| The Rhode Island Department of Education determined that 56% of high school juniors in public schools are not meeting mathematics performance standards. If a student is not proficient in school, then his or her ability and desire to continue education are diminished, raising the chances of drop out. Hispanic students have the highest dropout rate of all ethnic groups. Earning a General Educational Development (GED) diploma provides students who do not graduate from high school an opportunity to earn a credential and improve their chances of employment, advancement, or admission to postsecondary education or training. This study was based on Battin-Pearson's academic mediation theory that poor academic achievement is the main reason for students with lower socioeconomic status to drop out of high school. This phenomenological study revealed life experiences surrounding math achievement and feelings of self-esteem among Hispanic students enrolled in a GED program. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were used to obtain data that were transcribed, sorted, and grouped into units for code formation. Emergent themes included participants' negative experiences taking Algebra in high school, their perceptions that math is difficult to learn and that explanations were insufficient, and their feelings of disdain and frustration with math. Understanding and addressing these life experiences can assist educational leaders to meet educational standards, increase positive academic outcomes, and generate more employment and educational opportunities for students that will allow them to be productive, self-sufficient members of society, thus resulting in positive social change. |
