RUME 26
2024
Omaha, Nebraska
Uncovering Mathematics Capital: Using Structural Equation Modeling to Investigate Interrelations With Traditional Measures of Mathematics Assets
Page: 493
Students enter undergraduate mathematics classrooms with a variety of mathematical backgrounds. We view these past mathematical experiences as assets that support students in their future mathematical learning. In this paper, we seek to characterize these assets by introducing a new concept in mathematics education: mathematics capital. This concept emerges from a framework connecting Archer et al.’s (2015) conceptualization of science capital and Bourdieu’s seminal work on the forms of capital (1986). Survey data were gathered in Spring 2023 from a total of 219 students in undergraduate mathematics courses at an urban midwestern university. Path analyses in structural equation modeling showed a strong association between the variables of mathematics capital and self-efficacy. Other associations are also discussed. Our results indicate that mathematics capital is a measurable, quantifiable variable, independent from others. Future research is ongoing to better understand the nature of mathematics capital and how it is related to other variables.