A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Self-Reliance, Help-Seeking, and "Giving Up" in Postsecondary Math Classes

• In Event: 69.033 - Student Learning and In-Class Experiences

Abstract

A mixed methods approach was employed to analyze postsecondary students’ responses to a mathematics vignette (n = 116). Themes surrounding self-reliance, giving-up, and help-seeking emerged from the data, including three types of help-seeking: formal (e.g., instructors), informal (e.g., friends), and undefined. Binary logistic regression was used to predict giving-up. Students who are potential educators (PEs) were 15.64 times more likely to give-up on a math course when seeking help from informal sources (p = .024), but only 8.82 times more likely to give-up when seeking formal sources (p = .008). Non-PEs were 21.36 times more likely to give-up on a math course when seeking help from a formal source (p = .01). These results informed our grounded theory model.

Authors

• Laura M Jakiel, Florida State University

• Alysia D. Roehrig, Florida State University