Parents Supporting Their Adolescents’ Independent Remedial Math Practice: The Effects of a Multi-Component Intervention Package on Math Academic Performance

Authors

Mackenzie Sommerhalder, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Edward J. Daly, III

Date of this Version

Summer 5-29-2018

Document Type

Article

Comments

A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Major: School Psychology, Under the Supervision of Professor Edward J. Daly, III. Lincoln, Nebraska: May, 2018

Copyright (c) 2018 Mackenzie S. Sommerhalder

Abstract

This dissertation examined the effects of high school students’ independent, remedial, home-based math practice while receiving parent support on math computation fluency. The multi-component intervention package encompassed both home-based remedial practice and parent support. Teacher interviews, normative assessments, and a performance-deficit analysis were conducted to identify high-school students who displayed math academic skill deficits. Next, identification and analysis of individual skills (e.g., multiplication, division) to be targeted for intervention occurred for each participant included in the study. A multiple-baseline across participants design was used to examine teaching high school students to choose effective instructional components for math computation and subsequently given support to implement the intervention(s) of their choice on math computation fluency.

Conditions were implemented with a high degree of integrity, and results demonstrated that, though there were some performance increases, there were no observable increases in math academic performance and experimental control was not established. Results were discussed in terms of the importance of identifying appropriate instructional antecedents and consequences for establishing stimulus control, providing adolescents with instruction on intervention use, allowing students to choose intervention components, establishing an appropriate balance between parental involvement and support and adolescent autonomy, and determining acceptability of all participants involved. Discussion also focused on the limitations of the current study, including time constraints, treatment integrity, and measurement issues, as well as directions for future research, such as examining intervention components separately, technology use, and exploring treatment strength and intensity in relation to acceptability.

Advisor: Edward J. Daly III