Abstract:

Mathematics is one of the core subjects taught in the Israeli education system at all ages and passing the matriculation examination in mathematics is a prerequisite to receiving a matriculation certificate. The great importance of mathematics had led many scholars in Israel and elsewhere, to seek out factors that influence student achievement in this subject. The main aim of the study was to examine the influence of student characteristics and perceived classroom climate on high school students' achievement in mathematics. To accomplish this aim, the effect on the mathematics achievement of students' attitude towards mathematics, their perceived classroom climate, and mathematical self-efficacy, was examined.

The sample included 400 students randomly selected from all Druze high schools in Israel. The participants (202 girls and 198 boys) were students studying mathematics at an intermediate level of four study units (basic=3 unit and advanced=5 units), whose parents, both mothers and fathers, had at least completed high school, and who, on the average, had three children per family.

The students' characteristics examined were attitudes towards mathematics, mathematical self-efficacy, and perceived classroom climate. Attitudes were measured using a 40-item questionnaire that was originally developed by Tapia and Marsh (1996). The 24-items questionnaire measuring mathematical self-efficacy was adopted from Usher and Pajares (2009) who developed this questionnaire based on Bandura's theoretical model (Bandura, 1998, 2006). The 21-items classroom climate questionnaire was developed by Donitsa-Schmidt (1993). The student's background data included gender, number of siblings, and the level of education of both parents.

A structural model of mathematics achievement was hypothesized based on the reviewed literature. The degree of the model fit and direct and indirect effects of the variables on mathematics achievement were examined using structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis for the entire sample and each gender separately. The findings regarding the entire sample revealed a positive effect of mathematical self-efficacy on achievement in mathematics. For boys, mathematical self-efficacy has a significant positive effect of a moderate magnitude on mathematics achievement, while for girls there was a significant adverse effect of small magnitude.

A significant positive effect of small magnitude was found for attitudes toward mathematics and perceived class climate on achievements in mathematics. Furthermore, a significant positive effect of moderate magnitude of attitudes towards mathematics on mathematical self-efficacy was found for the entire sample. Boys reported higher mathematical self-efficacy and higher motivation compared to girls, but they exhibited similar attitudes as well as similar levels of mathematics achievement.

The implications of this study are significant for improving achievements among high school students. By identifying the influential factors that affect achievements in mathematics, interventions can be implemented to enhance these factors and improve students' achievement in this topic.

Keywords:

Mathematics acheivement, mathematical self-efficacy, attitudes towards mathematics, perceived classroom climate, structural equation modeling.