of study are suggested.

This study is a description and analysis of the effect of criterion referenced test data on the acquisition of math skills and the mastery of selected objectives in fifth-grade students.The first chapter includes the introduction, statement of the problem, purposes of the study, statement of the hypotheses, background and significance., definition of terms, limitations, basic assumptions, and procedures for collecting data. The second chapter is a review of the literature pertaining to criterion-referenced testing and also includes a review of studies utilizing criterion-referenced test material. The third chapter describes the population being studied, the instruments used to measure achievement, and procedures for treatment of the data. The fourth chapter presents an analysis of the data collected for the study and a discussion of the findings. The fifth and final chapter presents a summary of the study, findings, conclusions, and recommendations pertaining to future research in the utilization of criterion- referenced testing. The subjects in this study were sixty, fifth-grade students attending Lakeland Elementary in the Lewisville Public School System who comprised the experimental group and sixty, fifth-grade students attending Central Elementary in the same district, who comprised the control group. The Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (Form G Level 2), and the Prescriptive Mathematics Inventory (Aqua Level), were administered to both groups, with the pretest occurring in September, 1973 and the posttest being administered in April, 1974. Analysis of covariance and chi square goodness of fit were the techniques used to analyze the data statistically. Significant change was found to take place in the experimental group in mastering a greater proportion of the objectives selected for this study. The socio-economic level and educational background of the parents of the subjects in this study proved to be a significant factor in mastering the objectives selected for this study. The hypotheses utilizing the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, were all rejected. Two things may be assumed. The test may not have been sensitive enough to pick up changes that occurred during the year. Secondly, it might be assumed that the direction of the instructional program came from the 113 objectives selected by the teachers prior to the school year. These particular objectives were covered specifically in the Prescriptive Mathematics Inventory, but not in the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; / Thesis (EDS)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Congruence Among Mathematics Skills Used On The Job By Practical Nurses vs. The Prerequisite Skills Required For Admission Into The Practical Nursing Program G.H. Clary ABSTRACT The standard for evaluating a student&softsign;s mathematic ability (grade level) for admission to many vocational-technical programs is through the administration of the Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE). There has come forth a concern from vocational educators, that students entering programs may not be prepared for the mathematics required by the curriculum, even though the student has met the criteria for entry as established by the state curriculum frameworks as evidenced by their scores on a TABE which had recently been administered. Furthermore, questions raised among instructional, administrative and guidance personnel about the congruence of math skills required on the TABE vs. / ABSTRACT: those used by practical nurses on the job supported the need for a study to determine the congruence of these sets of mathematics skills. Using the OMRA inventory developed by David Pucel, the mathematic operations required for job related math applications are indicated by samples collected from active nursing practitioners. Three analysis teams consisting of practical nurses and math experts were established and determined the math operations required for solving the job related math samples collected. The math skills tested by the TABE were then compared to the job related math samples. With the math operations of the variables ranked, the Spearman Rank Correlation was used to evaluate the correlation across the TABE and the mathematic job requirements of practical nursing. Based on 19 math operations identified from the Practical Nursing job math requirements, the results showed that there was little correlation among these two variables (r=. 4974). / ABSTRACT: Keywords: Practical Nursing, Mathematics Skills, Postsecondary Vocational Education, TABE. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This study was done to evaluate the simultaneous prompting procedure when teaching math skills during play time to young children with disabilities. The research included 5 students who participated in a special education resource classroom and general education classroom. The researcher used a design similar to a multiple probe design. The study found all participants who began intervention met criterion. The research also found students who participated in maintenance and generalization met criterion during those stages.

Research has indicated video-based interventions are successful at teaching skills to individuals with varying types of disabilities. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding video-based intervention, such as video modeling, as an evidence-based practice for academic skills. As technology becomes more and more integrated into U.S. classrooms each year, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions. Khan Academy videos are often used as supplemental resources by teachers to assist students with math work. The purposes of this study were to evaluate if in-class viewing of Khan Academy video models would increase math quiz performance for elementary age students with disabilities when used as a supplement to standard teacher instruction, to determine if the use of Khan Academy video models would decrease the total time required to complete a math quiz, and to evaluate the effects of behavioral skills training on math quiz scores in the event that Khan Academy was not effective. Results were evaluated using a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design and showed that overall, Khan Academy videos resulted in a slight increase in performance for two participants. The intervention was not effective for the other four. Overall, the duration to complete the quiz did not decrease with the implementation of Khan Academy. All 6 participants required behavioral skills training to increase their performances to mastery levels.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of supplemental on-task and performance contingencies on the acquisition of math skills for elementary school children identified as seriously emotionally disturbed/behaviorally disordered, attention deficit disordered, and students without disabilities. Three experimental conditions were utilized, involving teacher-directed instruction with (a) no contingencies, (b) contingencies for academic performance, and (c) contingencies for academic performance and on-task behavior. The study was designed to measure the effects of these contingency conditions on the number of math problems solved accurately by the study's participants.

National and international studies, such as PISA and TIMSS, which are part of the national evaluation system, are carried out continuosly. Skolverket, in collaboration with researchers, are responsible for the implementation, evaluation, and analysis of the studies. National results show an increasing percentage of pupils who do not reach the goals in mathematics. The last completed international studies PISA 2009 and TIMSS 2007 show an impaired trend of knowledge, in international comparison. Moreover, studies also show that the differences between schools and also within the same school in Sweden have increased. In summary, the analysis of the studies shows that the Swedish students' math skills have been declining over time. The purpose of this report is to examine possible causes, essential factors that are affecting and future actions in order to achieve better results. Completed national and international studies and analysis show a range of factors that are affecting Swedish students´ declining mathematic skills. However, this report clarifies the big complexity that is revealed when results are being analyzed. This is due to a multitude of factors of influence of underlying causes. Nevertheless, results and analysis show that teachers’ skills are a strong factor which affects and influences the progression and accumulation of knowledge. / Nationella samt internationella studier såsom PISA och TIMSS genomförs med kontinuitet. Dessa är en del av det nationella systemet för utvärdering vad gäller kunskapstrend. Skolverket, i samarbete med forskare, ansvarar för genomförande, utvärdering samt analys. Nationella mätningar visar en procentuell ökning av elever som ej når målen i matematik. De senaste genomförda internationella studierna PISA 2009 samt TIMSS 2007 visar på en nedåtgående kunskapstrend i internationell jämförelse. Dessutom visar analys på minskad likvärdighet både mellan skolor i Sverige, men även inom en och samma skola. Påvisbart, vid analys av genomförda studier, är svenska elevers sjunkande matematikkunskaper. Syftet med denna rapport är att undersöka möjliga orsaker, essentiella påverkansfaktorer samt framtida insatser för resultatförbättring. Genomförda nationella och internationella studier samt analyser visar på en rad påverkansfaktorer. Dock visar denna rapport på den omfattande komplexitet som analyser av resultat bidrar till, då en mångfald av influerande bakomliggande orsaker till resultaten kan skönjas. Resultat och analyser antyder att lärarkompetens är en stark påverkansfaktor, vad gäller kunskapsackumulation och kunskapsprogression.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a functional relation between a peer-delivered modified system of least prompts procedure (SLP) and an increase in level and trend of performance on finding the area of polygons or finding the volume of cylinders, spheres, and cones, and could the peer tutor reliably implement the modified SLP procedure with middle school students with mild to severe disabilities. A multiple probe days across participants design was used. Results from this study show that there was a functional relation across students in which students were able to make progress on academic math skills when taught by a peer tutor using the modified SLP procedure. The peer tutor was able to reliably implement the procedure to multiple students. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed.

The present research was an investigation of the effects of computer assisted instruction as a supplement to classroom instruction in reading and arithmetic. The purposes of this study were to determine the effectiveness of microcomputer usage in supplemental reading comprehension and math instruction. Utilizing an elaboration of the pre-test, posttest control group design, 66 fifth graders completed the 4-month study. One-way analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data.