Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Thesis (M.P.P.)--Georgetown University, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references.; Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. Math curricula have failed to engage students or improve their test scores over the last thirty years. Nearly two million students participate in some form of gambling, an illegal activity but one which frequently utilizes math skills. This paper will examine if there is a relationship between high school students who gamble and their performance on a math assessment. Perhaps participation in an otherwise ill-regarded activity provides some marginal benefit to those involved. Results from a regression analysis with a nationally representative set of data indicate that students who gambled experienced a small negative drop in math achievement compared to students who did not gamble, suggesting that any method to ground math teaching in a more stimulating or entertaining context may need teacher guidance to prove effective to boosting math achievement. The study was not able to separate risky behaviors, also highly correlated with negative academic achievement, from gambling behavior. Further research should focus on specific gambling contexts (i.e. poker, dice, etc.) and determine what aspects can be linked to math achievement and incorporated into classroom instruction, which could lead to a possible greater engagement into math curricula. Given that student engagement in math will play a significant role in education, it is important that educators and policymakers have a clear understanding of the everyday ways that students connect to math.
Author: Padmini. Jambulapati
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2110061486