Mathematically able female adolescents' perceptions of acceleration in mathematics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine mathematically able female adolescents' perceptions of their accelerated mathematics programs. To this end, eight female adolescents were asked to reflect retrospectively in response to a self-administered questionnaire on their perceptions and experiences of a secondary accelerated mathematics program and their engagement in the Victorian Certificate of Education subject, Mathematical Methods Units 3 and 4, as accelerated Year 11 students. The qualitative findings revealed that the participants valued their accelerated mathematics learning opportunities, achieved satisfaction with their accelerated learning in their study of Mathematical Methods Units 3 and 4 and academic results, and appreciated the additional study choices in Year 12 that resulted from their accelerated learning. Statistical evidence obtained from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) that compared the results of Year 11 and 12 students studying Mathematical Methods Units 3 and 4 over two academic years found that the cohort of accelerated Year 11 students generated a higher mean score than their Year 12 counterparts. The findings of the study provide support for the educational practice of accelerating mathematical learning for highly mathematically able adolescents.