Investigating the Role of Student Engagement in Team-Based College Calculus

• In Event: Personal and Social Factors in Mathematics Education

Abstract

Active and collaborative approaches to learning have been found to promote student learning and achievement, but the benefits of these approaches may depend on the quality of students’ cognitive engagement. In this study, we examined student engagement and achievement among 299 college students enrolled in traditional and team-based sections of a Calculus I course. Results indicate that students’ cognitive engagement may have mediated the relationship between course format and conceptual gains in calculus. Furthermore, the quality of students’ cognitive engagement predicted their performance in Calculus I and downstream courses. Implications for the effective use of collaborative and active learning approaches are discussed.

Authors

• Amanda R. Baker, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Heather Bolles, Iowa State University

• Kari Jurgenson, Iowa State University