PROCEEDINGS OF THE 22ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2019
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Exploring experiences of students humanities and social sciences in an undergraduate mathematics course and their perceptions of its usefulness
Page: 1041
This hermeneutical phenomenological study explored the experiences of students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) in an undergraduate mathematics course and their perceptions of its utility. Field observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Six themes emerged from the collected data. The phenomenon of being a CHASS student in Topics in Contemporary Mathematics is perceived as enjoyable, but impractical and useless. Moreover, what moves students to be successful are mostly (or only, in some cases) external regulators that do not promote autonomy. A set of implications is provided.