The Effects of Content Organization and Curriculum Implementation on Students' Mathematics Learning in Second-Year High School Courses

• Published in: Journal for research in mathematics education Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 683 - 729
• Main Authors: Tarr, James E, Grouws, Douglas A, Chavez, Oscar, Soria, Victor M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) 01-07-2013; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Subjects: Achievement Tests; Curriculum Implementation; Educational Environment; Ethnicity; Gender Differences; Geometry; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; High School Students; High schools; Instructional Effectiveness; Integrated Curriculum; Learning; Mathematical problems; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics curricula; Mathematics education; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics materials; Mathematics Teachers; Mathematics Tests; National Assessment of Educational Progress; Predictor Variables; Prior Learning; Scientific Research; Secondary school curricula; Secondary school mathematics; Secondary school students; Standardized Tests; Teacher Characteristics; Teacher Surveys; Teaching Methods; Textbook Evaluation; Textbooks
• ISSN: 0021-8251; 1945-2306
• DOI: 10.5951/jresematheduc.44.4.0683

The authors examined curricular effectiveness in high schools that offered parallel paths in which students were free to study mathematics using 1 of 2 content organizational structures, an integrated approach or a (traditional) subject-specific approach. The study involved 3,258 high school students, enrolled in either Course 2 or Geometry, in 11 schools in 5 geographically dispersed states. Students in the integrated curriculum scored significantly higher than those in the subject-specific curriculum on the standardized achievement test. Significant student-level predictors included prior achievement, gender, and ethnicity.