ABSTRACT

Student Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning (SEMINAL) is a nationally funded program working to better understand the utilization of active learning techniques in introductory undergraduate mathematics courses. This research project investigated how different groups categorized by racial and gender identity perceived the climate of their mathematics courses from Precalculus to Calculus 2 at nine universities across the United States.

This was done by analyzing the survey responses (n=16,523) from the X-PIPS-M Survey Suite within Microsoft Excel in pivot tables, and heat maps. Responses were split up by a student’s classification of institution, site, gender identity, and racial identity. Instructor data was also analyzed to contrast instructional practices with the students experiencing them. Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs) had the lowest rigor levels, yet the highest engagement and friendliness levels, while predominantly white institutions (PWIs) had the highest rigor levels and the lowest engagement and friendliness levels. Analysis of instructor data found most PWIs utilizing an autonomous system and our sample of HSIs utilizing a team-based approach to the instructional environment. Results of this study have implication of how groups of students relate to their math courses based on instructional practices and institutional characteristics.