RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
“I want this to be the last time. I don't want to teach myself anymore”: Relearning Factorization from Middle School Through College
Page: 609
We report results of a longitudinal case study of one Intermediate Algebra student Sierra’s experiences relearning factorization from 8th grade through Precalculus. This data comes from a larger project investigating six developmental mathematics students’ perceptions of the experience of relearning individual topics and reflections on relearning across two semesters of college algebra courses. Such a student-centered perspective is critical to developmental mathematics educators who are currently grappling with high rates of failure and attrition in such courses nation-wide. In examining Sierra’s learning experience as one of relearning, this report sheds light on how students may use their previous algebra learning experiences to make predictions about the kind of understanding they will come to have about particular topics, and to motivate particular behaviors and affective states during instruction. Furthermore, we illustrate how such topic-level experiences may be used to shape learning experiences in subsequent mathematics courses involving algebra.