Teacher Beliefs, Student Interest and Enjoyment In Mathematics, and Achievement Between 2019 and 2022

• In Event: Using NAEP Data to Understand Student Experiences and Achievement During the Pandemic

Abstract

Research suggests that teacher beliefs play a crucial role in fostering students’ positive attitudes toward learning mathematics and are closely linked to student mathematics achievement (Blackwell et al., 2007; Haimovitz & Dweck, 2017). Jussim and Harber (2005) found that teachers who believed in students' intellectual potential and valued effort had students with higher academic engagement and performance levels. Other research indicated that teachers with high expectations for their students' mathematical abilities tend to create a climate of high expectations in the classroom, motivating students to believe in their capabilities and work towards achieving their goals, leading to improved achievement (Blackwell et al., 2007). Teachers who believe that effort and perseverance are essential for success, rather than solely relying on innate ability, promote a growth mindset among students, which cultivates a positive attitude toward learning mathematics, encourages students to embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities for growth, eventually leading to improved achievement (Haimovitz & Dweck, 2017). These studies emphasize the importance of facilitating positive beliefs to promote student engagement, effort, and positive classroom behaviors, ultimately contributing to student success and achievement. However, the pandemic brought widespread disruptions to the educational systems, compelling many teachers to adapt quickly to remote teaching methods, address students’ social-emotional well-being (also their own) while dealing with learning loss, and emphasize the need for ongoing professional development, particularly in online teaching, technology integration, and social-emotional support.

The present study explores how teacher beliefs about students’ intelligence, effort, and classroom behavior relate to student interest and enjoyment in mathematics and achievement; and whether these beliefs changed because of the need to adapt to different teaching methods during the pandemic by using the 2019 and 2022 NAEP grade 8 mathematics assessment data with the associated teacher and student contextual questionnaires to investigate these relationships. The analyses included items from teacher questionnaires related to teacher beliefs about students’ intelligence, effort, and classroom behaviors, the student index variable related to student interest/enjoyment in mathematics, and demographic variables (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity) at the student level to explore possible group differences. The present study also included other student indices, variables of teacher preparation (i.e., highest degree earned) and experiences (i.e., years teaching the subject), school digital resources, and COVID-related questions to explore the relationships further. The findings from this study align with the current literature. Results between 2019 and 2022 show little to no change in teacher beliefs about students’ intelligence, effort, and classroom behavior.

Findings from this study provide crucial insights and a deeper understanding of how teacher beliefs relate to student interest/enjoyment in mathematics, mathematics achievement, and student demographics. There is a need to understand how teacher beliefs relate to student interest/enjoyment in mathematics and mathematics achievement with teacher characteristics (i.e., training, experiences), particularly for adolescents transitioning to high school with increasing cognitive demand and academic workload. Gaining this type of insight may help Institutes of Higher Education implement programs that better prepare the needs of pre-service and in-service educators, ultimately improving student achievement.

Authors

• Judy H. Tang, Westat

• Ingrid Fichtenberg, Westat

• Lisa Hamilton, Westat