1. Diana Bowen & Andrew Webster
Establishing Mathematical Caring Relationships with Underrepresented Students
in a Collegiate Student Support Services Program
Diana Bowen & Andrew Webster
Background
While access to higher education in the United States continues to improve, the success of historically underserved students in college, as measured by persistent degree completion, has not progressed in recent decades (Brock, 2010).
These students remain underrepresented in fields that depend on mathematics (Treisman, 1992; Engle & Tinto, 2008).
Universities offer federally funded Student Support Services (SSS) programs with mathematics components to address student success for historically underserved students.
“Establishing a mathematical caring relationship (MCR) entails aiming for mathematical learning while attending to affective responses of both student and teacher” (Hackenberg, 2005).
Research Questions
What opportunities, if any, do SSS mathematics independent studies and classes provide for establishing and maintaining mathematical caring relationships between instructors and students?
What might mathematical caring relationships between students and between students and instructors look like in higher education?
In the Students’ Words
“The support helps because they’re really kind people, they’re naturally nice.”
“I loved the [SSS], [my instructor] was amazing, that was one of the times I loved math.”
“I feel like with [SSS] and being here so far…. it was making sure we really understand it with all the tutoring and support.”
"[SSS instructors] know what they are talking about, it’s okay to talk to them and feel stupid… because with them I don’t feel as bad…”
“I’ll talk to [SSS instructor] or the SSS math coordinator. They both have different ways of explaining how to solve the problems and it helps to be able to see multiple ways to do the work. A variety of resources gives you your own way to solve the problem.”
Data and Methods
Interview participants included eight first-year students and three staff members including the program director and mathematics faculty.
Semi-structured interviews lasted approximately 30 minutes.
Interview questions focused on students’ current and prior mathematics experiences including their beliefs and attitudes, teachers, and contextual factors.
Field notes included 13 hours of classroom or independent study observations in addition to the interviews.
Field notes were coded and analyzed then synthesized into thematic memos around students’ experiences and MCRs.
Findings
Students found positive relationships with their mathematics professor or SSS instructor as influential to their success.
Students also bring in strong beliefs and attitudes about mathematics from past schooling experiences including experiences with former teachers.
SSS programs may provide additional opportunities for students to form MCRs because of individualized and small-group instruction, but this is only the case if the instructors and students are invested in creating mathematical caring relationships.
Student Support Services Program Characteristics
External Factors
Classroom Characteristics
Instructor Characteristics
Students’ Beliefs and Attitudes
References
Brock, T. (2010). Young Adults and Higher Education: Barriers and Breakthroughs to Success. The Future of Children, 20(1), 109–132.
Hackenberg, A. J. (2005, October). Mathematical caring relations as a framework for supporting research and learning. In Proceedings of the Twenty-seventh Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education [CD-ROM]. Roanoke, VA: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Engle, J., & Tinto, V. (2008). Moving Beyond Access: College Success for Low-Income, First-Generation Students. Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.
Treisman, U. (1992). Studying students studying calculus: A look at the lives of minority mathematics students in college. College Mathematics Journal,