PROCEEDINGS OF THE 16TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 2)
2013
Denver, Colorado
Teaching Undergraduate Calculus for Transfer: A Qualitative Case Study of the Calculus Sequence at One Liberal Arts College
Page: 2-70
At small liberal arts colleges, a single calculus sequence must successfully accommodate students from various majors, such as mathematics, biology, chemistry, and economics. This qualitative case study considers mathematics professors' perspectives about the required nature of calculus in various disciplines, attempts to identify how calculus instructors teach with the aim of preparing students to apply calculus knowledge in their future coursework, and how the disciplinary focus of their students affects professors' design and teaching of calculus courses. Framed using aspects of teaching and learning shown to promote transfer of knowledge, results suggest that the professors teach for understanding and allow in-class processing time, but could improve their emphasis on applying calculus in non-mathematics disciplines. This study contributes to the growing body of undergraduate mathematics education research intended to document undergraduate teaching practices.