A Qualitative Examination of Epistemic Factors Driving Engagement in Team-Based College Calculus

• In Event: Cognition and Motivation in Mathematics

Abstract

Math educators have called for the use of more active and collaborative approaches to math instruction, arguing that these approaches will better engage students and encourage deeper understanding of math concepts. However, some students may resist or disengage from these approaches to instruction. In this study, we used qualitative methods to examine the factors influencing student engagement in team-based learning sections of a college calculus course. Analyses of repeated interviews with 18 students suggest that students’ beliefs about math knowledge informed the “scripts” they adopted for processes involved in learning calculus. These scripts, in turn, guided students’ individual learning strategies and engagement with their teams in class. Implications for the effective use of team-based learning and similar approaches are discussed.

Authors

• Amanda R. Baker, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Kari Jurgenson, Iowa State University

• Heather Bolles, Iowa State University