Collaborative Research: Promoting Success in Undergraduate Mathematics through Graduate Teaching Assistant Training

数学对于学生在所有科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科中的成功至关重要。此外，在培养下一代STEM专业人才的日益增长的国家需求中，数学课程的本科成功是越来越重要的一部分。完成数学课程的困难往往会阻碍本科生实现获得STEM学位和进入STEM劳动力市场的目标。科罗拉多大学丹佛分校、奥本大学和孟菲斯大学的这项合作研究项目旨在通过加强数学科学研究生助教（gta）的教学准备来提高本科数学课程的完成率。提供一个有效的GTA培训模式，包含各种基于证据的方法，有可能改善GTA的课堂实践，这反过来又可能增加GTA所教课程的本科学习。该项目将通过研究GTA培训的改进如何影响本科生的学习，特别是STEM专业通常需要的低年级本科数学课程，来研究这种可能性。此外，教学本科生是数学教师专业责任的重要组成部分，无论他们的任命范围从社区学院到大型研究型大学。因此，这种培训也将产生一支数学科学教师的骨干队伍，他们能够更好地利用有效的实践来提高本科生在大学早期数学方面的成功。该项目将进行一项由三所大学组成的多部分研究，目的是调查gta在科罗拉多大学丹佛分校、奥本大学和孟菲斯大学完成多部分、强化的教学和教学培训期间和之后对他们的影响。该项目将使用和改进最初由科罗拉多大学丹佛数学和统计科学系GTA准备计划开发的几个组件。这些组成部分包括为参与的gta提供：(1)基于相关文献的对本科数学科学教学相关问题的深刻理解；(2)获得同伴和教师指导的机会；(3)为其他gta提供同侪辅导的机会；(4)为当地K-12学生提供外展机会，以便更广泛地了解他们未来学生的学术轨迹；(5)参加“STEM教育中的关键问题”跨机构研讨会。研究将包括对本科生表现和成功、留校率和满意度的数据分析，对GTA课堂观察的纵向定性和定量分析，对培训计划如何影响GTA对数学教学和学习的看法的检查，以及对同侪关系影响经验不足和经验丰富的GTA的方式进行定性分析，无论是在课堂上还是在课堂外。参与机构的不同背景将提供机会进行丰富的比较，并更深入地了解能够促进在全国其他机构更广泛地采用项目组成部分的机制。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Mathematics is critical for student success in all Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Furthermore, undergraduate success in mathematics courses is an increasingly critical piece of the growing national need to train the next generation of STEM professionals. Difficulty in completing mathematics courses often prevents undergraduate students from reaching their goals of obtaining a STEM degree and entering the STEM workforce. This collaborative research project at the University of Colorado Denver, Auburn University, and the University of Memphis aims to improve the completion of undergraduate mathematics courses by enhancing the instructional preparation of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) in the Mathematical Sciences. Providing an effective model of GTA training that encompasses a wide variety of evidence-based approaches has the potential to improve GTA classroom practices, which in turn may increase undergraduate learning in the classes the GTAs teach. This project will investigate this possibility by examining how improvements to GTA training affect undergraduate student learning, particularly in lower-division undergraduate mathematics courses that are often required for STEM majors. In addition, teaching undergraduates is a significant part of the professional responsibilities of mathematics faculty, regardless of their range of appointments from community colleges to large research universities. Thus, this training will also result in a cadre of mathematical sciences faculty who are better prepared to use effective practices to increase undergraduate student success in early college mathematics.The project will conduct a multi-part, three-institution research study, with the intended purpose of investigating the effects on GTAs during and after the time they complete their multi-component, enhanced instructional and pedagogical training at the University of Colorado Denver, Auburn University, and the University of Memphis. The project will use and refine several components initially developed by the CU Denver Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences GTA preparation program. These components include providing participating GTAs with: (1) a deep understanding, grounded in relevant literature, of pertinent issues in undergraduate mathematical sciences instruction; (2) opportunities to be mentored by peers and faculty; (3) opportunities to provide peer-mentoring of other GTAs; (4) outreach opportunities to local K-12 students in order to gain a broader understanding of their future students' academic trajectories; and (5) participation in a cross-institutional "Critical Issues in STEM Education" seminar. Research will include the analysis of data on undergraduate student performance and success, retention and satisfaction, a longitudinal qualitative and quantitative analysis of observations of GTA classrooms, an examination of how the training program impacts GTA perceptions of mathematics teaching and learning, and a qualitative analysis on the ways the peer-mentor relationship affects inexperienced and experienced GTAs, both in and out of their classrooms. The diverse contexts of the participating institutions will provide the opportunity for rich comparisons and greater insight into mechanisms that can facilitate broader adoption of project components at other institutions around the country.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.