PROCEEDINGS OF THE 19TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2016
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Gender, switching, and student perceptions of Calculus I
Page: 719
We analyze survey data to explore how students’ reported perceptions of their Calculus I experiences relate to their gender and persistence in calculus. We draw from student free- responses from several universities involved in a comprehensive US national study of Calculus I We perform a thematic analysis on the data, identifying numeric patterns via Dedoose, a mixed methods program, and inspecting student responses within identified themes. Our analyses indicate that female students report negative affect and a desire for authentic learning more often than males. Student preparation also plays a role in changes in confidence. We discuss potential factors that influence student persistence in calculus.