Mathematics learning in the Israeli junior high school

Learning mathematics in the Israeli junior high
school has become a serious problem in the education
system in the last 20 years. In Israel the learning
of high level mathematics is a condition for being
accepted to any high prestige university department.
Thus it is crucial to learn what are the educational,
psychological and motivational components involved in
the learning of mathematics. I have examined these
components in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 of a secular,
mixed Jewish school; religious school with single-sex
classes; secular mixed Arab school, and Arab girls
school, among 800+ students.
The most important results of my study have been that
there is no gender gap in school performance of math
in the Israeli junior high school; motivational
components have had no influence on the actual math
grades in any of the sub-groups; and Arab girls in
single-sex classes scored the highest in internal
motivation and in believability of own math abilities
and the lowest in stability of math abilities. In
addition, within one year the students in the
less-prestige religious Jewish school scored as high
as those learning in the other Jewish school,
considered one of the best in Israel.

Autorentext

Hanna David has Ph.D. in Educational Psychology fromLudwig Maximilians Universität, München. She has published sixbooks and over 70 articles in literature, psychology, sociology,gender studies and mathematics education. Dr. David is a seniorlecturer, Ben Gurion University at Eilat, Israel, and counselorfor families with gifted children.

Klappentext

Learning mathematics in the Israeli junior highschool has become a serious problem in the educationsystem in the last 20 years. In Israel the learningof high level mathematics is a condition for beingaccepted to any high prestige university department.Thus it is crucial to learn what are the educational,psychological and motivational components involved inthe learning of mathematics. I have examined thesecomponents in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 of a secular,mixed Jewish school; religious school with single-sexclasses; secular mixed Arab school, and Arab girls'school, among 800+ students. The most important results of my study have been thatthere is no gender gap in school performance of mathin the Israeli junior high school; motivationalcomponents have had no influence on the actual mathgrades in any of the sub-groups; and Arab girls insingle-sex classes scored the highest in internalmotivation and in believability of own math abilitiesand the lowest in stability of math abilities. Inaddition, within one year the students in theless-prestige religious Jewish school scored as highas those learning in the other Jewish school,considered one of the best in Israel.