Date of Award
2-1-2025
Publication Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.Ed.
Department
Education
Keywords
Attitudes Toward Mathematics; Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect; large scale assessment; mathematics achievement; mathematics education; Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
Supervisor
Dragana Martinovic
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Using multilevel modeling, this study examined the relationship between attitudes toward mathematics (ATM) and mathematics achievement, while controlling for gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and class average SES, for Canadian grade 4 and grade 8 students using data from IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science 2019 study (TIMSS). Four separate samples, grade 4 Ontario, grade 8 Ontario, grade 4 Quebec, and grade 8 Quebec, were compared to determine the effect of different age groups and context (i.e., provinces/education system) on the relationship between ATM and mathematics achievement. Consistent with the hypothesis, individual level mathematics achievement positively predicted enjoyment, emotions, self-concept, and perceived value of mathematics, and negatively predicted boredom for both grade 4 and grade 8 students. However, class level achievement showed more complex relationships with different components of ATM. For grade 4 students, the class average mathematics achievement negatively predicted only self-concept, demonstrating the big-fish-little-pond-effect (BFLPE; Marsh & Parker, 1984). For grade 8, the class level mathematics achievement negatively predicted enjoyment, emotions, and self-concept, while positively predicted boredom, demonstrating not just a BFLPE but also a happy-fish-little-pond-effect (HFLPE; Pekrun et al., 2023). A significant gender gap was also found; male students had higher enjoyment, emotions, and self-concept than female students across samples. The relationship between individual and class average SES and ATM showed inconsistent trends but, broadly, individual and class average SES did not influence ATM. One way to enhance mathematics achievement in an equitable approach is to improve ATM in the classroom. These findings have implications for both individual classroom instructions (and therefore teacher education programs) and board-level policies regarding mathematics instructions.
Recommended Citation
Langton, Sylvia Nam-Hee, "Evaluating the association between attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievements using multilevel modeling: A comparison of TIMSS 2019 scores for fourth and eighth grade students in Ontario and Quebec" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 9664.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/9664