An ecological approach to adolescent mathematics ability development: differences in demographics, parenting, mathematics teaching, and student behaviors and emotions

ABSTRACT

This study used an ecological approach to studying adolescent mathematics ability development by classifying their mathematics ability growth trajectories and examining contextual measures differentiating the identified classes. Longitudinal student and parent data were collected for Taiwanese students in Grades 7, 9, 11, and 12 (n = 4,163). Growth mixture modelling identified 4 growth classes: low-increase, middle-flat, middle-increase, and high-increase. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that girls’ mathematics ability improved and that boys started as middle or high mathematics achievers. Moreover, mathematics ability related to socioeconomic status and academic programmes, persistent parental monitoring related to desirable ability development, and student-perceived teaching quality related to student ability. High-increase students reduced their engagement in leisure activities when preparing for examinations, but they felt little mathematics frustration, whereas the opposite was true for low-increase students.

KEYWORDS:

• Demographics
• growth mixture modelling
• mathematics ability
• mathematics teaching
• parenting
• TEPS

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST 108-2511-H-004-002). The funder only provides financial support and does not substantially influence the entire research process, from study design to submission. The authors are fully responsible for the content of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan [MOST 108-2511-H-004-002].

Notes on contributors

Mei-Shiu Chiu

Mei-Shiu Chiu received a B. A. and an M. A. Degree in Education from National Taiwan Normal University and completed her doctoral study at the Faculty of Education, Cambridge University, UK. Her research interests focus on interactions between emotion/affect, cognition, and culture for diverse knowledge domains (e.g. mathematics, science and energy) in relation to teaching, assessment, and large-scale databases.