PROCEEDINGS OF THE 19TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2016
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
How should you participate? Let me count the ways
Page: 939
Retention of students in STEM majors is an issue of national stability because government projections indicate our nation to need one million additional STEM majors by 2022 (PCAST, 2012); thusly, the current trends in attrition are alarming. Students leave STEM for various reasons, but poor experiences in Calculus I seem to be a significant contributing factor for many switchers, especially female students. Using data situated within a larger study (Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus), the present report looks specifically at student participation and its influence on Calculus I success. Results indicate that while participation is significantly correlated with success, this effect is not uniformly distributed across types of participation or gender groups. Interestingly, overall success rates were equal, but gender differences were noted in frequency of participatory behaviors and distribution of grades; specifically, males (who reported more A grades) preferred in- class participation and females preferred out-of-class participatory activities.