The Mathematical Inquiry Project: Faculty Instructional Change for Enhanced Student Learning and Success in Entry-Level Mathematics

政策制定者、专业组织和教育研究人员都提到了在各级本科数学中广泛采用以探究为导向、以学生为中心的教学的重要性。俄克拉荷马州州立大学的数学探究项目（MIP）旨在通过促进俄克拉荷马州27所公立高等教育机构数学系之间的全州合作来实现这一目标。 MIP侧重于增加数学探究的三个要素的使用：主动学习技术，结合数学的有意义的应用，以及学术成功技能的发展。 为了实现本科数学教学的这一变革，该项目将开发一个实践社区，以提供所需的专业支持，指导，教学活动开发和社区发展。通过在俄克拉荷马州大规模促进可持续、有效的数学探究，MIP旨在提高数百名数学教师的效率，并改善全州数千名入门级数学学生的学习。为了实现其目标，MIP将举办启动研讨会，优先考虑大学代数/Precalculus，定量推理，建模，微积分1和学术成功技能的概念和技能。在这些研讨会之后，合作研究和开发团队将为启动研讨会确定的每个优先主题开发教学模块。随后，由相关合作研究与开发团队成员领导的区域研讨会将帮助教师学习如何在课程中使用这些模块，并在实施教学模块期间提供持续的同行指导。 在整个项目中，项目人员将研究实践的MIP社区的演变，个别教师的演变，以及MIP对学生成功的影响。 这一分析将用于制定一个完善的模式，以发展和维持一个有效的全系统教师实践社区。 通过项目研究和评估完善的MIP模型，用于围绕探究式数学建立实践社区，可以为全国数学教师的专业发展和指导提供信息，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Policymakers, professional organizations, and educational researchers have cited the importance of widespread adoption of inquiry-oriented, student-centered instruction across all levels of undergraduate mathematics. The Mathematical Inquiry Project (MIP) at Oklahoma State University aims to achieve that goal by fostering a statewide collaboration among mathematics departments at the 27 public institutions of higher education in Oklahoma. The MIP focuses on increasing the use of three elements of mathematical inquiry: active learning techniques, incorporation of meaningful applications of mathematics, and development of academic success skills. To achieve this transformative change in undergraduate mathematics instruction, the project will develop a community of practice to provide the needed professional support, mentoring, instructional activity development, and community development. By fostering sustainable, effective implementation of mathematical inquiry at large scale in Oklahoma, the MIP aims to enhance the effectiveness of hundreds of mathematics faculty and improve the learning of thousands of entry-level mathematics students across the state. To achieve its goals, the MIP will conduct Initiation Workshops to prioritize the concepts and skills for College Algebra/Precalculus, Quantitative Reasoning, Modeling, Calculus 1, and Academic Success Skills. Following these workshops, Collaborative Research and Development teams will develop instructional modules for each of the priority topics defined by the Initiation Workshops. Subsequently, Regional Workshops, led by the members of the relevant Collaborative Research and Development team, will help faculty learn to how to use these modules in their courses and provide continuing peer mentoring during implementation of the instructional modules. Throughout the project, project personnel will examine the evolution of the MIP community of practice, the evolution of individual faculty, and the impact of MIP on student success. This analysis will be used to produce a refined model for developing and sustaining an effective system-wide faculty community of practice. The MIP model for building a community of practice around inquiry-oriented mathematics, refined through the project research and evaluation, can inform mathematics faculty professional development and mentoring throughout the nation, potentially exerting a transformative impact on undergraduate mathematics teaching and learning.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.