The Quality Schools Program (PEC) and student achievement in logical-mathematical reasoning. A comparative study

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to analyze the impact of the Quality Schools Program for elementary schools in order to measure the conceptual, procedural and attitudinal elements in the area of logical reasoning in math as a standard of academic performance of the students of these schools.
The methodology used in this research was evaluative, comparative, statistical and inferential. Atotal of 1 175 questionnaires were applied to sixth grade students from 12 schools: six in the aforementioned program and six that were not.
The results show that the conceptual, procedural and attitudinal elements had no positive impact on the schools involved in the program, where the results of the evaluation of student academic performance in logical reasoning in math were the same or even worse than in the schools not involved in the program.
It can be inferred that one of or both of the following took place in the six years of this program: 1) the tightly controlled administrative reporting process for the allocation of funds, the planning process and the guarantee of equal opportunities to education was a distraction factor for the authorities of the school from academic tasks rather than an effective instrument of academic improvement, and/or 2) the funds of the program were designated more on political than academic criteria.