PROCEEDINGS OF THE 16TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 1)
2013
Denver, Colorado
Struggling with Confidence: Persistence in Mathematics among Secondary Mathematics Majors
Page: 1-131
Completing undergraduate mathematics courses is a central feature of the professional preparation of most prospective secondary mathematics teachers. However, there is little mixed methods research into the patterns of course taking, performance, and persistence among mathematics majors, in general, and among secondary mathematics majors, in particular. Drawing from a sample of 42,825 mathematics enrollment records at two universities over a six-year period, this study uses a social cognitive perspective to better understand mathematics majors' performance and persistence in undergraduate mathematics courses. Quantitative analysis is accompanied by case studies gleaned from exploratory qualitative interviews of nine secondary mathematics majors at one of the universities. Implications include potential strategies for mathematics programs and faculty to support the success of secondary mathematics majors in undergraduate mathematics coursework.