Discipline: Mathematics & Statistics
Subcategory: STEM Science and Mathematics Education
Seongtae Kim - North Carolina A&T State University
Co-Author(s): Guoqing Tang, Kathy Cousins-Cooper, Paramanathan Varatharajah, Nicholas Luke, Katrina Nelson, Stacey Zimmerman, Barbara Tankersley, and Kalynda C. Smith; North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
This presentation focuses on preliminary results of our NSF HBCU-UP BPR project entitled, ‘Effects of Innovative Mathematics Instruction Methods on Student Attitude, Self-Efficacy, Effort and Performance.’ The goal of this BPR project is to examine the relationship between the two learner-centered instructional methods and students’ self-perception such as attitude, self-efficacy, self-confidence and effort. As a preliminary analysis, we performed three different surveys: (1) academic confidence and effort, (2) attitude toward mathematics, and (3) self-efficacy in learning mathematics using more than 400 students in College Algebra and Calculus I courses in Spring 2019. This presentation characterizes students’ responses and uncovers underlying hidden factors associated with students’ self-perception toward mathematics courses. Exploratory data analysis showed that students tend to reveal more positive attitude and confidence in their learning mathematics. An exploratory factor analysis also discovered meaningful hidden factors for every thematic survey. For example, the academic confidence and effort survey revealed confidence and apprehension factors. In the sequential investigation, we will study an association between these exploratory findings and students’ academic performance to establish the knowledge base for connecting innovative learner-centered instruction methods and students’ psychological factors such as growth mindset.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,
NSF Affiliation: HBCU-UP