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An Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted to Nova Southeastern
University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of
Philosophy
Mathematics Software and Achievement
on the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test
by
Patricia M. Deubel
July 2000
Mathematics has been the most difficult part of the Ohio Ninth Grade
Proficiency Test (ONGPT) for students to pass. Although the current test
measures achievement of basic skills that should have been acquired during the
K-8 experience, students, for the most part, have not mastered objectives tested
on the exam to the degree needed to pass. At the present time there is no
general consensus or recommendations among schools within the Ohio Department of
Education's Urban Schools Initiative about the use and effectiveness of software
to help students pass that test. This dissertation examined that issue.
Grade 8 mathematics, special education, and proficiency intervention teachers
(N =113) in 35 middle schools across 13 mid-sized districts in the Urban Schools
Initiative were surveyed. The survey addressed teacher beliefs on individual and
organizational factors related to classtime software use, what software was
used, how it was used, and software's instructional and technical merit for
proficiency test preparation. Research on standardized exams and the ONGPT,
mathematics achievement and educational technology, learning from software, and
factors relating to teacher technology beliefs and use supported the design of
the survey instrument and shed light on expected outcomes of the study.
Results indicated that administrative support, teacher instructional style,
their perceived priority of learning about computers and software, computer
availability and access, technical assistance, and software quality were
significant factors affecting teachers' decisions to use technology in their
instruction. The occasional use of software during class time had a
significant negative impact on students passing the test. Software's impact on
passing the test was positively significant for students who had not used
software during class time, but had used it in a proficiency intervention class
that met in addition to their regular math class.
The study includes information for over 50 mathematics software titles and
determined guidelines for valuable software. Implications of results are
discussed.
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