Classroom Strategy Diversity and Student Growth in Early Mathematics: A Multigroup Latent Growth Analysis

• In Event: Divergent Methods to Study Topics in Mathematics Education

Abstract

The present study investigated the relations between classroom strategic diversity experience and early mathematics growth as students moved from preschool to kindergarten and first grade. The latent growth modeling analyses were applied to data from a large-scale experiment involving 1,305 children 106 classrooms. We found that (1) students’ trajectories were nonlinear, (2) trajectories differed in growth rate between the intervention conditions, and (3) specific patterns of classroom strategy diversity experience were associated with steeper student growth. Findings were consistent with previous work (supporting early diversity followed by guidance and pruning), but the identified associations differed in newly identified and theoretically relevant ways based on the intervention, with high-quality education reducing the need for later guidance in use of strategies.

Authors

• Yixiao Dong, University of Denver

• Douglas H. Clements, University of Denver

• Denis Dumas, University of Denver

• Julie Sarama, University of Denver

• Holland Windels Banse, University of Alabama

• Crystal A Day-Hess, University of Denver