Is the Mean Enough? Learning More About Teacher and Student Interactions in Math From Consensus in Students' Reports of Teaching Practice

• In Event: Division C Section 1C: Promoting Success in Mathematics Education

Abstract

Student surveys and questionnaires can give valuable information about school experiences. Frequently, responses are aggregated at the school or classroom level, focusing on the group average, treating any dispersion as “noise” or measurement error, but a deeper look into the levels of consensus may reveal more about math classroom environments. The present study analyzes whether the level of consensus in reports of math teacher practice varies according to school and student characteristics and whether consensus is associated with math achievement. The results indicate that some school characteristics (rurality and school type), and classroom characteristics (gender and income status) are linked to levels of consensus. In general, higher levels of consensus are also associated with higher math achievement.

Author

• Maria-Paz Fernandez, University of California - Los Angeles