Quantitative Reasoning for Professionals is a two-semester general education sequence that teaches basic and intermediate algebra through the lens of quantitative reasoning. In this course sequence, we emphasize communication and inference-making while teaching practical algebra skills for students in programs such as business, nursing, and social…

The percentage of college students receiving unproductive grades in introductory mathematics courses is a concern for post-secondary institutions across the country. Many factors can be targeted as potential explanations for this lack of success, yet none of these issues are more noteworthy than the fact that many students enter college…

Undergraduate students' engagement with mathematical discourse when defining geometric solids is analysed and compared with what their lecturers expect them to do. The theory of commognition is adopted as the theoretical framework, which permits the characterisation and comparison of their discursive activities, and may lead to the identification…

The aim of this study is to investigate the misanalogical construction of undergraduate students in their cognitive conflict in doing a non-routine mathematical task. Qualitative methods were used in this research. Data were collected from 68 seventh semester undergraduate students of Mathematics Education Study Program, Universitas Negeri Malang…

Mathematical competency is related to performance in introductory statistics courses and may be a roadblock to successful course completion. We developed a new measure (Math Assessment for College Students, MACS) of basic mathematics skills that improves upon measures previously used in undergraduate settings. The MACS is freely available and…

Quantitative learning centers (QLCs) have emerged on undergraduate around the globe in an attempt to provide necessary support to students enrolled in undergraduate courses that address quantitative literacy. QLCs often provide support through peer tutoring to students in mathematics or related courses. Since QLCs are prevalent on undergraduate…

Universities have been forced to confront the increasing placement of students into developmental courses and the subsequent lack of success students encounter. In an effort to better understand how students' attitudes and dispositions towards mathematics impact this trend, we explored the differences in nine characteristics between students in…

In this paper we report on a survey designed to test whether or not students differentiated between two different types of problems involving combinations--problems in which combinations are used to count unordered sets of distinct objects (a natural, common way to use combinations), and problems in which combinations are used to count ordered…

Specifications grading is a version of mastery grading distinguished by giving students clear specifications that their work must meet, and grading most things pass/fail based on those specifications. Mastery grading systems can get quite elaborate, with hierarchies of objectives and various systems for rewriting and retesting. In this article I…

This manuscript describes a quantitative literacy course focusing on issues of economic and racial justice, developed for a summer bridge program. The curriculum for the course, described in the manuscript, consisted of open-ended assignments that dealt with real-world issues and required basic modeling skills; whereas the culminating assignment…

Despite the fact that mathematics is present and necessary in any area of daily life, students have little interest in developing mathematical skills. Hence, the aim of the study is to check whether the variables motivation, usefulness, anxiety, confidence, and liking are determining in their attitude towards mathematics. The present research is…

As statisticians, we engage in a variety of activities, some of which are regularly integrated into our undergraduate courses. However, the individual courses that comprise a mathematics or statistics degree program might not provide students with experiences in the broader range of activities that define the practice of statistics. To remedy this…

Writing in mathematics is an essential skill for communication and many technical careers. Research suggests that writing in mathematics often leads to increased understanding and more effective communication. However, writing in mathematics is still underutilized as a method of instruction. Further, many college students practice example-based…

Mathematics has a unique and powerful role to play in the teaching of social justice issues. There is substantial quantitative evidence for social injustice, but many citizens lack the quantitative skills to understand that evidence. A course in quantitative literacy is a unique opportunity to provide this quantitative understanding to a wide…

In this paper, I report on doctoral research in which I investigated the relationships between student approaches to learning, conceptions of mathematics, mathematical self-efficacy, personal factors and examination results. Using seventy-three post-secondary mathematics students, some pertinent findings were: self-belief in selection processes…