Enduring Experiences With Mathematics

• In Event: Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Division C Section 1c Poster Session: Research in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This study explores college students’ experiences with mathematics through a mathematics identity framework. Qualitative data from 131 participants were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. We report findings from responses to five open-ended questions about how participants were recognized by their parents and high school mathematics teachers, ways that they exhibited interest in mathematics, and their beliefs about what it means to understand or perform in mathematics. Several overarching themes emerging from the study indicate that mathematics identity focuses on performing and sharing or teaching others in mathematics. Results provide a better understanding of the types of experiences that contribute to individuals’ mathematics identity development and the types of experiences that students deem important for their participation in mathematics.

Authors

• Jennifer Dawn Cribbs, Western Kentucky University

• Janet Lynne Tassell, Western Kentucky University

• Zahra Hazari, Florida International University

• Philip M. Sadler, Harvard University

• Gerhard Sonnert, Harvard University