PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2018
San Diego, California
Professor Goals and Student Experiences in an IBL Real Analysis Course: A Case Study
Page: 573
Through an in-depth case study of one real analysis course taught by a very experienced instructor, we gain insight about two goals expressed by advocates of Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) instruction: developing students’ persistence in mathematical study and their identity as mathematics learners. The research study was guided by collaborative workshopping research priorities and questions with of a group of experienced IBL instructors. We provide an in-depth characterization of this highly-experienced instructor’s conceptualization of his teaching practice in undergraduate Real Analysis; specifically, we identify how his deviation from conventional proof-oriented instruction served to uphold his key goals that students create proofs and overcome challenges. We then use this characterization of his practice to report on students’ experiences learning in the course, especially as related to the professor’s two goals.