ERIC Number: EJ1105795
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2156-1400
EISSN: N/A
Place, Poverty, and Algebra: A Statewide Comparative Spatial Analysis of Variable Relationships
Hogrebe, Mark C.; Tate, William F.
Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, v3 n2 p12-24 Fall-Win 2012
Place matters in moderating variable relationships between algebra performance and educational variables because there are differences on the socioeconomic (SES) poverty-affluence continuum that shape local contexts. This article examines relationships between variables for school district demographic composition, teaching and financial contexts, student behavior variables, and Algebra I performance as measured by a statewide test aggregated at the district level. The purpose is to investigate how these relationships vary across 471 districts within a state using spatial mapping. Local R2's from geographically weighted regressions (GWR) are mapped using a geographic information system (GIS) to demonstrate variation in relationships across districts. Results show the importance of allowing relationships to "vary" between local contexts and that using a global measure of variable relationships based on aggregated data fails to capture important local variation. This analysis suggests that policy focused on addressing the influence of poverty on algebra performance should be targeted based on region specific models.
Descriptors: Place of Residence, Poverty, Algebra, Socioeconomic Influences, School Districts, Demography, Predictor Variables, Geographic Information Systems, Schematic Studies, Mathematics Achievement, Context Effect, High School Students, State Surveys, Comparative Analysis, Regression (Statistics)
Program in Mathematics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. 525 West 120th Street Box 210-M, New York, NY 10027. Web site: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/jmetc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Missouri
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A