Dunning-Kruger and the Reforming Mind: A Causal-Comparative Study Determining the Role That Confidence when Learning Mathematics Plays in Sixth-Grade Students' Mathematics Performance

The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental causal-comparative study was to determine the relationship between sixth-grade students’ confidence level (high, middle, or low) when learning mathematics and their mathematical performance. This study adds to the current body of knowledge on student learning and contributes to a better understanding of the impact of confidence on student performance in mathematics. The sample comprised 132 sixth-grade public school math students in western Washington who completed the i-Ready diagnostic to determine their mathematical performance. The confidence when learning mathematics portion of the Attitudes to Technology in Mathematics Learning Questionnaire was used to measure student confidence when learning mathematics. The students completed the i-Ready diagnostic assessment as a part of their regular schooling experience and the Attitudes to Technology in Mathematics Learning Questionnaire during their regular math courses. A one-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the nature and strength of the relationship between the students’ confidence when learning mathematics and their i-Ready diagnostic scores. The null hypothesis was rejected at a 95% confidence level where with a medium effect size. There was a significant difference between the low-confidence group (Madj = 471.77, SE = 6.25) and the high-confidence group (Madj = 486.61, SE = 6.25), as well as a significant difference between the middle-confidence group (Madj = 470.05, SE = 6.25) and the high-confidence group (Madj = 486.61, SE = 6.25). Limitations of current research, implications of the findings, and recommendations for further study were included.