| Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine which of several selected noncognitive variables could be used in distinguishing students who are successful in two developmental mathematics courses from those who are not successful. Specifically, the study sought to determine if there was a significant relationship between the academic performance of students enrolled in the two mathematics courses and the following variables: (1) achievement motivation, (2) self-concept, (3) attitudes toward mathematics, and (4) various demographic data.;Methods and Procedures. The sample for this study consisted of 334 students enrolled in two developmental and three nondevelopmental mathematics courses at a southeastern community college during the spring of 1985. There were 164 students enrolled in developmental courses and 170 students enrolled in nondevelopmental courses.;Four instruments were used to collect data: Measures of Achieving Tendency, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales, and a demographic questionnaire. The data obtained from these instruments were analyzed using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) programs for discriminant analysis, descriptive statistics and frequencies, Pearson correlation, and crosstabulations (chi-square).;Results. Seven variables were found to be significantly related to the academic performance of students enrolled in Basic Mathematics or Beginning Algebra. These variables were: (1) the number of other Developmental Studies courses required, (2) perception of parental attitude toward mathematics, (3) confidence in learning mathematics, (4) the number of credit hours taken, (5) perception of usefulness of mathematics, (6) effectance motivation, and (7) perception of teachers' attitudes toward the learner as a mathematics student.;Together these variables accounted for about 15% of the variance between successful and unsuccessful students.;Conclusions. Of the seven variables found to be significantly related to the academic performance of developmental mathematics students, five were mathematics attitudes. The problem that results here is one of determining the causal direction. Nevertheless, the selected variables can be valuable in explaining and predicting the behavior of students enrolled in Basic Mathematics and Beginning Algebra. Further research is needed to determine the utility of these predictor variables for educational practice. |
