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1. Adabor, James Kofi. An Investigation into Elementary School Teachers' and High School Mathematics Teachers' Attitudes Towards the Use of Calculators in Mathematics Instruction and Learning: A Study of Selected Schools in Ghana.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2008, Ohio University

► Ghana's educational reforms have not brought the much needed results in terms… (more)

▼ Ghana's educational reforms have not brought the much needed results in terms of the national objective of preparing its manpower potential to meet the growing demands of the national economy. Ghana's adoption of the new educational system has led to a reduction by five years of pre-university education compared to the old system. Consequently, there is enormous pressure on high school mathematics teachers to cover school syllabi but this has not been too successful.In 1993, 16% of the first group of 42,105 students who sat for the core mathematics in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations got grades A through E. It appeared there was improvement in mathematics instruction and learning. However, the low standards of mathematics performance became clear on the international scene when Ghana ranked 44 out of 45 countries that participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science and Study (TIMSS). Calculator use has not been encouraged despite the strong research evidence of the positive impact of calculators in instruction and learning. The successful adoption of instructional tools such as calculators depends to a certain extent on teacher attitudes. Using the AIM-AT 4-point Likert scale, 179 elementary teachers and high school mathematics teachers were studied to determine their attitudes towards the use of calculators. Two supplementary open-ended questions on the benefits and setbacks of the use of calculators were included. An overall mean of 2.460 indicated that Ghanaian teachers' attitude was somewhat neutral or slightly positive towards calculator use. Most teachers (84%) believed that students should learn how to use a calculator; however 80% of the teachers wanted students to master concepts or procedures before being allowed to use the calculator. Ghanaian teachers declared that they do not teach with calculators currently yet they knew ways they could use calculators effectively in the classroom. High school mathematics teachers' mean attitudes towards the use of calculators were more favorable than elementary teachers' attitudes. There was no gender effect and no interaction effect. The study concluded with the recommendation that public awareness of the importance of calculators should be enhanced. Advisors/Committee Members: Johanson, George A.

Subjects: Mathematics education; Secondary education; Teaching; Technology

Keywords: Calculator; attitiudes; elementary teachers; high school mathematics teachers; attitudes towards calculators

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2. Alsaeed, Maha Saad. Teacher Knowledge That Supports Student Processes in Learning Mathematics: A Study at All-Female Middle Schools in Saudi Arabia.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2012, Ohio University

► Teachers in Saudi Arabia are attempting to advance their teaching in mathematics… (more)

▼ Teachers in Saudi Arabia are attempting to advance their teaching in mathematics to address specific reforms by the Ministry of Education. Saudi teachers must improve their students' thinking through engagement in problem solving. This qualitative study investigated how teachers use knowledge of student mathematical learning and how they promote students' experiences of various mathematical processes. The research investigated the process standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) that teachers should encourage students to experience during instruction. The study gathered data from 12 teachers at female-only middle schools in a city in eastern Saudi Arabia. The investigation used, in sequence, three methods: classroom observations, initial interviews, and scenario-based interviews. The observations used Instructional Quality Assessment rubrics (Boston and Wolf, 2006) and field notes. The initial interviews linked to the observations and asked teachers about their instructional philosophy and how they supported student learning processes. Delving deeper, the scenario-based interviews helped the researcher to understand how the teachers might respond to novel mathematics teaching situations. Most of the findings related to the process of problem solving. The participants overtly guided students while solving problems. Teachers perceive that discovery problem solving can be achieved through gradual hints and reminders to the students. Saudi teachers appear to understand the power of various features of problem solving such as discovery, high-level tasks, and encouraging multiple solutions. Further, the study revealed that teachers encourage students' verbal and written expression. The participants believed that their students can be taught about mathematical connections in a declarative way. The observed and indicated problem-solving approaches lack many of the necessary features cited in the literature on promoting students' mathematical processes and supporting students' understanding of mathematics. The teachers' declarative approaches for helping students form mathematical connections do not align with practices cited in research literature and reform documents, which recommend engaging students in mathematical activities that allow them to think of and experience mathematical connections. An important interpretation of the findings is that teachers in Saudi Arabia tend to avoid students' struggling while solving complex problems even if such struggle could deepen their mathematical thinking and learning. Advisors/Committee Members: Foley, Gregory.

Subjects: Teacher Education

Keywords: Teachers' knowledge of student mathematical learning; NCTM mathematics processes; Middle school Teachers' in Saudi Arabia; Teaching in Saudi Arabia; Scenario-based interview; IQA; Qualitative research in Saudi Arabia; knowledge about students' learning

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3. Blom, Valerie N. An Investigation of the Relationship between Mathematics Textbook Alignment Preferences, Mathematics Beliefs, Professional Development, Attention to the NCTM Standards, and Teaching Experience.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2009, Ohio University

► This study examined the relationship between a teachers’ degree of agreement with… (more)

▼ This study examined the relationship between a teachers’ degree of agreement with Standards-based mathematics textbook characteristics (textbook alignment preferences) and influencing factors. Cluster sampling was utilized to obtain a sample of K-6 teachers from Ohio to respond to a 60 item web-based survey. A return rate of 48% was realized with 273 completed surveys suitable for analysis. Responses to the 24 items that constituted teachers’ degree of agreement with Standards-based mathematics textbook characteristics represented the dependent variable, textbook alignment preferences. Beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics, emphasis of professional development, hours of professional development, years of teaching experience, and level of attention to the NCTM Standards represented the independent variables. Data were analyzed using descriptive methods, regression methods, and factor analysis. Eighty-four percent of the teachers did not disagree (mean score was neutral or agreed) with the characteristics of Standards-based textbooks while less than one-fourth agreed. Additionally, teachers’ beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics were close to agreement with those espoused by the NCTM Standards. Seventy-three percent of the participants reported teachers in their school had implemented the Standards in their teaching and about half reported being able to explain the Standards and that they had been thoroughly discussed in their school. Participation in professional development activities was found to be relatively low for this sample of teachers. A significant regression model where textbook alignment preferences were predicted by mathematics beliefs, prior number of years of teaching experience, emphasis of professional development, hours of professional development, and teacher attention to the NCTM Standards was constructed. The statistically significant predictors for this model were mathematics beliefs and prior number of years of teaching experience. The 24-item scale of textbook alignment preferences, where the items represented differences between traditional and Standards-based mathematics textbooks was factor analyzed. Parallel analysis indicated a four-factor solution. One factor represented characteristics of traditional textbooks and another represented characteristics of Standards-based textbooks. The third factor represented technology characteristics of textbooks. The last factor represented structure of mathematics topics among textbooks. Also, a two-factor solution was explored since the items for this scale represented traditional and Standards-based textbooks. Most characteristics loaded on the appropriate factor (traditional (10 out of 12) and Standards-based (10 out of 12)). For the remaining items, three did not meet the loading criteria and one item loaded on the other type of factor. Overall, the factor analysis indicated that there is evidence of construct validity for this scale. Advisors/Committee Members: Johanson, George.

Subjects: Mathematics education

Keywords: Mathematics Textbooks; Mathematics Beliefs; Professional Development, Years of Teaching Experience; NCTM Standards

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4. Britt, Deborah Betthauser. Retired Rural Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Perspectives of Reform.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2011, Ohio University

► This study examined reform and change perspectives of retired rural secondary mathematics… (more)

▼ This study examined reform and change perspectives of retired rural secondary mathematics teachers in a North Carolina Appalachian community, giving voice to rural mathematics teachers. The investigation is inherently rural because of the nature of the place involved. The study emphasized tensions between reform efforts involving local, state, and national policy. The careers of the participants spanned the period from just prior to the 1957 Soviet Sputnik launch through 2002. This qualitative study involved ethnographic interview methods. Phenomenological-based interviews combined life histories with focused in-depth interviewing using open-ended questions designed to explore participant responses. The study employed a critical analysis approach to identify themes of change; to view the way change evolved; and to analyze interpretations of the mathematics teachers within a single county school system. Emphasizing contextual analysis, the study included historical documents as well as a limited number of individual interviews and participant journals. The data revealed three themes of change considered significant by the participants: (a) outside intrusions, (b) treading community boundaries, and (c) understanding and misunderstanding mathematics. Underlying teacher beliefs in the defense of community, the nature of mathematics, and the common good contributed to data interpretation. Understanding the teachers' perspectives through their lenses of beliefs and their community contexts proved critical to the analysis. The teachers' perceptions of change depended on their underlying beliefs in the community. Preserving the good of the community evolved as a dominant theme. Decisions made by the rural teachers involved community benefit, which was often of more significance than individual benefit. The mathematics teachers seldom initiated major changes. They were most willing to change when student benefits were clear and when change did not conflict with community values and individual beliefs. Advisors/Committee Members: Johanson, George.

Subjects: Mathematics Education; Secondary Education

Keywords: rural; teacher voice; reform; secondary mathematics; mathematics; teacher perspective; education

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5. Dogbey, Godwin Yao. Attitudes of Community College Developmental Students toward Mathematics and Their Perception of Mathematically Intensive Careers.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2010, Ohio University

► This study investigated the attitudes toward mathematics of developmental students in six… (more)

▼ This study investigated the attitudes toward mathematics of developmental students in six community colleges from a large Midwestern state in the United States. The perception of the students regarding mathematically intensive careers was also analyzed. A Web-based survey was conducted during the winter and spring of 2009. Two colleges were selected to represent each of the locale characterizations—rural, suburban, and urban. Student attitudes toward mathematics were measured using seven of the nine domains of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS). Three additional questions were used to gauge perceptions of mathematically intensive careers. These three questions elicited perception in terms of importance, reward, and the intention of pursuing a mathematically intensive career. The study found that generally community college developmental mathematics students showed fairly positive attitudes toward mathematics. The domains in which they showed highly positive attitudes were male domain and success; and slightly positive attitudes in teacher and usefulness. However, their attitudes were indifferent or mixed with regard to confidence, anxiety, and motivation. There was no statistically significant difference in the attitudes of developmental mathematics students in community colleges across locale or by gender. A statistically significant association was found among locale, socioeconomic status (using household income as a proxy), and ethnicity. Attendance status was the only demographic variable that statistically predicted perception of mathematically intensive careers. Full-time students are about 2.5 times more likely than part-time students to have a high perception of mathematically intensive careers. Other supplementary results were obtained as follows: Overall attitude positively correlates significantly with the perception of mathematically intensive careers. For urban males only, age positively correlates with perception of mathematically intensive careers. There was no statistically significant difference in overall attitude for those enrolled in basic, pre-algebra, and intermediate developmental mathematics. There were statistically significant associations among the three items that gauged developmental students' perceptions of mathematically intensive careers. Developmental students who reported ever thinking of pursuing a mathematically intensive career had higher average attitudes (except on male domain) than those who did not ever think of pursuing one. Advisors/Committee Members: Foley, Gregory D.

Subjects: Educational evaluation; Mathematics education; Statistics; Teacher education

Keywords: Attitudes toward mathematics; Mathematically intensive careers; Community college developmental mathematics students; Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); Fennema-Sherman mathematics attitude scale (FSMAS); MANOVA; Logistic regression

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6. Er, SÄ±dÄ±ka Nihan. Perceptions of High School Mathematics Teachers Regarding the 2005 Turkish Curriculum Reform and Its Effects on Students' Mathematical Proficiency and Their Success on National University Entrance Examinations.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2012, Ohio University

► In Turkey, the secondary mathematics curriculum, students' mathematical proficiency, and their preparation… (more)

▼ In Turkey, the secondary mathematics curriculum, students' mathematical proficiency, and their preparation for the university entrance examinations are inextricably connected. The Ministry of National Education adopted a new curriculum in 2005 that was built on constructivist theory. This study explored the perceptions of high school mathematics teachers in Turkey regarding the effects of this new curriculum on students' mathematical proficiency and students' success on the examinations. Specifically, this study investigated two issues: • the perceptions of teachers regarding the reform and its impact on students' mathematical proficiency and their success on national university entrance examinations, and • the differences among those perceptions across types of schools and years of teaching experience. This exploratory investigation concurrently used a survey and interviewed teachers at Anatolian, general, and science high schools. The researcher designed and tested the survey and disseminated it to 162 teachers from 59 of the 81 provinces in Turkey. In addition, 18 teachers were interviewed: 9 from each of two provinces and 6 from each of the three types of schools. The researcher conducted three factorial analyses of variance and several follow-up tests to address the research questions, and analyzed the results using constuctivist theory as a framework. Teachers' perceptions of the reformed curriculum and its impact on students' mathematical proficiency were about the same regardless of school type or teaching experience. The teachers indicated that the main obstacles to implementation are lack of time, large class sizes, an unchanged university entrance examination system, and insufficient professional development. Overall, teachers' perceptions about the impact of the curriculum reform on students' success on university entrance examinations were slightly negative. Teachers perceived that the educational and examination systems conflict with each other and that students who attend different types of schools require different curricula. The researcher recommends that entrance examinations be changed to align with the constructivist approach, that distinct curricula be designed and implemented that are suitable for each type of school, and that targeted professional development programs be developed. There is a need for further research related to the improvement of secondary school curriculum, assessment, and their implementation. Advisors/Committee Members: Foley, Gregory.

Subjects: Curriculum Development; Education; Mathematics Education; Secondary Education

Keywords: Turkish curriculum; mathematics curriculum; Turkish secondary education; constructivism; university entrance examination; mathematical proficiency; Turkish high school mathematics; teacher perception; curriculum reform; mathematics curriculum reform

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7. Feldhaus, C. Adam. How Mathematical Disposition and Intellectual Development Influence Teacher Candidates' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching in a Mathematics Course for Elementary School Teachers.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2012, Ohio University

► Several prominent educators cite developing mathematical proficiency as the primary goal of… (more)

▼ Several prominent educators cite developing mathematical proficiency as the primary goal of to mathematics education at all levels, and the RAND Mathematics Study Panel included developing teachers' mathematical competence as a key to improving mathematics education. To accomplish these goals, many colleges and universities require elementary school teacher candidates to complete one or more courses in the foundations of elementary school mathematics. Although there have been several studies on the mathematical development of prospective teachers in school settings, there have been far fewer studies focusing on teacher candidates' mathematical development in mathematics for elementary school teachers (MEST) courses. This dissertation was a case study of how teacher candidates learn mathematics while enrolled in such a course. Specifically, the investigation focused on the mathematical experiences of five teacher candidates enrolled in a first quarter MEST course in number and operation concepts at a large Midwestern university. This research examined how their participation in this course influenced the teacher candidates' mathematical knowledge for teaching within the context of (a) their mathematical disposition and (b) their intellectual development. This study used Ball's framework mathematical knowledge for teaching, Perry's theory of intellectual development, and an adaptation to the National Research Council's definition of productive disposition toward mathematics. By the end of MEST 1, each participant increased their understanding of the algorithms they used to solve mathematical tasks, improved their reasoning about the mathematical principles they used when applying algorithms, and became more flexible in their problem-solving strategies. Each participant began to view mathematics as a logical and understandable discipline. This realization improved the mathematical dispositions of participants with relatively unproductive initial dispositions as they came to see mathematics as something they could understand, and lowered the mathematical dispositions of participants with relatively productive initial dispositions as they came to see mathematics as more complicated than they previously thought. With regard to mathematical intellectual development, each participant began the course thinking of mathematics as a purely dualistic subject, and four participants ended the course viewing mathematics from a multiplistic position. Advisors/Committee Members: Foley, Gregory.

Subjects: Mathematics Education

Keywords: mathematics education; elementary school matheamtics; mathematical disposition

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8. Khoshaim, Heba Bakr. Academic Mathematicians' Dispositions Toward Software Use in Mathematics Instruction: What Are the Underlying Reasons?.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2012, Ohio University

► Academic mathematicians’ opinions are divided regarding software use in undergraduate mathematics instruction.… (more)

▼ Academic mathematicians’ opinions are divided regarding software use in undergraduate mathematics instruction. This study explored these opinions through interviews and a subsequent survey of mathematicians at PhD-granting institutions in the United States regarding their dispositions and the underlying attitudes. Most prior related work had focused on mathematicians who used software in teaching, thus ignoring skeptics and critics. This investigation studied the full range of views. The research questions were â€¢ What are academic mathematicians’ dispositions toward software integration in undergraduate mathematics classrooms? â€¢ What are the reasons underlying academic mathematicians’ dispositions toward software integration in undergraduate mathematics classrooms? An exploratory sequential research design built, expanded, and tested a model to explain mathematicians’ dispositions toward software use in undergraduate instruction. This model subsumed Fishbein and Ajzen’s attitude framework. The researcher reviewed anecdotal evidence, published opinions, related theories, and research results to add to this framework, thus building an initial model. Next, interview data were used to expand the model, and the data and expanded model served as bases to develop a survey instrument. Using a sample of mathematicians from 50 PhD-granting institutions, survey data tested the factors in the expanded model. The interview data and the survey data were triangulated with the reviewed literature to refine the model to include factors that emerged as the underlying reasons for the use or nonuse of software. The triangulation process suggests that most mathematicians have a moderate and somewhat skeptical attitude toward software use in teaching. Small numbers of mathematicians either strongly oppose or strongly support software use across undergraduate instruction. Most mathematicians value the benefits of software but are concerned about its potential harm and prefer traditional instructional methods. The interviews identified 8 factors and 16 subfactors that contribute to mathematicians’ attitudes regarding software use. Among these, the triangulation process suggests that software characteristics, perceived effect on learning, and instructor’s personality were the three most influential factors. Among the remaining factors, students’ level, students’ major, instructor’s educational background, and teaching background were supported. In addition, there were inconsistent results with regard to institution and research interest as factors, which may warrant future investigation. Advisors/Committee Members: Foley, Gregory.

Subjects: Education; Educational Software; Educational Technology; Higher Education; Mathematics; Mathematics Education

Keywords: Mathematics Teaching; Mathematical Software; Using software in mathematics instruction; Undergraduate mathematics classrooms; Mathematicians' attitude; Mathematicians' dispositions; Mathematicians' opinions about software use

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9. Nichols, Suzanne D. Perception and Implementation of the Ohio Academic Content and Process Standards for Mathematics among Middle School Teachers.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2010, Ohio University

► This dissertation describes findings of a qualitative study using a grounded theory… (more)

▼ This dissertation describes findings of a qualitative study using a grounded theory methodology to explore teacher perceptions and implementation of the Ohio Academic Content Standards for Mathematics. Teachers who have knowledge of the Standards and have participated in professional development that builds on that knowledge do not always teach in a way that is indicative of standards-based instruction. This study examines the disconnect between teachers' espoused beliefs about standards-based instruction and what students eventually experience in their classroom. Classroom practice of twelve teachers was explored through interviews, observations, and surveys of lesson plans and assessments. Not all teachers in this study had a thorough understanding of the Standards. For many, standards-based instruction meant teaching the Standards. The Standards involved mathematics content with little or no attention paid to the mathematical process standards. For many, Standards were a checklist of unitized grade-level indicators teachers were responsible for teaching, and the teachers' effectiveness in teaching this checklist could be evaluated based on students' test scores on standardized tests. Teachers' perception of their role and responsibilities could be categorized into three distinct groups- performance, compliance, and resistance- with each group having a differing perception made up of a compilation of ideas about the Standards, testing, teacher beliefs, and practice. Regardless of teacher perception, teachers' decisions about classroom practice were purposeful. Teachers taught in a way they believed to be most likely to bring about desired results. Levels of teacher efficacy were associated with their success at achieving those desired results. Foundationally, teachers believed that their responsibility to students was based upon what was fundamental to their job. Some teachers approached teaching mathematics from a school mathematics perspective in which school mathematics was of the utmost importance. Their job was to prepare students to understand mathematics on a deeper, conceptual level in order to build a foundation for the mathematics students would encounter throughout life and, more immediately, throughout future mathematics course. Other teachers approached teaching mathematics from an assessed curriculum perspective in which teaching mathematics standards in order to prepare students to achieve at acceptable levels on high-stakes tests was their job. Advisors/Committee Members: Johanson, George.

Subjects: Mathematics education

Keywords: mathematics; standards; mathematics reform; middle school; teacher practice; implementation; perceptions

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10. Regan, Blake B. The Relationship Between State High School Exit Exams and Mathematical Proficiency: Analyses of the Complexity, Content, and Format of Items and Assessment Protocols.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2012, Ohio University

► This study examined the relationship between high school exit exams and mathematical… (more)

▼ This study examined the relationship between high school exit exams and mathematical proficiency. With the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act requiring all students to be proficient in mathematics by 2014, it is imperative that high-stakes assessments accurately evaluate all aspects of student achievement, appropriately set the yardstick by which students will be measured, and clearly communicate these expectations to teachers and administrators. As states across the country transition to the Common Core State Standards, a key goal of this research was to provide current mathematics assessment information for the two consortia charged with the responsibility of creating assessments aligned to these new standards for mathematics. With this goal in mind, the researcher collected assessment data from Massachusetts’s, Minnesota’s, and Ohio’s high school exit exams. These states were selected based upon their use of a comprehensive exit exam to evaluate student readiness for graduation. For each exam, the researcher determined which complexity level, which content strand, and which item format best predicts student proficiency classification. He then critically evaluated each exam based upon its protocol and the National Research Council’s definition of mathematical proficiency. Results indicated that no single complexity level, content strand, or item format had the best predictive power for all of the exams. The results indicated that the greatest amount of variation in items’ predictive power occurred across complexity level and the least amount of variation occurred across content strand. In addition, the selected exams were found to appropriately assess mathematical proficiency with the following exceptions: (a) they did not meet Norman L. Webb’s six-item criterion for categorical concurrence requirements for each complexity-by-content strand category, and (b) two of the four assessments were deemed to have misclassified some students as proficient because the cut score was set too low to require students to earn points from the full range of desirable mathematical behaviors. Results from this study reinforce the idea that exams that intend to assess mathematical proficiency should be designed appropriately and implemented with attention to detail in order to do so. In particular, categorical concurrence and cut score emerged as two critical factors in such assessments. Advisors/Committee Members: Foley, Gregory.

Subjects: Education; Mathematics Education

Keywords: Mathematics Education; Assessment; Mathematical Proficiency; High-stakes testing

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11. Zelkowski, Jeremy S. Important Secondary Mathematics Enrollment Factors that Influence the Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree.

Degree: PhD, Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics Education (Education), 2008, Ohio University

► This dissertation focused on strengthening, clarifying, and extending the importance of secondary… (more)

▼ This dissertation focused on strengthening, clarifying, and extending the importance of secondary mathematics education. Clifford Adelman, in his 1999 and 2006 Toolbox research, demonstrated a strong connectionbetween the secondary mathematics courses completed in high school and the odds of a student completing a bachelor's degree. Three additional variables, early entry to algebra (before grade nine), continuous enrollment in secondary mathematics, and secondary mathematics intensity level (MIL) were included in an effort to more carefully study the importance of secondary mathematics for the prototypical college bound student. These three variables, in addition to Adelman's highest mathematics course completed in high school and his constructed overall academic intensity variable from Carnegie credits earned, were analyzed while controlling for 12th grade socioeconomic status and 8th grade math proficiency. Logistic regression was used with data from the National Center for Education Statistics' National Education Longitudinal Study. NELS was conducted from 1988 to 2000. These data provided a rich and large sample size of students with secondary and post-secondary transcripts for this study. The results of the data analysis confirmed Adelman's findings. Further, continuous enrollment in secondary mathematics education emerged as important, if not more important, than the completion of a specific secondary mathematics course for students seeking a bachelor's degree during their post-secondary education. The secondary mathematics intensity level (MIL) significantly increased the odds of bachelor degree completion. The MIL variable was constructed from available NELS variables related to secondary mathematics for each student. The MIL results indicate that secondary mathematics teachers should increase student expectations and classroom intensity in an effort to raise students' odds of bachelor degree completion. Finally, the results of this study in conjunction with Adelman's results solidify the importance of secondary mathematics as a most important variable to increasing the odds of bachelor degree completion. State departments of education and higher education commissions should consider the results from this study as they move forward regarding secondary mathematics policies. Contains 20 tables and 5 figures. Advisors/Committee Members: Johanson, George A.

Subjects: Academic guidance counseling; Educational theory; Higher education; Mathematics education; Secondary education; Teacher education

Keywords: bachelor degree attainment; secondary mathematics; mathematics intensity level; high school college bridge; teacher education; college preparation; mathematics education; higher education

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