RUME 27
2025
Alexandria, Virginia
Mathematicians’ Goals for Their Upper-Level, Proof-Based Mathematics Courses
Page: 1007
Despite significant research efforts focused on the development of student-centered instruction, most mathematicians continue to teach through lecture. Consequently, researchers have called for further examination of the reasons why mathematicians appear to believe in their current teaching practices. Our study builds on previous research addressing this call by examining how mathematicians’ in- and out-of-class instructional decisions in upper-level, proof-based mathematics courses reflect their pedagogical goals. Four mathematicians participated in a series of three, one-to-one interviews examining their instructional design of a course they had recently taught. Data analysis is ongoing and is being guided by a deductive form of thematic analysis. In this paper, we provide an overview of literature on mathematicians’ pedagogical goals, describe the study design and plans for data analysis, and present preliminary findings in relation to one participant mathematician.