Race and Gender Differences in the Need for Postsecondary Mathematics Remediation PDF Download

Author: Scotty Glen Houston
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Languages : en
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Book Description
Remedial education in postsecondary institutions has been a topic of discussion for policymakers and educators for many years. The subject where most of the remediation occurs is mathematics. A population skilled in mathematics is necessary for many of the current job openings, and many more jobs to come, as countless occupations are becoming even more technologically sophisticated. Researchers have determined that upwards of sixty to seventy percent of incoming students in college and universities need math remediation, and factors reanging from family income, race and gender to admissions test scores and grade point average have been shown to influence remedial need, either positively or negatively. The studies presented in this dissertation explore how these factors along with other possible predictors impact remedial mathematics need. A recent release of data from the National Center for Education Statistics called the Beginning Postsecndary Study was analyzed used multiple regression models. Models were run for both male and female students, separately, along with individual models for White students, African American students and Hispanic students. In models related to male and female students, secondary school influences such as high school grade point average, highest mathematics course taken in high school and admissions test scores were of high importance in determining remedial need. Among the three racial groups, the same factors were influential for White students, and only admissions test scores were impactful for African American students and Hispanic students. For male students, African American students were more likely than White students to enroll in remedial math courses. Among female students, both African American and Hispanic students enrolled in moe remedial math courses that White students. The model including all students in the sample showed that secondary school influences were the greatest predictors. Also, African American and Hispanic students were more likely to require remedial courses than White students. .