Opportunities to learn: Mathematics textbooks and students' achievements. (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hadar, Linor L.
• Is Part Of: Studies in educational evaluation. Volume 55(2017)
• Page Start: 153
• Page End: 166
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Mathematics curriculum -- Students' achievements -- Textbook analysis -- Curriculum studies; Curriculum evaluation -- Periodicals; Educational tests and measurements -- Periodicals; Programmes d'études -- Evaluation -- Périodiques; Tests et mesures en éducation -- Périodiques; 375.006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.stueduc.2017.10.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-491X

Abstract

Highlights: The position of mathematics textbooks in teaching and learning is prominent. The impact of textbooks on students' achievements is not fully understood. The impact of math textbooks on students' scores is explored. The textbooks' ability to provide opportunities to learn math is illuminated. The findings raise questions about the role of textbooks in achieving equity. Abstract: This study explores how textbooks function in education. It asked whether opportunities provided in math textbooks to engage in tasks demanding different levels of understanding correlate with students' achievements on tasks demanding equivalent levels of understanding on a standardized exam. The textbooks evaluated were two 8 th grade mathematics textbooks used by students in the Arab community in Israel, showing that Textbook A makes more cognitive demands than Textbook B. The study correlated textbooks' cognitive demand with the scores of all 8 th grade students in the Arab community who completed the national math test in 2015 and studied in schools using either Textbook A or B (N = 4040), while attending to mediating variables. The findings show that if a textbook provides the opportunity to engage in tasks demanding higher levels of understanding, students using this book will have higher scores. The study shows that gender and SES play an important role in how opportunities provided in textbooks interact with students' scores. Many factors influence variations in mathematics achievements within and between nations. The findings illuminate textbooks' ability to provide opportunities to learn mathematics. As a result, they raise new questions about how teachers use textbooks and about the role of textbooks in promoting access and equity in mathematics education. Although the work explored specific textbooks, its findings shed light on how learning opportunities relate to achievements more generally.