Document Type
Project
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
As a sixth-grade teacher at a suburban elementary school in the Pacific Northwest, I observed that many students entered my classroom with significant gaps in foundational math skills. In Fall 2025, my classroom-based assessments revealed that a majority of my students were performing below grade level, particularly in numbers and operations in base ten- place value in decimals, multi-digit calculations and operations, and algebraic thinking- translating words to expressions, finding patterns, and solving multi-step problems. The purpose of this research is to investigate the question: How do student-reported experiences with foundational skill gaps, COVID-19 disruptions, and emotional factors help explain differences in math proficiency from third grade to sixth grade, as shown by assessments and report cards in a suburban elementary school in the Pacific Northwest?
This thesis uses conceptual frameworks grounded in research, studies, and theories on the impact of prior knowledge, self-efficacy, motivation, and the global pandemic. Recognizing significant differences in mathematical outcomes, this thesis investigates factors that may contribute to the decline in mathematics proficiency.
Recommended Citation
Bustamante, Mia Cha, "Understanding Math Proficiency Gaps" (2025). Selected Master of Education Action Research Projects. 5.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/actionresearch/5