A study of subsequent mathematical outcomes for students taught Algebra I using 'Algebra I: A Process Approach'

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the achievement of students who were instructed using Algebra I: A Process Approach in Algebra I to determine if they performed better in Algebra I, Geometry, and/or Algebra II than traditionally taught students. The research hypothesis stated that students would perform better in all three courses as a result of the Process instructional approach.;Process approaches to algebra instruction proceed from a research-based problem solving perspective. The technique promotes the development of inquiry and problem solving processes and the ability to internalize algebraic ideas and to generalize concepts.;This quasi-experimental study involved 357 Algebra I students in a large metropolitan school system (;The Process method was the independent variable. North Carolina End-of-Course Tests were the dependent measures of student achievement and the North Carolina Eighth Grade End-of-Grade Tests in Mathematics and Reading and the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test were covariates.;Analyses done using repeated MANCOVA and ANCOVA procedures revealed a statistically significant difference (alpha = 0.05) in Algebra I achievement for students who were taught using the Process method. No statistically significant differences for the students who had been taught using the Process method in Algebra I were found in their subsequent performance in Geometry or Algebra II. Investigation of the covariates found that only the North Carolina Eighth Grade End-of-Grade Mathematics test was a good predictor of student achievement as measured by the North Carolina End-of-Course tests in mathematics. Gender, race, and free and reduced lunch status were not determined to be significant factors relative to student achievement for students in this study, but the limited number of students in all three of these categories should be considered before drawing conclusions relative to either of the three.