Are Writing Questions in Math Fair?
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| Title: | Are Writing Questions in Math Fair? |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Lex Konnelly, Nathan Sanders, Jason Siefken, Pocholo Umbal |
| Source: | Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 2025 25(1):52-76. |
| Availability: | Indiana University. 107 South Indiana Avenue, Bryan Hall 203B, Bloomington, IN 47405. Tel: 317-274-5647; Fax: 317-278-2360; e-mail: josotl@iu.edu; Web site: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/josotl |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 25 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Descriptors: | Word Problems (Mathematics), Mathematics Instruction, Language Usage, Algebra, Gender Differences, English (Second Language), Bias, Equal Education, Scores, Language of Instruction, English, Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| ISSN: | 1527-9316 |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we examine whether a student's language background and other demographic factors have any relationship to their performance on prose questions in math, which we define as questions with open-ended answers containing one or more complete sentences of English. Prose questions stand in contrast to non-prose questions, which are more traditional questions in math courses, requiring an objective answer, such as a number, an equation, a diagram, etc. Performing an exploratory analysis on exam scores for 463 students in a first-year linear algebra course, we use stepdown regression to identify significant factors contributing to a student's non-prose tilt: how much better a student performs on non-prose versus prose questions. We find that gender is the only significant factor contributing to a student's non-prose tilt. In particular, no linguistic factors we considered, including whether or not a student was a native English speaker, emerged as significant. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1469226 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we examine whether a student's language background and other demographic factors have any relationship to their performance on prose questions in math, which we define as questions with open-ended answers containing one or more complete sentences of English. Prose questions stand in contrast to non-prose questions, which are more traditional questions in math courses, requiring an objective answer, such as a number, an equation, a diagram, etc. Performing an exploratory analysis on exam scores for 463 students in a first-year linear algebra course, we use stepdown regression to identify significant factors contributing to a student's non-prose tilt: how much better a student performs on non-prose versus prose questions. We find that gender is the only significant factor contributing to a student's non-prose tilt. In particular, no linguistic factors we considered, including whether or not a student was a native English speaker, emerged as significant. |
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| ISSN: | 1527-9316 |
