Why do students fail at algebra?

Thesis (M.A., Education (Curriculum and Instruction) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2009.Increasing the mathematical knowledge of students is a goal of the National Council on Education. Business leaders are calling on public education to produce students with a deeper, stronger background in mathematics and science. Nationwide, Algebra 1 is an eighth grade subject, yet 50% of the students enrolling in a public independent study high school had not completed the algebra requirement. Research has shown teaching and learning strategies, teacher behavior, and student motivation play an important part in education, yet little research was found in the literature regarding teaching and learning strategies for mathematics. Understanding student perception of the educational endeavor to learn algebra may help researchers and teachers understand how to better facilitate learning. \ud Sources of Data\ud Data was collected and pooled from cumulative school histories, student interviews, observation of students learning during algebra class, and surveys completed by the students. Data and insight was provided regarding the students??? perceptions, histories, and personal needs for learning mathematics. \ud Conclusions Reached\ud The level of intelligence was not the cause of the students??? deficiency in earning algebra credits. Social skills, attendance, attention span, personal attention needs, and family divorce prohibited them from succeeding to their intellectual best. These students had unique, complicated issues. It would take a special teacher with exceptional counseling skills, prolific background information, and abundant time for researching and planning to tackle and help solve these students??? issues with school. \ud They were at a high risk for dropping out of high school. If intervention strategies had been identified early, and systemic support followed through over multiple school years, these students may not have been at risk at all. The cumulative folders, a communication tool already in place in public schools, could be used as a vehicle for transmitting teacher knowledge of the individual student???s optimum learning environment, including counseling recommendations and follow up. Accountability for every student???s educational success is the heart of No Child Left Behind, and an individualized education plan for each at risk student may be ideal.Education (Curriculum and Instruction