A study of the impact of instructional approach on community college students’ problem solving and metacognitive abilities in the developmental mathematics course, Introductory Algebra

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the cognitive, metacognitive, affective and instructional constructs that influence students’ problem solving development in a community college Introductory Algebra course. The study addressed the lack of success that developmental mathematics students in a community college have in the Introductory Algebra course and in subsequent curriculum mathematics courses. Research suggests that the prevalent procedural-oriented instructional methodology used in most mathematics classrooms may be contributing to the lack of student success. The community college students (N = 140) in this study were enrolled in an Introductory Algebra course. The study investigated the relationships among the constructs self-regulation, students’ problem solving development, and instructional methods used in the Introductory Algebra course. A correlational design established the quantitative relationships among the constructs. The aim of this study was to heighten the awareness of both the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of adult student learning, as well as, the importance of attending to the students’ conceptual understanding of mathematics