Date of Award

Spring 2025

Project Type

Dissertation

Program or Major

Mathematics Education

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

First Advisor

Sheree Sharpe

Abstract

Educational inequality mirrors broader societal disparities. There are various factors that represent educational inequality, such as socioeconomic status (SES), school environment, teacher quality, gender, and support services. Among these, SES is commonly used as a key indicator of educational inequality. Consistently, studies have shown that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds have higher academic achievement (Johnson et al., 2022; Murphy, 2019; Tate, 1997). This disparity is particularly evident in mathematics, which is crucial for academic and career opportunities. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mathematics achievement of K-12 students. In addition, this study explores the influence of various moderators on the relationship between SES and students’ achievement in mathematics. To address these purposes, a meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the quantitative results from multiple studies and to describe the overall trends in the literature on SES and mathematical achievement. This meta-analysis analyzed studies from 2014 to August 2024. Out of 3,816 published and unpublished study reports, 156 articles met the inclusion criteria, yielding a total of 532 effect sizes. The average effect size was 0.1710, indicating a small positive correlation between SES and mathematics achievement. Furthermore, the type of mathematics achievement measure, publication type, and country significantly moderated the relationship between SES and mathematics achievement. These findings underscore the importance of future studies, particularly future meta-analyses, that examine moderator interactions, broader contextual factors, and non-English/Korean literature to deepen understanding of SES effects on mathematics achievement.

Download

Share

COinS