Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
1978
School/College
College of Education (COE)
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Abstract
The problem of this study was to investigate answers to these questions: (1) How do the performances of urban and suburban elementary teachers compare on the test of (a) mathematical competency, and (b) mathematical attitude? (2) Is there any relationship between mathematical attitude and competency scores? The research involved 186 urban and 166 suburban elementary school teachers employed by the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Data were collected through: (1) A personal data sheet completed by each participant to obtain background information. (2) A Revised Test for Elementary Mathematics Understandings (RTEMU) developed by Gibney, Ginther, and Pigge (1970) and then revised by the investigator of this study to measure the basic mathematical competencies possessed by elementary school teachers. (3) A Revised Mathematics Attitude Scale (RMAS) developed by Aiken and Dreger (1957) to measure teachers' attitude toward mathematics. The tests for independent samples were used to determine if there were significant differences in attitudes and competency scores (by sub-area and total) between urban and suburban elementary teachers at .OS level of confidence. Also, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients were used to determine if relationships existed between mathematical attitude and competency scores (total) within urban and suburban teachers at .OS level of confidence. There were no significant differences in attitudes and competency scores (sub-area and total) between urban and suburban teachers within these categories: (a) Sex, (b) Highest degree earned, (c) Grade level preference, (d) Race, and (e) Urban-Suburban. Also, there were no significant differences within these categories: (a) Three - 5 and 6 - 10 years of teaching experience, and (b) Language Arts, Mathematics and Social Science as subjects of teaching preference. There were significant differences in attitudes and competency scores (sub-area and total) between urban and suburban teachers within these categories: (a) Zero - 2 and 11 and above years of teaching experiences, in favor of suburban teachers, and (b) Science as a subject of teaching preference, in favor of suburban teachers. There were positive significant relationships between attitudes and competency scores (sub-area and total) for these groups of (1) urban teachers: (a) 11 and above years of teaching experience, (b) Bachelor's degree, (c) Kindergarten and 5-6 grade level teaching preference, and (d) White teachers. (2) Suburban teachers: (a) Three - 5, 6-10, and 11 and above years of teaching experience, (b) Language Arts and Mathematics as subjects of teaching preference, (c) Bachelor's degree, (d) Three - 4 as grade levels of teaching preference, (e) among White and Mexican American teachers, and (f) among female teachers. There were no significant relationships between attitudes and competency scores (sub-area and total) for these groups of urban and suburban teachers: (a) Zero - 2, 3-5 and 6-10 years of teaching experience, (b) Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Science as subjects of teaching preference, (c) Master's degree, (d) One - 2 and 3-4 as grade levels of teaching preference, (e) Black and Mexican-American teachers, and (f) Male and female teachers. The following conclusions and recommendations were drawn from this study:
(1) Considering the delimitations and limitations inherent in the research, the results seem to indicate that no significant difference exists in attitude and mathematical competency between urban and suburban elementary school teachers. (2) Both urban and suburban elementary school teachers had difficulties in working problems in the structural properties. Further research is needed to determine whether there is significant difference between the attitude and mathematical competency of in-service elementary school teachers with that of their students including those from other school districts.
Recommended Citation
Okech, Jack Green, "A Comparative Analysis of Mathematical knowledge and Mathematical Attitude Between Urban and Suburban Elementary School Teachers." (1978). Dissertations (Pre-2016). 63.
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/pre-2016_dissertations/63