PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The transition from AP to college calculus: Students’ perceptions of factors for success
Page: 925
This study examines similarities and differences in the Advanced Placement and college calculus experience from the student perspective to characterize how taking AP Calculus in high school relates to student success in a college calculus course. Fourteen first–semester college students who had taken the AP Calculus exam were interviewed about their perceptions of, and experiences in the courses. The Academic Performance Determinants Model (Credé & Kuncel, 2008) was used to develop an interview protocol. Qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed four categories of themes about the students’ experience: 1) Students’ study approaches in the respective classes, 2) Students’ self–efficacy and metacognition, 3) The Class format’s effect on student success, and 4) Students’ beliefs about the cognitive demand of the course. All the themes, their implications for those teaching in AP and college calculus, and the need for further research are presented.