An investigation into the efficacy of the Algebra Project

Abstract

This research employed a quasi-experimental, sequential, explanatory, mixed-methods study design to investigate the efficacy of Robert Moses' Algebra Project. Frequently cited in the literature as an example of a curriculum grounded in culturally relevant and critical pedagogies, the program's effects on students were compared to several control groups. The study was conducted at a high school that served a diverse student body in Northern California and centered on answering three questions relative to: a) students' academic performance, as measured by the Algebra I California Standards Test (CST); b) students' affective response, as measured by Sandman's (1973) Mathematics Attitudinal Inventory (MAI); and c) the identification of additional factors that impacted students' feelings towards mathematics, via a set of semi-structured questions offered during two focus group sessions. Results did not reveal a statistically significant effect in favor of the Algebra Project on the Algebra I CST or on the MAI assessment.