How Do Students From Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds Respond to Mathematics Instruction? An Exploration From Diverse School Settings

Understanding why low-income students consistently perform below their middle-income peers on achievement tests, particularly in mathematics, is an issue that has received no small amount of attention in recent years. This study contributes to this understanding by examining deeply the experiences and participation of 15 low-income students during mathematics lessons in six diverse fifth-classrooms. Using observations, transcripts of lessons, and interviews as a guide, the author concludes that the participation of low-income students in mathematics lessons is largely influenced by the classroom settings in which the students are housed. The low-income students who were surrounded primarily by other low-income students in their classrooms had very different experiences from their underserved peers in middle-income classrooms. These findings imply that classroom context---including the students in the classroom---can shape how mathematics is taught and how underserved students participate in that instruction.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Schleppenbach, Megan Renee

Contributors dc:contributor

• Perry, Michelle

• Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3363087

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/80104