Investigating Pedagogies in Undergraduate Precalculus and their Relationships to Students’ Attitudes Towards Mathematics and Perseverance in Problem-Solving

Abstract

This exploratory study investigated the relationships between professors’ enactments of a research-based precalculus curriculum (Pathways) and changes observed in students’ attitudes towards mathematics and perseverance in problem-solving. While much research focuses on improving student achievement in undergraduate STEM courses, it is also important to support students in developing the positive dispositions and practices needed to sustain them through years of mathematics-based STEM coursework. We therefore investigated the way three professors implemented Pathways, assessing via observation their pedagogical choices across three Pathways-aligned dimensions; we also investigated the changes in attitudes and perseverance of students in these professors’ classes. Our results suggest that although the Pathways precalculus curriculum may support the development of positive attitudes toward mathematics and improved perseverance in problem-solving, this potential is influenced by professors’ pedagogical choices. This research helps us better understand the connections between pedagogies enacted in STEM-gateway courses and students’ development of productive ways of engaging with mathematics.