Developing a New Approach to Developmental Education: Exploring the Experiences and Perspectives of Mathematics from the Eyes of College Students

Many community college students are enrolled in basic mathematics courses that are equivalent to high school mathematics courses. Students from developmental mathematics courses at a Midwest community college completed a questionnaire and were interviewed to find themes in their learning past and perspectives on mathematics classes. These students were asked to share the types of mathematics courses they took in the past and the grades earned. The results were used to see where students saw success and failure in past math classes and to spark conversation during the interview about their math placement. Many students explained that their placement was based on a test score, with some students revealing that they believed they were in too low of a math class and were already behind where they needed to be for their major. During the interviews, participants described their favorite and least favorite math classes. The responses revealed the feelings and perspectives students had towards mathematics, and a better understanding of their math journey was unveiled. While some participants described positive math experiences, many negative mathematics experiences were uncovered. The results of this study will be used to inform primary, high school, and college instructors and administrators on the past experiences and attitudes towards mathematics that have contributed to the large amounts of college students enrolled in developmental mathematics courses, with the goal to guide change to lessen these numbers