A comparative study of applied mathematics I and II versus traditional algebra I

The study compared the effects of an applied academic approach to teaching algebra I with the effects of a traditional method of teaching algebra I. Data collected in the spring of 1993 and at the end of the 1993-94 school year were used in the study.; The sample consisted of all students who had taken the mathematics portion of the Stanford Achievement Test in the spring of 1993, enrolled in either Math Tech II or Algebra I at Springdale High School as of September 13, 1993, and completed the National Proficiency Survey Series Algebra 1 Test given April 13, 1994. There were 72 Algebra I students and 119 Math Tech II students in the sample.; Mathematics scores from the spring 1993 administration of the Stanford Achievement Test were collected for the two groups of students. The scores were analyzed using a t-Test of Independent Measures. Students enrolled in Math Tech II made up the control group and students enrolled in Algebra I made up the experimental group.; The mean score for the experimental group was 676.10 and the mean score for the control group was 685.85. The difference in scores between the groups was significant at the.005 level. The control group showed significantly higher achievement than the experimental group.; The Analysis of Covariance was used to analyze the scores from the National Proficiency Survey series Algebra 1 Test. The score from the NPSS Algebra 1 Test was the dependent variable, the score from the mathematics portion of the SAT was the covariate (independent variable), and the method of teaching was the second independent variable.; The adjusted mean score for the experimental group was 18.16 and the adjusted mean score for the control group was 24.17. The adjusted mean score for the control group was 6.01 higher than the adjusted mean score for the experimental group. The difference in student scores on the NPSS Algebra 1 Test between the experimental group and the control group was significant at the.0001 level.; The evidence of the statistical results from the scores on the NPSS Algebra 1 Test did not support the hypothesis. The control group scored significantly higher than the experimental group.