Title
Race Perceptions, Societal Expectations, and P2N: Exploring Controllable Factors in Education and their Effects on Student Learning and Attitudes in Mathematics
Abstract
Previous research suggests that many students do not receive sufficient academic
resources from school, and the current gaps between racial groups in math performance
on standardized tests have been linked to this disparity. However, the most widely
broadcasted depictions of the current “achievement” gap compare performance outcomes
of different racial categories rather than different resource levels. Emphasizing a
connection between test performance and race can mislead students to believe race causes
differences in intelligence or performance, thus perpetuating racism and social bias. In
the present study, 130 eleventh grade students with targeted racial and socioeconomic
characteristics participated in a tutoring program, spending one year focusing on
improving their understanding of and attitude towards mathematics. Results showed
increases in standardized test scores over the course of the program. This suggests that
the observed gap in mathematics performance may not be a function of race, and that by
providing students with sufficient resources, the gap can be reduced. Thus by
contributing to the continued dialogue and research surrounding educational disparities,
this paper seeks to inform readers of an after-school program as a controllable factor in
education, and analyze its impact on reducing the opportunity gap within a broader
context.
Suggested Citation
Connolly, Manju.
(2016).
Race Perceptions, Societal Expectations, and P2N: Exploring Controllable Factors in Education and their Effects on Student Learning and Attitudes in Mathematics.
Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,
https://hdl.handle.net/11299/181396.