Students’ math self-concept and correlates: Some preliminary findings

Abstract

In Nov 2002, a research team in the National Institute of Education, NTU, launched a cross-discipline quasi-experimental study on “Positive Social Climate for Enhancing Students’ Math Self-concept”. Its main objective is to find the attributes (variables) in the social climate which are accountable for the increase of self-concept of Secondary Two students in the Math remedial classes in Singapore neighbourhood schools. Phase One of this study is Instrumentation: validating the scales used in the measurement of treatment effect. Phase Two is Intervention: the teachers’ / tutors’ interactions with students, the enhancement of students’ capabilities and confidence. These teachers / tutors will attend workshops conducted before the intervention in Phrase Two. The Pretest results will help identify students with high or low Math Self-concept. And the Posttest will help measure the effect of invention on these students’ Math Self-concept. Factors contributed to the significant changes will also be explored. H.W. Marsh’s Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ-II, 1990) and B. Fraser’s “What is happening in this Class?” questionnaire were validated together with the Motivational Orientation scale and Intellectual Achievement Responsibility (IAR) questionnaire in Phase One. More than 700 Secondary Two students from four neighbourhood schools took part in the survey. Some preliminary findings in Phase One of this study will be presented in this paper. Gender and course differences in Math Self-concept and other variables will also be discussed.