Coasting and Crashing: Syllogisms Within Narratives of Hyperaccelerated Algebra I

• In Event: 81.032 - MTCC Roundtable Session 37
  In Roundtable Session: 81.032-10 - Who Is Good at Mathematics? Conceptions in Classrooms and Popular Culture

Abstract

Increasing numbers of students are hyper-accelerating their study of Algebra I to Grade 7 or earlier to increase their competitiveness for college admissions, yet there is a lack of empirical evidence of the academic and socioemotional needs of young students striving to master advanced mathematics in middle and high school. This narrative inquiry layers three distinct yet complementary methodologies to interpret the longitudinal mathematics experiences of five recent high school International Baccalaureate program graduates pursuing STEM majors. Their stories of competitiveness, coasting, and crashing in the pursuit of conceptual understanding become identity as narrative. Their descriptions of evolving notions of smartness and success in mathematics can inform policy and practice in hyper-accelerated Algebra I contexts.

Authors

• Terrie McLaughlin Galanti, George Mason University

• Meagan Call-Cummings, George Mason University