Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

 

The relationship of mathematics in Oregon high schools to placement and success in first-year mathematics at Oregon State University Public Deposited

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  • This investigation was designed to study articulation between Oregon secondary mathematics programs and college mathematics at Oregon State University. Three main facets of the problem were studied: 1. The relationship of several factors to the CEEB Level I Mathematics Achievement Test score. 2. The feasibility of a discriminant function as an aid to mathematics placement at the college level. 3. Courses and content in upper-level mathematics programs in Oregon secondary schools. A questionnaire requesting information on upper-level mathematics programs was sent to 234 Oregon public and private secondary schools. Returns were received from 198 schools, and these were summarized with respect to course titles, textbooks, and topics reported for the various courses. Student records were used to obtain data on the factors of sex, high school grade point average, size of school attended, number of grades in the school, level of mathematics reached, and high school mathematics grade point average. In addition, SAT-M, SAT- V, CEEB-EN, and CEEB Level I scores were taken from the records, Complete information was available for 2355 students graduating from Oregon secondary schools in 1966 and entering Oregon State University as members of the 1966-67 freshman class. A multiple-regression analysis was used to study the relationship of the other nine factors to the CEEB Level I Test score, In addition, the possible effectiveness of the SAT - -M and other factors as placement devices for college freshman mathematics was compared with the results obtained through current use of the CEEB Level I Test. Discriminant function analysis was conducted with 14 pairs of dichotomous groups to investigate the effectiveness of combinations of the various factors in identifying members of each group. Grouping was based upon the college mathematics course taken and the grade received. One three-group discriminant function analysis was done to examine the possible value of a single computer program utilizing the best combination of factors for placement into the freshman mathematics program at Oregon State University. The following findings were a result of this investigation: 1. The CEEB Level I Test measures something in addition to that measured by the SAT-M and other factors used in this investigation. 2. The CEEB Level I Test is an effective placement device when used with a cutoff score system despite its limitations in identifying relatively large groups of weak students. 3. The SAT-M Test shows promise of being as effective an instrument in mathematics placement as the CEEB Level I Test. 4. The discriminant function technique was approximately 70 percent effective in identifying members of the various groups. As such, it offers promise of becoming an effective placement instrument. 5. The use of additional factors increases the power of the discriminant function; after a certain point, the results may not justify the effort. 6. Most Oregon secondary students have upper-level mathematics courses available to them. 7, Oregon secondary mathematics courses have more in common than the variety of course titles and textbooks suggest. 8. Calculus courses in Oregon secondary schools serve only one-half of one percent of the twelfth grade students and do not represent the typical fifth-level mathematics program. 9. Students entering Oregon. State University with fifth-level backgrounds other than calculus do better in the first term of calculus. This advantage is not apparent for these students in the third term of calculus.
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