PROCEEDINGS OF THE 17TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2014
Denver, Colorado
Academic And Social Integration Revealed In Characteristics Of Successful Programs In College Calculus Project: The Two-Year College Context
Page: 894
We present an analysis of features common across four Calculus I programs at two-year colleges identified as successful in the Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus (CSPCC) study. In this paper we discuss how these features emerged in the analysis of the four cases and their connection to theories of student academic and social integration. Student academic and social integration have been identified as closely related to student persistence in college. We used a constant comparative analysis to identify themes within and across institutions, using transcripts of 22 interviews with faculty, staff, and administrators, and student focus groups. We discuss three of the seven major themes that arose, High quality instructors, Faculty autonomy and trust in the teaching of calculus, Supporting students academically and socially, and Attention to placement, which support a model of student academic and social integration. We present further research steps and some implications for practice.