The effect of an alternative senior level satellite broadcast mathematics course on students' attitudes toward mathematics and college mathemathics placement

The effect of the satellite broadcast distance learning course Practical Pre-College Mathematics (PPCM) on the mathematical achievement of fourth year high school mathematics students was investigated. Mathematical achievement was determined by students' enjoyment of mathematics, perceived importance of mathematics, self-confidence in mathematics, beliefs about the nature of mathematics as a discipline, and college mathematics placement. In addition, the study investigated the strengths and weaknesses of the satellite broadcast distance learning format as applied to mathematics.;The design of the study was quasi-experimental with a supplementary qualitative component. Twenty-four high school mathematics teachers in twenty-two high schools across the state of Nebraska volunteered to participate in the study. Twenty-one math teachers in twenty-one high schools volunteered to teach using the Practical Pre-College Mathematics curriculum (treatment). Three teachers in one high school volunteered to teach a traditional precalculus curriculum (non-equivalent control). The 102 students for whom complete pretest and posttest data were collected comprised the treatment group. An equal number of students were randomly selected from those receiving the traditional precalculus curriculum and comprised the non-equivalent control group. Five tests were used to measure the components of mathematical achievement.;Results showed that the mathematical achievement of students in the treatment group was significantly different than the students in the control group (p ;Recommendations of this study include: (1) high school mathematics departments should offer alternative fourth-year mathematics courses; (2) high school mathematics teachers should seek collaborative relationships with technologically-mediated curriculum providers; and (3) the broadcast schedule of PPCM be changed to alternating days and lengthened ten minutes.