RUME 27
2025
Alexandria, Virginia
Assessing Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching College Algebra: Differences Between Community College Instructors and Math Majors Without Teaching Experience
Page: 285
This study compares mathematical knowledge for teaching college algebra at community colleges between instructors and math majors without teaching experience, aiming to show that the instrument assesses more than mathematical knowledge. We used an instrument designed to assess knowledge used in doing two tasks of teaching across three function types taught in college algebra, linear, rational, and exponential functions. The Multiple Indicators and Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model was applied to 416 community college mathematics instructors and 85 college students to estimate mean difference in the knowledge between the groups. The higher scores in the MKT-CCA suggests that instructors possess higher MKT than the students. As such, this instrument can be used to identify areas for focused faculty development.