A comparative study of chapter I sixth grade middle school students' attitudes and achievement in mathematics

This study compared the attitudes and achievement of Chapter I sixth grade middle school students. The total population of the county Chapter I sixth grade, one hundred thirteen students, participated in the study. Each student completed the Likert Attitude Scale Survey and the 1993 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) statewide achievement test. The attitude scale was administered by the researcher. The TCAP test was administered by the classroom mathematics teacher. Students were divided into five stanine groups (stanines one through five) depending on stanine scores on the 1993 TCAP test. Four questions were examined. (1.) The students in stanines three, four, and five revealed positive attitudes toward three of the statements whereas stanines one and two students revealed negative attitudes. On the remaining seventeen statements there were no overall differences. However, differences between stanine groups on the various items did result. (2.) Stanine one males revealed negative attitudes toward six of the statements whereas stanine one females were positive. Stanine three males were negative toward one statement whereas stanine three females were positive. Stanine four males revealed negative attitudes toward three of the statements and positive attitudes toward one statement whereas females were just the opposite toward these statements. Stanine five females revealed negative attitudes toward one statement whereas males were positive toward the statement. Overall, both males and females were positive toward mathematics. (3.) Lower SES stanine one students revealed positive attitudes toward five statements and negative attitudes toward three statements whereas middle SES stanine one had just the opposite attitudes toward these statements. Lower SES stanine two students revealed negative attitudes toward seven statements whereas middle SES stanine two students were positive toward these statements. Lower SES stanine three students revealed positive attitudes whereas middle SES stanine three students revealed negative attitudes toward one statement. Lower SES stanine four revealed negative attitudes whereas middle SES stanine four revealed positive attitudes toward two of the statements. Lower SES stanine five revealed negative attitudes whereas middle SES stanine five revealed positive attitudes toward three of the statements. Overall, lower and middle SES students revealed positive attitudes toward mathematics. However, lower SES stanine two students were leaning toward negitive attitudes towards mathematics. (4.) Students from single parent stanine one revealed negative attitudes whereas non-single parent students were positive toward seven statements. Single parent stanine two students were negative whereas non-single parent stanine two students were positive toward eleven statements. There were no differences for stanine three students. Single parent stanine four students were positive whereas non-single parent students were negative toward one statement. Single parent stanine five students were positive toward one statement and negative toward one statement whereas non-single parent students revealed just the opposite attitudes toward these statements. Overall, students from single parent stanines one and two revealed negative attitudes whereas students from non-single parent stanines one and two revealed positive attitudes toward mathematics. Students from stanines three, four, and five revealed positive attitudes. In all categories the students in stanine two marked "undecided" for approximately one-third of the statements. This could be due to the level of understanding of the students. They did not feel they understood the statements or could not interpret the words into their attitudes or feelings.