Theses Doctoral

Pedagogical Moves and Decision-Making in Undergraduate Mathematics Instruction

Nelson, Sarah Beth

Teachers require knowledge of content and pedagogy in order to do their jobs effectively. This fact has led researchers throughout the history of the study of education to create many frameworks through which we may understand teachers’ mental processes, knowledge, beliefs, and competencies. However, most of this research has focused on primary and secondary education, much less so on the undergraduate level.

This study focuses on the pedagogical moves and decision-making processes used by award-winning undergraduate mathematics instructors. Participants are four award-winning undergraduate mathematics instructors in the Northeast. I observed and interviewed each participant. Observations and interviews were audio- and video-recorded. The interview consisted of questions about why the instructor did what they were observed doing in their classroom. Observational data were analyzed using an existing protocol for undergraduate STEM classes. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed using grounded theory.

The first line of inquiry of the study is about what pedagogical moves award-winning undergraduate instructors use. The findings are that award-winning instructors use, on average, more student-centered moves and fewer teacher-centered moves than general undergraduate instructors. The second line of inquiry of the study is about the factors influencing the decision-making of award-winning undergraduate instructors. The findings here are that the participants used factors of Repositioning Student and Professor, Creating Positive Student Experiences, and Considering Future Use. The third and final line of inquiry is about the aspects of knowledge and belief being relied upon in that decision-making process.

The findings are that award-winning instructors rely on beliefs regarding improving student experiences, what will best serve students in the future, and conversation as part of the learning process. They rely on knowledge regarding students in general, their specific students, and mathematical content.

Geographic Areas

Files

  • thumnail for Nelson_columbia_0054D_19004.pdf Nelson_columbia_0054D_19004.pdf application/pdf 1000 KB Download File

More About This Work

Academic Units
Mathematics Education
Thesis Advisors
Wasserman, Nick
Degree
Ph.D., Columbia University
Published Here
January 29, 2025