PROCEEDINGS OF THE 19TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2016
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A national investigation of Precalculus through Calculus 2
Page: 1245
We present findings from a recently completed census survey of all mathematics departments that offer a graduate degree (Master’s and/or PhD) in mathematics. The census survey is part of a larger project investigating department-level factors that influence student success over the entire progression of the introductory mathematics courses that are required of most STEM majors, beginning with Precalculus and continuing through the full year of single variable calculus. The findings paint a portrait of students’ curricular experiences with Precalculus and single variable calculus, as well as the viewpoints held by departments of mathematics about that experience. We see that departments are not unaware of the value of particular features characteristic of more successful calculus programs, but that they are not always successful at implementation. However, our data also suggest hope for the future. Our work not only reveals what is currently happening, but also what is changing, how, and why.