An Investigation of Attitudes, Values and Beliefs in Relation to Cognition to Improve Problem Solving in a First-Semester Calculus Course
From CTLpedia
- A Triangulated Analysis by Mathematics, Sociology, and Psychology Instructors: Work-in-Progress
- Madeleine Chowdhury, Maria Chavira, Vanessa Perkins
- 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 8, 2006
- LB 145 in the Elsner Library at MCC
This research project addresses student deficiency issues in math based on previous math education research focused on issues associated with the problem-solving domain. Data from Mesa Community College assessment program reveal that MCC students’ gain in knowledge and skills is statistically significant but that these students lack the ability to synthesize and apply such skills and knowledge in problem-solving scenarios. This research will explore two components of the problem-solving process, cognition and affect, in a first-semester calculus course in order to investigate how the relationship between the cognitive and affective can improve learning and teaching in mathematics.
During the 2000-2001 academic year, Madeleine, Vanessa and Maria were afforded the opportunity, through Maricopa Institute of Learning (MIL), to open lines of inquiry into significant issues in teaching and learning in their disciplines including visualization in third-semester calculus (Chowdhury). For all of them this was a defining moment in their life-long educational journey and commitment to SoTL. The following are brief summaries of each team member’s experiences and expertise.
Madeleine Chowdhury: Madeleine’s first introduction to problem-solving research was in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab while researching the dynamics of a JPL Salisbury manipulator during a fellowship in her graduate mechanical engineering program from 1989-1991. During her ten years at MCC, she has been involved in a National Science Foundation (NSF) project; was the recipient of several local grants; was a fellow in MIL; was granted a sabbatical; was granted funding to study ethnomathematics and Montessori philosophy as related to mathematical reasoning. She was recently faculty developer for MCC from 2005-2006.
Maria Chavira: Maria is an active participant in the Western Psychological Association (WPA) and a member of American Educational Research Association (AERA) and American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). In 2002, Maria was invited to participate in a symposium at WPA to share innovative teaching methods in undergraduate psychology courses. This was a direct result of my participation as an MIL Fellow. In her capacity as faculty developer from 2002-2005, she designed a model for faculty development that uses the information she gained about the scholarship of teaching and learning to guide a faculty development model.
Vanessa Perkins: For the past fifteen years during her tenure at MCC, Vanessa has taught Introduction to Sociology, Men and Women in Society and served as lead instructor for the courses on Racial and Ethnic minorities. As a leader in diversity education, Vanessa has worked extensively on campus diversity issues in a variety of ways. In collaboration with two other colleagues, she assisted in the development of the “Cultural Diversity Assessment” tool used during assessment week. She has authored and co-authored several handbooks and teaching resources. These publications feature some of the most important and up-to-date information on what works to engage students in powerful diverse learning environments.
