The Impact of an Online, Mastery, and Project-Based Developmental Math Curriculum on Student Achievement and Attitude

Due to anxiety, low confidence, and inadequate content knowledge, many college students struggle to complete their developmental math coursework. As colleges redesign their programs to address these issues, careful research is imperative to determine the factors that best meet the needs of these struggling students. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of one college\u27s redesigned program (integrating online, mastery, and project-based learning) compared with the traditional program. Using Weiner\u27s attribution theory of achievement motivation and emotion as a guide, this mixed methods case study used a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design in conjunction with a qualitative examination of student interviews. The study used archived quantitative data and interview data from community college students in the Western United States. The quantitative data was analyzed using multiple regression, and a thematic analysis was used for the interview data. The results indicated that students in traditional courses achieved higher final exam scores than those in the revised courses. However, the revised and traditional math students did not exhibit significantly different attitudes toward math. Some of the key factors that directly impacted student success included the availability of student support services, student collaboration, and self-concept and motivation. Based on these results, the participating college and similar colleges will be able to make more informed decisions to improve the efficacy of their developmental math programs. These revisions will then help to improve student attitude and success in mathematics, will motivate students to persist in their education, and will better equip students to positively contribute to their future communities and workplaces