Abstract
This paper analyzes students’ attitudes who, even in adverse socioeconomic situations, such as low parental participation, low income, and constant contact with violence, mainly in suburban areas, achieve favorable performance in mathematics. The theoretical framework was based on studies related to education and school performance, school success, equity, and attitudes towards students’ performance in mathematics in different circumstances. The sample was composed of high school students from a state public school in the municipality of Cariacica, in the state of Espírito Santo. The primary database was built with the application of questionnaires, consisting of questions about the student's socioeconomic status, their attitudes, and school performance. From the multivariate regression analysis of the data, the research presents results that in a similar socioeconomic context, the differential performance of students is explained predominantly by their positive attitudes towards studies and with a higher probability of appearing in the upper quartile, i.e., students with higher grades in the sample, as well as the average education of their parents. The relevance of this research is given in the contribution to the studies of Mathematics Education, pointing out the relationship between socioeconomic status, attitudes, and school performance and making a reflection on equal conditions.
Keywords
Attitudes; Performance; Mathematics; Public schools; High School