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Examination color-coding versus student achievement in college mathematics courses. (English) Zbl 1194.00050

Summary: We examine student achievement in College Geometry, Pre-calculus, and Probability and Statistics based upon the color-coding of the final examination. Multiple class sections taught by the same teacher were utilized in order to keep the possible confounding variables to a minimum. This study supports and expands the results of recently published articles concerning the phenomenon of color bias in testing. It differs from previously published results as we consider small enrollment classes versus large enrollment classes, free response test items versus multiple choice test items, multiple subjects, and the inclusion of a white examination sample to serve as a control group for the study, thereby making a contribution to the current body of knowledge. Using an ex-post facto design and the Kruskal-Wallis Rank Sum Test, the study shows that, based upon the examination color, there is no significant statistical relationship between the means of the scores \(p \geq 0.05\) This conclusion directly refutes the common myth of color bias often encountered in the classroom.

MSC:

00A35 Methodology of mathematics
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