| The purpose of this study was to gain a more complete understanding of the student and school level factors that influence advanced mathematics achievement in the United States. Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) and the U.S. Population Three cohort from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), this study examined the influence of student level factors (e.g., formal parent education, gender, after school employment, attitude towards mathematics, active responding) and school level factors (e.g., resources, school size) on advanced mathematics achievement.;The results indicated that students who performed better on the advanced mathematics test tended to have the following characteristics: (a) enrolled in both advanced mathematics and physics, (b) positive attitude towards mathematics, (c) parents with higher levels of formal education, (d) perceived the classroom as active, (e) believed that natural talent was the key to mathematics success, (f) male, and (g) spent less time engaged in non-academic activities. Additionally, the amount of time a student spent studying mathematics was not associated with achievement.;The influence on advanced mathematics achievement varied from school to school with respect to formal parent education, gender, and attitudes towards mathematics. But, the average formal parent education of the school influenced the magnitude of a student's attitude towards mathematics.;The larger the faculty size, the fewer the resource shortages, and the higher the average formal education of the parents the higher the mean school advanced mathematics achievement. Additionally, the severity of behavioral incidents did not significantly influence mean school achievement.;Overall, the variables that are traditionally associated with mathematics achievement (e.g., gender, parent education, attitude towards mathematics) were observed to influence advanced mathematics achievement. The differential influences of formal parent education level, gender, and attitude towards mathematics warrant further investigation. |
