PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2018
San Diego, California
Individual and Situational Factors Related to Lecturing in Abstract Algebra
Page: 524
In this study, we report the results of a national survey of 219 abstract algebra instructors concerning their instructional practices and pedagogical decision-making. Organizing our respondents into groups (Alternative, Mixed, Traditional) based on proportion of class time lecturing, we investigated differences in the prevalence of specific pedagogical practices and the individual/situational factors influential therein. We used the reported teaching practices to generate profiles of the salient features of each instructional type and attempted to explain these differences through a combination of individual/situational factors. Results indicate that while significant differences in teaching practices exist, these are primarily explained by individual factors such as personal beliefs, level of experience, and interest in various scholarly activities. Situational characteristics, apart from institution type as identified by terminal degree, such as perceived departmental support and situation of abstract algebra in the broader mathematics curriculum did not appear to be related to instructional differences.