Transforming Developmental Mathematics Education in Partnership with Teacher Preparation

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Transforming Developmental Mathematics Education in Partnership with Teacher Preparation targets students in developmental mathematics courses (DMCs) while strengthening preparation of prospective secondary mathematics teachers (PSMTs). Almost 40% of U.S. undergraduates take at least one DMC (Attewell et al., 2006). Increasingly, technologies like adaptive web-based tutoring systems are used to teach DMCs. Research shows, however, that methods supporting student collaboration are essential for student success in DMCs (Hodera, 2011). This project implements and evaluates a hybrid structure where PSMTs teach DMCs, testing the hypothesis that students enrolled in DMCs, taught using research-based materials and methods, perform better on measures of mathematical proficiency than students not in such classes. A core feature is that PSMTs, mentored by experienced mathematics educators and using research-based materials and methods, assume responsibility for teaching sections of a DMC. Measures to assess the efficacy of this model include: pre-and post-assessments of students' mathematical proficiency; surveys and interviews soliciting students' interest and self-efficacy in mathematics; video records of PSMTs' instruction, self-reflections about their teaching, and interviews about learning to teach through this experience.The intellectual merits of this project are two-fold: 1) contribution to the scant literature on hybrid structures that maximize the potential of web-based, adaptive tutoring with face-to-face instruction in DMCs; and 2) development of materials for DMCs that provide guidance to instructors for implementing the instructional model. As a result of disseminating these materials, broader impacts include improved outcomes for under-represented groups, increased STEM participation, and contributions to a teaching force better prepared to teach students who have struggled in mathematics.