The effects of a direct instruction program on the fraction perfomance of middle school students at-risk for failure in mathematics / Margaret M. Flores, Maria Kaylor

The current exploratory study investigated the effects of a Direct Instruction program implemented with middle school students identified as at-risk for failure in mathematics. Direct Instruction has typically been implemented with students with disabilities in seperate special education settings. However, this study examined the extent to which this kind of instruction could be integrated into a general education setting. The study took place in a rural middle in which the majority of the students were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The participants were seventh grade students who had failed the state-mandated annual assessment at least twice and who were identified as at-risk for failure. The students participated in fourteen lessons of the Direct Instruction fraction program. Student progress was assess using curriculum-based pre and post-tests and the data were analyzed using a t-test. Participation in the program resulted in significant increases in fraction skills. The students also demonstrated increases in appropriate and on-task behavior during the intervention.

Psychology.