A Synthesis of Mathematics Interventions for High School Students With Mathematics Difficulties

Area of Science:

• Education
• Psychology
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• High school mathematics proficiency significantly impacts students' academic, health, and financial futures.
• Mathematics difficulty (MD) in high school (Grades 9-12) requires targeted interventions for improved student outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing research on mathematics interventions for high school students experiencing mathematics difficulty.
• To identify effective instructional strategies and research gaps in high school mathematics intervention.

Main Methods:

• A systematic synthesis of 21 studies involving 197 high school students (Grades 9-12).
• Analysis focused on intervention efficacy, instructional strategies, research designs, and content areas.

Main Results:

• 15 out of 21 studies reported positive outcomes for mathematics interventions.
• Common strategies included explicit instruction, technology integration, vocabulary focus, use of representations, and word-problem instruction.
• Most studies utilized single-case designs and focused on early algebra content.

Conclusions:

• Mathematics interventions show promise for high school students with mathematics difficulty.
• Effective strategies involve explicit instruction, technology, and targeted content like early algebra.
• Further research is needed to expand intervention studies at the high school level.