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Abstract

The study investigated the predictive relationship
between Grade Seven mathematics achievement and five
intellectual variables: upper—primary school mathematics
achievement, mathematics aptitude, non—verbal I.Q., verbal I.Q.
and reading comprehension.
Subjects for the study were Grade Seven students from a
secondary school. Data was provided by student measures on
five test instruments which are widely used in primary and
secondary schools as measures of academic ability.
Basic descriptive statistics, zero—order correlations
and multiple linear regression techniques allowed for the
exploration of several broad questions and issues that emerged
from the review of related literature. The study investigated
the following issues concerned with prediction of Grade Seven
mathematics achievement:
1. that measures of prior mathematics
performance are more efficient predictors than
global performance measures;
2. that mathematics aptitude is a more
efficient predictor than prior mathematics
achievement;
3. that non—verbal I.Q. is a more efficient
predictor than verbal I.Q.;
4. that where verbal I.Q. has already been
included as a predictor then reading
comprehension provides no additional predictive
information.
Answers to these issues were generally consistent with
previous research and were in agreement with theory. The
following interpretation was made.
The two measures of prior mathematics performance were
significantly more efficient predictors than the two measures
of global performance. The measures of prior mathematics
performance were not significantly different in predictive
efficiency, nor were the global performance measures, but
mathematics aptitude achieved the highest correlation,
accounting for 56% of variance. Verbal I.Q. was a more efficient predictor than reading comprehension. The most
efficient prediction was obtained by utilising both measures of
prior mathematics performance and both measures of global
performance. The four significant predictors together
accounted for 66.067% of variance.
Using one—year cross—validation, a prediction equation
was determined. The economic equation used both global
performance measures and mathematics aptitude as predictors and
achieved a cross—validated correlation coefficient of 0.78.

Item Type:	Thesis - Unspecified
Authors/Creators:	Cox, Phillip R
Keywords:	Mathematical readiness, Mathematical ability, Prediction of scholastic success, Academic achievement, Mathematics
Copyright Holders:	The Author
Copyright Information:	Copyright 1985 the Author - The University is continuing to endeavour to trace the copyright owner(s) and in the meantime this item has been reproduced here in good faith. We would be pleased to hear from the copyright owner(s).
Additional Information:	Thesis (M. Ed.)-University of Tasmania, 1986. Bibliography: leave 126-135
Item Statistics:	View statistics for this item

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