Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Instructional Practices and Engaging the iGeneration

Introduction

The educational system is constantly in a state of evolution because a new generation of learners is endlessly on the horizon (Okogbaa, 2018). The iGeneration student is the most recent generation of students matriculating through the American educational system (Sellar, 2013). Despite the many efforts contributing to the educational success of these modern students, some iGeneration students continue to disengage from the learning process and produce low achievement scores (Haseltine, 2014). Disengagement from the learning process and producing low achievement scores is evident in the subject of mathematics (Barnes, Clemens, Fall, Roberts, & Klein, 2019). One of the efforts to improve the educational success of these students included recognizing the characteristic needs of the iGeneration to implement diverse instructional practices and to utilize technology as an instructional tool to promote engagement and raise scores in mathematics (Sendurur, Erosy, & Cetin, 2018).

Teachers’ perceptions of effective teaching influences not only the educational environments they create for their students, but also the classroom strategies that they use with their students and the opportunities they provide for them (Gill, 2018). Another segment of knowing who students are is finding that mathematics is a subject area where many students face challenges in understanding the content (Benson, 2016). With remarkable consistency over the decades, the mathematics achievement of American students has been a cause of concern both nationally and internationally. For example, the overall results of the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicated that only 40% of the nation’s fourth-grade students and 33% of the nation’s eighth-grade students scored proficient or above on the exam (NAEP, 2018). When proficiency levels were examined by select subgroups, proficiency percentages were even lower. The 2015 results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report revealed that out of 71 countries, the United States ranked 38^th in mathematics (PISA, 2015). More must be done to support and enhance student learning in mathematics to increase achievement in the United States (Outhwaite, Gulliford, Pitchford & Faulder, 2019).

The state of Mississippi students’ academic scores is lower than the national average in many content areas, including the content area of mathematics (NAEP, 2018). According to the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), Mississippi students continue to score at the lowest levels than other states (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). The 2015 PISA report concurred that Mississippi students are far below the national standards in mathematics. Additionally, Better Policies Better Lives (2018) agreed that low mathematics achievement is plaguing the state of Mississippi: 30% of students score below the basic level in mathematics compared to a national average of 19% of students scoring below basic.