Algebra Instruction at Community Colleges: An Exploration of its Relationship with Student Success

社区学院为大部分需要本科水平数学的学生提供服务，并在STEM劳动力发展中发挥越来越大的作用。人们对社区学院在本科教育中的作用越来越感兴趣。该提案旨在调查社区大学代数课程的教学在什么条件下可以与学生的学习成果和课程表现联系起来。这些信息可以用来设计程序，以改善教学并支持学生在代数方面取得成功。这项研究涉及来自三个州的六所社区学院，重点关注三个关键的代数主题：线性方程、有理方程和指数方程。这一结果也将应用于其他高等教育机构的数学课程。该项目得到了NSF的EHR核心研究(ECR)计划的支持。ECR计划强调基础STEM教育研究，以产生该领域的基础知识。该项目将以一种模式将课堂的两个层面(学生和教师)联系起来，该模式审查两个群体的个人特征(例如，性别、种族、教育背景、学生的数学知识和对数学的信念)以及课堂互动的各个方面(例如，数学质量、教学质量)。这些机构代表城市、郊区和农村社区、各种机构规模和美国三个不同的地区。提出了一个模型，用于检验这些相关变量，以检验存在哪些关系。将在多个项目阶段采用混合方法设计，收集定量和定性数据。第一阶段将包括对该项目的一些仪器进行试点测试，并测试模型。后期阶段包括各机构的数据收集和分析。数据收集包括学生层面和教师层面的措施。对于学生，该项目将检查数学表现、数学信念和对课堂环境的感知。对于讲师来说，该项目将考察知识、信念和态度。将收集所有参与者的人口统计信息。除了量化措施外，还将使用课堂观察和视频分析来记录教学的性质。

Community colleges serve a large portion of students who require mathematics at the undergraduate level and play an increasing role in STEM workforce development. There is a growing national interest in the role of community colleges for undergraduate education. The proposal seeks to investigate the conditions under which instruction in community college algebra courses can be associated with student learning gains and course performance. This information can be used to design programs to improve instruction and to support student success in algebra. The study involves six community colleges from three states and focuses on three key algebra topics: linear equations, rational equations, and exponential equations. The results will also have applications for mathematics courses at other institutions of higher education. This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. The project will connect both levels of the classroom (students and instructors) in a model that examines personal characteristics of both groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, educational background, student mathematics knowledge, and beliefs about mathematics) and aspects of classroom interaction (e.g., quality of mathematics, quality of instruction). The institutions represent urban, suburban, and rural communities, a range of institution sizes, and three different regions of the United States. A model is proposed for examining these related variables to examine what relationships exist. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected in a mixed methods design in multiple project phases. The first phase will include pilot testing some of the instruments for the project and testing the models. Later phases include data collection and analysis across the institutions. Data collection includes student-level and instructor-level measures. For students, the project will examine measures of mathematics performance, mathematics beliefs, and perceptions of the classroom environment. For instructors, the project will examine knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. Demographic information will be collected for all participants. In addition to the quantitative measures, classroom observations and video analysis will be used to document the nature of instruction.