ERIC Number: EJ1178000
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1029-8457
EISSN: N/A
Equity and Quality Mathematics Education within Schools: Findings from TIMSS Data for Ghana
Frempong, George
African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, v14 n3 p50-62 2010
In 2003, about 50 countries including Ghana participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This is the first time that Ghana has participated in an international mathematics assessment that has provided the reliable data to examine equity and the quality of mathematics education within schools in Ghana. In the TIMSS assessment, the average Ghanaian student scored 276 compared to the international average of 466. This paper employed a multilevel framework to explore the schooling processes that provide opportunities for Ghanaian students to successfully learn mathematics. My analysis indicates that there is a significant variation among schools in their students' mathematics outcomes. The most successful students are males with highly educated parents. These students have high academic expectation, like mathematics and are confident learning mathematics. They attend schools that are often located in towns but not in villages or remote areas. In these schools, the parents of students are highly educated, and the mathematics teachers do not frequently use calculators but often provide students the opportunity to explain their mathematical ideas. These findings demonstrate that efforts to improve the quality of mathematics education and ensure equity in mathematics outcomes would require a comprehensive and holistic approach involving students, parents, and teachers.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Equal Education, Educational Quality, Mathematics Education, Data Analysis, Achievement Tests, Elementary Secondary Education, International Assessment, Mathematics Achievement, Mathematics Tests, Science Achievement, Science Tests, Scores, Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Outcomes of Education, Gender Differences, Parent Background, Expectation, Student Attitudes, Self Efficacy, School Location, Holistic Approach
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ghana
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A