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Purpose – This chapter focuses on the family and school influences on the achievement gaps in math and reading by gender, race, and nativity.

Methodology – With the longitudinal data from the National Education Longitudinal Studies, this chapter uses panel data technique to model for the changes of the achievement from the three time points of observation, 8th grade, 10th grade, and 12th grade. This study proposes the concept of “low-level constrained curriculum” to characterize the curriculum structure that leads to the universal low level of course taking among students within the same school.

Findings – The analysis shows that this kind of curriculum structure has the most damaging effect on individual students' math achievement outcomes. For the analysis on parental involvement, the results show that school involvement is more effective than home involvement for math achievement, but not for reading. Domain-specific parental involvement is more important than general parental involvement for both math and reading. These findings have important theoretical and policy implications.

This study explored the effect of mathematics teaching quality on mathematics achievement among undergraduate students, using the SERVQUAL model.

The sample comprised of 320 first-year undergraduate students of a public university in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was run in Amos (v.23) to test the various hypotheses.

The study concluded that the tangible aspect of the SERVQUAL model (service quality), which is very instrument in some service industries such as the airline, had no significant effect on mathematics achievement. Mathematics teaching reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy, however, had significant positive effects on mathematics achievement among undergraduate students.

The study assessed the effects of the individual dimensions of SERVQUAL on mathematics achievement, and it was realized that the tangible dimension had no significant effect. Tangibles may however compliment the other dimensions and is therefore imperative to also assess the effect of service quality (as a higher/second order variable) with the five dimensions as its first-order variables.

Human resources (lecturers) were seen as a strategic tool in enhancing students' academic performance and mathematics performance to be specific. Management of universities is therefore expected to invest in building, training and developing their human resources for an enhanced academic performance of students, especially in mathematics.

Although some past studies have applied SERVQUAL to teaching and learning researches, attention was largely focused on the measurement or assessment of teaching quality using SERVQUAL, with little attention on the effect of SERVQUAL on an outcome variable.

This study aims to better understand how students’ academic strains and multilevel strengths relate to their math achievement, with a particular emphasis on underrepresented students of color and girls given the need to broaden science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) participation for these groups.

National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 data was used for a historical examination of the various student academic strains and multilevel strengths that relate to math achievement in high school. T-tests and chi-square tests were conducted to examine differences in strains and strengths across policy-relevant student subgroups. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to examine how students’ strains and strengths related to their math achievement and the relative importance of each of these factors.

The findings suggest that both the academic strains and multilevel strengths that students’ experience in middle school are related to their high school math achievement and the prevalence of these factors varies across different policy-relevant student subgroups. Furthermore, the relative importance of these factors on achievement differs.

Studies which focus on either students’ academic challenges or their adaptive strengths fall short of a more nuanced discussion about how both factors relate to math outcomes. This study addresses this limitation and emphasizes that stakeholders who are interested in STEM diversity should consider holistic strategies for alleviating gender and racial/ethnic discrepancies in secondary math achievement.

This investigation was intended to examine the relationship among perceived competence, anxiety, and mathematical and verbal achievement in a population of male and female Italian middle school students. One hundred and eighty students were administered measures of trait anxiety, and measures of state anxiety were administered immediately prior to administering achievement tests in math and literature. In addition, students were administered six subscales of a perceived competence scale. Analyses of these data yielded a moderate negative correlation between mathematics achievement and state anxiety for the math test, and a descriptively smaller negative correlation between the literature scores and state anxiety for the literature test. Significant correlations were also observed between achievement and perceived competence for academic ability. The two state anxiety measures were found to be highly correlated; however, trait anxiety was not statistically related to academic achievement in either math or literature. A moderate negative correlation was observed between perceived competence for academic ability and state anxiety for math and a somewhat lower correlation between perceived competence for academic ability and literature achievement. Males scored higher than females on the test of trait anxiety; however, females and males did not differ on any other anxiety or academic measures, including perceived competence for academic ability, math achievement, or literature achievement. Implications for future research are discussed.

The study explored the impact of the King and Queen of Mathematics Initiative (KQMI) in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics and improving their achievement. The specific objectives of the study focused on the impact of the initiative in promoting interest in mathematics, assessing the contribution of the initiative to students’ achievements and investigating challenges encountered by the initiative.

The study used a case study design with a mixed-method approach. One ward secondary school was involved. The sample size was N = 79, where 77 were grade three students in a science class and two teachers. Data collection involved documentary review, observation and interviews. Data analysis employed both content analysis and a dependent t-test to determine the effect size of the initiative.

The findings revealed that KQMI had a significant impact on improving performance in mathematics among students (t (71) = −7.917, p < 0.05). The study also showed that male students improved their performance more than their counterparts throughout the KQMI. The mathematics teacher revealed that students still need assistance to solve mathematical questions with different techniques to develop the expected competencies.

The initiative was conducted only in one school, limiting the findings’ generalization. Also, the innovation faced different challenges, such as accessing adequate resources and students with little knowledge of mathematics, which the initiative aimed to address.

Pedagogical innovations enhance the promotion of students’ interest in learning mathematics and hence improve their performance. Also, through pedagogical innovations, teachers improve their teaching skills and practices from students’ feedback.

The KQMI is a new pedagogical innovation modified from the existing innovations such as game-based method, task design, mobile learning and mathematics island.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between high school students' curricular positions, their perceptions of the quality of their teachers, and school academic process variables on students' growth rates and ending achievement in mathematics and science.

Multilevel latent curve modeling is used to examine students' growth trajectories using the National Longitudinal Educational Study data.

Within schools, both student curricular positions and perceptions of teacher quality affect growth and achievement. More positive student perceptions of their teachers ascending across course profiles are found. The effects of perceived teacher quality on growth rates and ending achievement, however, are more consequential for students in weaker academic profiles than in stronger profiles. Between schools, academic process variables also influence outcomes. For example, individuals in schools where students collectively pursue more math and science have significantly higher growth rates than individuals in schools where lower percentages of students take these courses.

The paper's measures of teacher quality and curricular differentiation only serve as proxy measures for more thorough information that can be collected about within‐school teacher and curricular processes.

The results imply that efforts to increase student achievement will have to attack individual (e.g. poverty; early educational experiences; and course taking) and organizational (i.e. school structural redesign, curricular, and instructional processes) fronts simultaneously.

This paper extends the discussion of how internal curricular differentiation and student perceptions about teacher quality may intersect to influence student growth trajectories within and between schools.

In this study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we investigated college students’ perceptions of their past experience of receiving one-to-one tutoring support in mathematics when they were in secondary school. In addition, we also explored students’ reasons for taking one-to-one tutoring in mathematics, the perceived impact of one-to-one tutoring in overcoming shortcomings of school mathematics teaching and on their mathematics achievement, and whether the learning environment at school influenced decisions about having one-to-one tutoring. Eight case-study students were involved in recalling how beneficial one-to-one tutoring was through semi-structured interviews. Because of the small sample size, the research involved only qualitative data based on the recollections of college students who were attending a one-year course in the General Education department of Abu Dhabi Men’s College. The research provided valuable insights into how some students considered having a one-to-one tutor beneficial for their achievement when they were in secondary school. Educators must consider students’ learning environment as being one of the main reasons for deciding whether or not to undertake one-to-one tutoring to raise their achievement in mathematics.

ﻓﻲ ھذه اﻟد را ﺳﺔ ﻓﻲ دوﻟ ﺔ ا ﻹﻣﺎ را ت اﻟ ﻌرﺑﯾﺔ اﻟ ﻣﺗ ﺣدة، د رﺳﻧﺎ ﺗ ﺻورا ت طﻼب اﻟ ﺟﺎ ﻣﻌﺎ ت ﻋن ﺗ ﺟرﺑﺗﮭم اﻟ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻘدﯾم د ﻋم ﺗﻌﻠﯾﻣ ﻲ ﻓ رد ي ﻓﻲ اﻟ رﯾﺎ ﺿﯾﺎ ت ﻋﻧدﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻧ وا ﻓﻲ اﻟ ﻣد رﺳﺔ اﻟﺛﺎﻧ وﯾﺔ. ﺑﺎ ﻹ ﺿﺎﻓﺔ إ ﻟ ﻰ ذ ﻟ ك ، ا ﺳ ﺗ ﻛ ﺷ ﻔ ﻧ ﺎ أ ﯾ ﺿً ﺎ أ ﺳ ﺑ ﺎ ب ا ﻟ ط ﻼ ب ﻹ ﺟ ر ا ء د ر و س ﻓ ر د ﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟر ﯾﺎ ﺿ ﯾﺎ ت ، وا ﻟﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر اﻟ ﻣﻠ ﺣو ظ ﻟﻠ د رو س اﻟﻔ ردﯾ ﺔ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺗ ﺣ ﺻ ﯾﻠ ﮭم ﻓ ﻲ اﻟر ﯾﺎ ﺿ ﯾﺎ ت ، وﻣ ﺎ إذا ﻛﺎﻧ ت ﺑﯾﺋﺔ اﻟﺗ ﻌﻠم ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ﻣد رﺳﺔ ﻗد أﺛ ر ت ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻟﻘ را را ت اﻟ ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠﻘﺔ ﺑﺎ ﻟ ﺣ ﺻ ول ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗد ر ﯾ ب ﻓ ر د ي . د ر س وا ﺣ د. ﺷ ﺎ ر ك ﺛ ﻣﺎﻧ ﯾ ﺔ ﻣ ن ط ﻼ ب د ر ا ﺳ ﺔ اﻟﺣ ﺎﻟ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﺗذﻛﯾ ر ﺑ ﻣد ى ﻓﺎﺋدة اﻟﺗد رﯾ س اﻟﻔ رد ي ﻣ ن ﺧﻼل ﻣ ﻘ ﺎ ﺑ ﻼ ت ﺷ ﺑ ﮫ ﻣ ﻧ ظ ﻣ ﺔ . ﻧ ظ رً ا ﻟ ﺻ ﻐ ر ﺣ ﺟ م ا ﻟ ﻌ ﯾ ﻧ ﺔ ، ﺗ ﺿ ﻣ ن ا ﻟ ﺑ ﺣ ث ﻓ ﻘ ط ﺑ ﯾ ﺎ ﻧ ﺎ ت ﻧ و ﻋ ﯾ ﺔ ا ﺳ ﺗ ﻧ ﺎ دًا إ ﻟ ﻰ ذ ﻛ ر ﯾ ﺎ ت ط ﻼ ب ا ﻟ ﺟ ﺎ ﻣ ﻌ ﺎ ت ا ﻟ ذ ﯾ ن ﺣ ﺿ ر و ا دو رة ﻣدﺗ ﮭﺎ ﻋﺎم وا ﺣد ﻓ ﻲ ﻗ ﺳم اﻟﺗ ﻌﻠﯾم اﻟ ﻌﺎم ﻓ ﻲ ﻛﻠﯾﺔ أﺑو ظ ﺑ ﻲ ﻟ ﻠ ط ﻼ ب . ﻗ د م ا ﻟ ﺑ ﺣ ث ر ؤ ى ﻗ ﯾّﻣ ﺔ ﺣ و ل ﻛﯾ ﻔﯾ ﺔ ﻧ ظر ﺑ ﻌ ض اﻟ طﻼب ﻓ ﻲ وﺟود ﻣد ر س وا ﺣد ﻣﻔﯾد ﻟﺗ ﺣﻘﯾﻘ ﮭم ﻋﻧدﻣ ﺎ ﻛﺎﻧ وا ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ﻣد رﺳﺔ اﻟﺛﺎﻧ وﯾ ﺔ. ﯾ ﺟ ب ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻟ ﻣﻌﻠ ﻣﯾ ن ا ﻋﺗﺑﺎ ر ﺑﯾﺋ ﺔ ﺗ ﻌﻠم اﻟ طﻼب وا ﺣدة ﻣ ن ا ﻷﺳﺑﺎ ب اﻟ رﺋﯾ ﺳﯾ ﺔ ﻟﺗ ﻘ ر ﯾ ر ﻣﺎ إ ذا ﻛﺎ ن ﯾ ﺟ ب ﻋ ﻠﯾﮭم إ ﺟ ر ا ء د ر و س ﻓ ر دﯾ ﺔ أ م ﻻ ﻟ ر ﻓ ﻊ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ و ى ﺗ ﺣ ﺻ ﯾﻠﮭم ﻓ ﻲ اﻟ ر ﯾﺎ ﺿ ﯾﺎ ت .

The general objective of this paper is to investigate the mathematics achievement of middle grade students in Pakistan. Specifically: to determine whether mathematics achievement varies systematically across students and schools; to what extent the mathematics curriculum and frameworks are implemented in schools; to what extent gender and location account for differences in mathematics achievement (at item and test scores levels); to what extent student demographics, home background, and homework variables predict mathematics achievement; to what extent schools' physical and academic resources predict mathematics achievement; and to what extent student‐ and school‐level variables interact to predict achievement indirectly.

The approach was to undertake a quantitative survey of 14,440 students from 770 schools across the country. The analytic strategy included item‐level Rasch analysis, DIF analysis across gender and regional location, and MLM analysis to test various student‐ and school‐level models.

Rasch analysis indicated that students were able to pass low‐rigour items requiring simple mathematical skills. The DIF analysis indicated that items favouring female students in either content domain belonged to knowledge of concepts to recall basic facts, terminologies, numbers, and geometric properties. Items favouring male students in either domain belonged to the problem solving level. MLM analysis revealed that at the student level, gender, location, and some home background and homework variables contributed towards mathematics achievement. At the school level, availability of learning resources and better physical facilities were found to be associated with increase in achievement scores.

Only a few major variables with policy and research implications were tested to keep the interpretations clear and simple. The next stage of this study could examine the more complex pattern of relationships and interactions among relationships for subgroups.

The study has implications for a review of the gender gap in school enrolment, the national curriculum for mathematics, homework policy, the role of regional languages as a medium of instruction in schools, the provision of school resources, and learning aids in schools.

The paper shows that the estimated models were successful in explaining the variation in average achievement in terms of proportion of variance explained and significance of estimates of the effects.

Social psychological perspectives on educational stratification offer explanations that bridge the macro and micro social worlds. However, while ethnoracial disparities in academic achievement are evident during the earliest grade levels, most social psychological research in this area has examined high school or college student samples and has used a black–white binary to operationalize race.

We use longitudinal structural equation models to examine links between academic self-efficacy beliefs and school performance among a national sample of diverse third- through eighth-grade students in the United States.

Contrary to hypotheses derived from the student identity literature, we find no evidence that elementary and middle school students from different ethnoracial backgrounds vary in the degree to which they selectively discount evaluative feedback in their academic self-efficacy construction, nor in the extent to which they demonstrate disrupted links between academic self-efficacy and subsequent academic performance.

The study examines the extent to which race-linked social psychological processes may be driving academic achievement inequalities during the primary schooling years.

Why do girls and women progressively opt out of maths‐related study and careers? This study aims to examine motivations influencing female adolescents' choices for maths participation during high school, which has implications for their long‐term careers.

Two longitudinal samples were included from different contexts – one from Sydney, Australia (N=459), and the other from Southeastern Michigan, USA (N=266). Both samples involved adolescents from upper middle‐class backgrounds, from coeducational government schools, and data in both settings were collected in the mid 1990s. Australian data spanned a three‐year period through grades 9 to 11; while the US sample spanned a five‐year period, with data from grades 8, 10, 11, and 12. The Expectancy‐Value model of Eccles (Parsons) et al., framed structural equation modelling analyses for the influences of maths ability‐related beliefs and values on boys' and girls' subsequent choices for senior high maths participation.

Boys selected higher levels of maths than girls in the Australian setting, although not in the US sample. There was no support for gendered maths achievement as a basis for gendered maths participation. Interest in and liking for maths were the strongest influence on the Australian adolescents' choices for maths participation, with ability beliefs also influencing choices over and above prior mathematical achievement. Ability‐related beliefs and different kinds of values also predicted adolescents' choices in the US sample, more strongly for girls than boys.

Interpretations and implications focus on ways to increase girls' and women's retention in the leaky maths pipeline.

Longitudinal data allow one to determine the extent to which different kinds of motivations predict boys' and girls' mathematical course‐taking through senior high school across Australian and US samples. This has implications for their long‐term careers.