Components of Success in School Mathematics among Students of Ethiopian Origin (SEO)

The ongoing immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel began in the early 1980s. Since then many studies have reported the persistent poor economical, social and educational predicaments encountered by this small distinctive Jewish community in Israel. It has also been documented that the overall academic achievements of students of Ethiopian origin (SEO) lag significantly behind the national average. This is especially acute in mathematics and as a group SEO are poorly represented in the advanced level mathematics matriculation tracks. Consequently, many potential education and career options are restricted for a disproportionately large number of SEO where success in mathematics is mandatory. Various potential barriers underlying the academic underachievement of SEO as a group have been described, which has led to important insights; however, differential achievements within SEO remain to be studied. In particular, little is known about those few SEO who, in spite of their difficult circumstances, manage to achieve and maintain success in mathematics. This study focused on exploring components of “successful” mathematical learning among SEO; it sought to answer the research question: “Why and how do some Israeli students of Ethiopian origin (SEO) manage to enroll and maintain success in the advanced level mathematics matriculation tracks (5 units), where SEO are significantly underrepresented?” This study was guided by the assumption that uncontrollable and fixed personal or socio-cultural factors do not fully explain academic achievement disparities in general and among SEO in particular. Furthermore, it was proposed that while studying, failure is certainly legitimate and has led to valuable insights, increased understanding, and identifying characteristics and circumstances among SEO that foster academic trajectories against different risk factors by addressing questions such as what works; when, where, and how are particularly important. The research sample consisted of a diverse group of thirteen SEO (17-20 years old) that have been successful in mathematics. At the time of the study, eight of them were studying in the advanced mathematics matriculation track in seven high schools and the other five were in a special selective preacademic program in a prestigious technological university a year after they had completed high school. By using a qualitative case study methodology, and based on several personal and environmental factors identified by research in mathematics education and related fields, this study explored the mathematics learning experiences, the success stories, and the enacted mathematical behavior of the students in their classrooms and in problemsolving sessions specially designed for this study. The findings showed that most of the parents of these youngsters had no high academic and economic resources, and that the schools they attended were also not endowed with many educational resources. In addition, there was no evidence that these students are mathematically gifted. Rather, three important interrelated and synergetic mathematics-related characteristics among the participants played prominent roles contributing to their achieving and maintaining success in the advanced level mathematics matriculation track: a) A positive mathematics identity: This includes positive mathematicsrelated perceptions and goals that enhanced students' “will” to engage, as well as invest and guided their mathematics learning behavior; b) Self-regulation of learning: This includes productive mathematicsrelated habits, actions and strategies of the participants manifested by high academic investment and self-regulated learning. More specifically, these students used successful strategies to actively manage, modulate, and monitor, their cognitive functioning, their behavior, their emotions and motivation as well as their learning environment for learning; c) Academic resilience in mathematics: This refers to the participants’ capability to develop and use effective resources to succeed in mathematics regardless of challenging or threatening circumstances. It is argued that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life but also by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed. Accordingly, this study highlighted two significant predicaments that placed the achievements of the participants of this study at