The Relationship between Gender, Ethnicity, and Technology on the Impact of Mathematics Achievement in an After-School Program
Saved in:
| Title: | The Relationship between Gender, Ethnicity, and Technology on the Impact of Mathematics Achievement in an After-School Program |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Huang, Xudong, Craig, Scotty D., Xie, Jun, Graesser, Arthur C., Okwumabua, Theresa, Cheney, Kyle R., Hu, Xiangen, Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) |
| Source: | Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness. 2013. |
| Availability: | Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness. 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. Tel: 202-495-0920; Fax: 202-640-4401; e-mail: inquiries@sree.org; Web site: http://www.sree.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 8 |
| Publication Date: | 2013 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Institute of Education Sciences (ED) |
| Contract Number: | R305A090528 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Grade 6 Intermediate Grades Middle Schools Elementary Education Secondary Education Grade 5 |
| Descriptors: | Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Ethnic Groups, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, Mathematics Achievement, Correlation, After School Programs, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Grade 6, Achievement Gap, White Students, African American Students, Randomized Controlled Trials, Conventional Instruction, Secondary Schools, Program Effectiveness, Standardized Tests, Grade 5 |
| Geographic Terms: | Tennessee |
| Abstract: | The gap among ethnicities and gender in mathematics achievement is a well-known problem. While the gap has been shrinking over the past three decades, it has not completely diminished (Jencks & Phillips, 1998; McGraw, Lubienski, & Strutchens, 2006). The ALEKS, Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces, tutoring system is one promising example of a technology that can target this problem. ALEKS is a Web-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that instructs students on the mathematical topics that they are most ready to learn, assesses students' current knowledge, and evaluates student performance on problems related to those topics. In order to better understand the role that technology can play in decreasing achievement gaps for gender and ethnicity, the authors examined the effect of interacting with ALEKS in a 6th grade students' math after-school program. In order to answer the question, Does ALEKS reduce the math achievement gap between two ethnicities (White and African American) compared to a teacher?, a randomized experiment was implemented in which students are either assigned to use ALEKS or are assigned to be taught structured lesson plans from a teacher. The experiment was conducted as an after-school program at five secondary schools in a school district in west Tennessee using a population of 102 students with excellent attendance (45 out of 50 days). This left the teacher condition with 22 males, 29 females; 11 white students and 40 African American students. The ALEKS condition had 28 males, 23 females; 11 white students and 40 African American students. The program was conducted for 25 weeks with 40 days of instruction and 10 days of review assessments. Results from the study suggest that the ITS (ALEKS) helps reduce the achievement gap between ethnicities. While more research is needed, it would appear that the ALEKS condition was able to offer equivalent help to students with different levels of performances, while the teachers' help tends to average performers. One table and one figure are appended. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Number of References: | 11 |
| IES Funded: | Yes |
| Entry Date: | 2016 |
| Accession Number: | ED564107 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The gap among ethnicities and gender in mathematics achievement is a well-known problem. While the gap has been shrinking over the past three decades, it has not completely diminished (Jencks & Phillips, 1998; McGraw, Lubienski, & Strutchens, 2006). The ALEKS, Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces, tutoring system is one promising example of a technology that can target this problem. ALEKS is a Web-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that instructs students on the mathematical topics that they are most ready to learn, assesses students' current knowledge, and evaluates student performance on problems related to those topics. In order to better understand the role that technology can play in decreasing achievement gaps for gender and ethnicity, the authors examined the effect of interacting with ALEKS in a 6th grade students' math after-school program. In order to answer the question, Does ALEKS reduce the math achievement gap between two ethnicities (White and African American) compared to a teacher?, a randomized experiment was implemented in which students are either assigned to use ALEKS or are assigned to be taught structured lesson plans from a teacher. The experiment was conducted as an after-school program at five secondary schools in a school district in west Tennessee using a population of 102 students with excellent attendance (45 out of 50 days). This left the teacher condition with 22 males, 29 females; 11 white students and 40 African American students. The ALEKS condition had 28 males, 23 females; 11 white students and 40 African American students. The program was conducted for 25 weeks with 40 days of instruction and 10 days of review assessments. Results from the study suggest that the ITS (ALEKS) helps reduce the achievement gap between ethnicities. While more research is needed, it would appear that the ALEKS condition was able to offer equivalent help to students with different levels of performances, while the teachers' help tends to average performers. One table and one figure are appended. |
|---|
