ERIC Number: EJ1320876
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0894-3907
EISSN: N/A
Ideas in Practice: A Modified FOCUS Model
Myers, Jeanine L.; Brown, Matt; Spittler-Brown, Kristi
Journal of Developmental Education, v43 n3 p20-25 Spr 2020
This article details the adaptation of the FOCUS (Fundamentals of Conceptual Understanding and Success) model (Mireles, Acee, & Gerber, 2014) implemented to improve student success in general education and developmental mathematics at a four-year rural university. The model has been demonstrated successful when implemented at a four-year large urban university in the south. The modification of the model described herein has also addressed another standard approach for improving student success used by many postsecondary institutions: drop-in Mathematics Tutoring Centers (MTCs), which provide extra learning support for students enrolled in developmental and general education mathematics courses (Gallimore & Steward, 2014). This article details the development and implementation of a modified FOCUS model to improve student success, specifically in mathematics. Students' success before and after the changes are implemented is compared. Findings indicate that the redesign via a modified FOCUS model addressed many barriers to MTC use and coincided with an increase in positive student outcomes in developmental and general education mathematics courses.
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Remedial Instruction, Mathematics Achievement, Student Improvement, Rural Areas, Undergraduate Students, Models, Tutoring, Academic Support Services, Barriers, Comparative Analysis, Outcomes of Education, Student Attitudes, Institutional Characteristics, Algebra
National Center for Developmental Education. Appalachian State University, P.O. Box 32098, Boone, NC 28608-2098. Tel: 828-262-3057; Fax: 828-262-7183; Web site: https://journals.library.appstate.edu/index.php/jde/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A