The effects of portfolio use as a learning tool on Algebra II students' achievement and their attitudes toward mathematics

This study examined the effects of portfolio use as a learning tool on Algebra II students' achievement and their attitudes toward mathematics. The sample for the study consisted of 73 tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students enrolled in Algebra II at a suburban high school. The control group contained 32 subjects in two intact classes and the experimental group consisted of 41 subjects in two other intact classes.;The subjects were administered the Math Concepts and Problem Solving subtest of the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency, Form M, Level 17 (TAPM) and the Mathematics Attitude Inventory (MAI) before and after the eighteen week implementation period. The Second Semester Exam (SSE) was administered after the implementation period. The effectiveness of the program was measured by comparing the pretest and posttest scores of the experimental and control groups.;Subjects in the experimental group completed three portfolios, which included various assignments. The responses to the portfolio assignments provided an alternative diagnostic method to assess difficulties and provided invaluable information about student thinking.;The results of this study were based on seventy-three students' pretest and posttest scores for math concepts and problem solving and for attitudes toward mathematics. Analysis of covariance was used on the pretest and posttest TAPM and SSE scores. The results indicated the scores on both TAPM and SSE were not significantly different between the two groups. Analysis of covariance was used on the pretest and posttest MAI scores. The results indicated the scores on the six-scales of the MAI were not significantly different between the two groups.;Although the hypotheses were not accepted, the results of this study indicate that portfolios serve as excellent diagnostic tools, which provide verification of student attainment of essential concepts. The skills and insights gained from the diagnosed errors could undoubtedly benefit students in later high school and college-level mathematics courses. In addition, portfolio use provides an additional resource in instructional planning and in identifying students' strengths and weaknesses.