A Mixed-Methods Study of Classroom Community Among Undergraduate Students in Introductory Mathematics and Statistics

Undergraduate students often find prerequisite introductory mathematics courses to be a barrier to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors like the geosciences. Through a partnership between earth scientists and mathematicians, we created modified problem sets, laboratory exercises, and educational videos for two introductory mathematics courses (undergraduate college algebra and precalculus) offered at a large, urban, Hispanic-serving, R1 public university in the southwestern United States. Existing content from these introductory mathematics courses was modified to include how earth scientists use and apply the mathematical concepts. By showing geoscience applications of mathematical concepts in these mathematics courses taken during a critical transition that statistically constitutes a major stumbling block for many STEM-intended majors, we hoped to improve student success in these courses, simultaneously increasing their math efficacy and improving their perceptions of geosciences. Here, we describe the process of creating these innovative materials, including the development of the necessary collaboration between mathematicians and geoscientists, and provide some initial results regarding student impact. Instructors of the courses commented on the high level of collaborative learning when students engaged in the geoscience problem-solving laboratory exercises in class and the natural fit of the embedded homework and labs. Furthermore, student performance did not decline in the courses with the modified curriculum. Due to unforeseen changes implemented to the mathematics courses during the study period, primarily surrounding responses to coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions and including changes in grading scheme, our study methodology did not allow us to attribute gains in student success in these mathematics courses to the changes in curricular materials developed and implemented in this project. A limited assessment of individual student’s experiences through pre- and postsurveys in the modified college algebra and precalculus courses with the geoscience-themed units compared to controls (standard courses) showed little change by many students in their attitudes and confidence in math and science at the end of the course, or their perception of the geosciences. Nonetheless, individual student responses to open-ended questions at the end of the semester recalled specific geoscience applications from the modified mathematics courses and a realization that “mathematics play a major role in getting precise data measurements of current and future environmental problems that are important in other majors and careers.”

This paper mainly sought to find out how students’ perceptions influence students in their introductory university mathematics: The perspective of first-year undergraduate students of the University of Cape Coast. Specifically, the study sought to find out first-year students’ perceptions about SHS mathematics and also to find out the perception students have about introductory university mathematics. The population size of the study was 600 students. The research design used was the descriptive survey and the stratified random sampling technique was used to select the sample. A questionnaire was designed and used to collect the data. From our findings, it was established that students have a positive perception about SHS mathematics and the introductory university mathematics course. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that teachers are encouraged to use learner centered approach of teaching mathematics with little regard to the teacher centered approach since the former ensures active participation of students in the teaching-learning process and facilitates understanding while the latter makes students mere passive listeners Keywords: Perception, introductory, students, undergraduate and first-year DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-25-01 Publication date: September 30 th 2020

The purpose of this workshop is to present alternative strategies of instruction that will make the subjects of mathematics and statistics more accessible to students with non-mathematics backgrounds. It is not surprising that introductory mathematics and statistics courses can seem a little overwhelming and inaccessible to students with non-mathematics backgrounds. As a result, these students tend to feel distanced from the course material, or even discouraged from approaching instructors or teaching assistants (TAs) for help. The audience for this workshop includes graduate student TAs, post-doctoral fellows, instructors, lecturers, and anyone who wants to make mathematics and statistics a more engaging subject for students without the technical background.
 The focus of this workshop will be two-fold. First, we will examine how mathematics/statistics instructors can explain concepts to students of different backgrounds effectively via various role-play scenarios. Second, we will use the jigsaw technique to break up complex mathematical problems into pieces with the aim of encouraging collaboration and student engagement (Perkins & Saris, 2001). By attending this workshop, instructors will be able to help undergraduate students see mathematics as a more enjoyable learning experience that they can apply in their own respective fields. These two activities will help students with non-mathematical backgrounds feel more engaged with the material and become more confident when asking for help from an instructor or TA.

IntroductionPhysical activity has health benefits, including lowered obesity, diabetes and hypertension levels. However, participation in regular physical activities among undergraduate students is declining and, instead, physical inactivity sets the path...

BackgroundClinical decision-making training in operative dentistry commonly relies on real or standardized patients to develop undergraduate students’ ability to deliver safe, effective, and patient-centered care. However, training with real or standardized patients can be limited in scalability, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility. Large language models, with their human-like language capabilities, may have the potential to simulate patients in clinical encounters and help overcome some limitations associated with traditional training approaches.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using large language model–based standardized virtual patients to support undergraduate dental students’ clinical decision-making training in operative dentistry.MethodsThis mixed methods cross-sectional feasibility study was conducted during a simulation-based clinical decision-making training session in the Operative Dentistry and Cariology course at the College of Dentistry, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eligible participants were second-year undergraduate dental students enrolled in the course. A convenience sampling approach was used, with all eligible students (N=50) invited to participate. A total of 41 students completed the study, 23 (56%) of whom were male. The students were divided into 8 groups. Each group interacted with 2 standardized virtual patients powered by ChatGPT-4o (OpenAI) through the Chatbase platform to complete comprehensive history-taking and then reviewed the standardized virtual patients’ intraoral photographs and bitewing radiographs. For each standardized virtual patient, students as a group recorded diagnoses, performed a risk assessment, and formulated a treatment plan. Students then completed the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning questionnaire. The quality of the standardized virtual patient responses and overall dialogue realism were evaluated using the Dialogue Authenticity Scale. The dialogues were also thematically analyzed to identify authenticity-undermining response features and explore their context and underlying causes.ResultsStudents perceived the simulation-based training session positively, with all questionnaire items showing high median scores (4.00‐5.00 on a 5-point scale), and both item-level IQRs and 95% CIs spanning no more than 1.0 scale point. In addition, standardized virtual patient responses were largely authentic, with an overall median authenticity rating of 4.50 (IQR 4.00-5.00; 95% CI 4.00-5.00) on a 6-point scale across all interactions. However, several authenticity-undermining response features were identified, including responses that were inconsistent with typical human behavior, contained information beyond a patient’s likely knowledge, or were factually incorrect.ConclusionsThis proof-of-concept study supports the feasibility of implementing large language model–based standardized virtual patients in undergraduate simulation-based clinical decision-making training in operative dentistry. In a dental context where this application has been only minimally evaluated, this study provides early evidence of positive student perceptions, acceptability, and largely authentic dialogue, while also identifying important performance limitations. Further research is warranted to optimize performance and to evaluate the educational effectiveness of this approach in improving undergraduate students’ clinical skills and knowledge.

Undergraduate students represent a new but growing population at a school of public (SPH) health at a large, private, urban research university on the East Coast. This SPH has offered a minor in public health since 2010, and a major was initiated in 2014. The school also plans to offer an accelerated bachelor's-to-master's in public health (BS/MPH) beginning in 2017. Although enrollment in undergraduate public health programs has increased, with continued growth projected, the school has little knowledge of these students' experiences and levels of satisfaction with their respective programs. Public health has deep traditions in graduate study, and incorporating undergraduate education at the SPH has been challenging. Faculty at the SPH are unfamiliar with undergraduate teaching and advising methods or the unique set of challenges faced by students from diverse backgrounds. Gaining a better understanding of undergraduates' experiences can better inform the SPH about the quality of classroom instruction and School programming, while helping position the field of undergraduate public health for sustainable growth and development. This mixed-methods case study sought to understand undergraduate public health students' experiences at a large, private, urban research university. Using a sequential transformative approach, this case study collected feedback from undergraduate public health students through an electronic survey and a subsequent focus group. The study was further informed by the assessment of existing support services and formalized programming at other colleges and schools within the university. The study's major findings revealed that, although undergraduate public health students are satisfied overall with their experiences, programmatic challenges exist regarding course scheduling and infrastructure, cooperative learning experiences, and a lack of engagement and connection with the greater School community. Based on these conclusions, a five-year strategic plan will be developed for the undergraduate public health program in order to position it for continued growth and development. Recommendations include developing mentorship programs and connections between undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty, and increasing opportunities for cooperative learning and related experiences.

BackgroundGlobally, the rate of unplanned pregnancies among students at institutions of higher education, continue to increase annually despite the universal awareness and availability of contraceptives to the general population. This study examined family planning among undergraduate university students focusing on their knowledge, use and attitudes towards contraception in the University of Education Winneba.MethodsThe study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey using a structured self-administered questionnaire. One hundred undergraduate students from the University of Education Winneba were selected using a multistage simple random sampling technique. A Likert scale was used to assess the attitude of the respondents towards family planning methods.ResultsFindings show that the respondents had a positive attitude towards family planning with an average mean score of about 4.0 using a contraceptive attitude Likert scale. Knowledge of contraception, awareness and benefits however do not commensurate contraceptive use among undergraduate students since availability, accessibility and preference influence usage. Emergency Contraception (Lydia) was reported as easy to get contraceptive, hence the most frequently used contraceptive (31%) among young female students aged 21-24 years who appeared as the most vulnerable in accessing and using contraceptives due to perceived social stigma.ConclusionThe observation that levels of Family Planning awareness levels do not commensurate knowledge and usage levels calls for more innovative strategies for contraceptive promotion, and Education on the various university campus. The study recommends that public Universities in Ghana should consider a possible curriculum restructuring to incorporate family planning updates. In this regard, a nationwide mixed method study targeting other tertiary institutions including colleges of education in Ghana is required to explore the topic further to inform policy and programme decisions.

This mixed methods study examined the relationship between the motivations for attending college of undergraduate students with a focus on students with a public health major, and their desire to pursue graduate training in public health and subsequently, public health careers. The study highlighted the current public health workforce shortage and the need for more undergraduate students in public health to matriculate in graduate programs at schools of public health and then on to careers in public health. The problem that was addressed in this study was determining how to recruit more undergraduate public health majors and undergraduates in general to pursue masters level training in public health at a School of Public Health (SPH) at a large urban east coast university. The purpose of this research was to explore what factors influence public health undergraduates to pursue or not pursue graduate study and careers in public health. The research is significant because it provided evidence for administrators and faculty at the SPH to support new or enhanced recruitment/marketing strategies and curricular/co-curricular experiences that positively motivate undergraduate public health students to pursue public health graduate degrees and subsequently careers in public health. The research questions of the study focused on exploring how the motivations for attending college of undergraduate students affected their desire to attend graduate programs in public health and to choose careers in public health. The research questions also 1) uncovered curricular and/or co-curricular activities that influence public health undergraduates to pursue or not pursue public health graduate or medical school training, and 2) examined demographics characteristics that determined the likelihood of undergraduate public health students pursuing a public health graduate degree or medical degree. The study utilized a mixed methods explanatory design to examine the research questions as they are related to graduate public health and medical degree students at a large private urban university, with a focus on students who majored in public health at the undergraduate level. The study used a quantitative correlation method that was followed by a qualitative case study design. The quantitative portion of the study utilized an online version of the Students Motivations for Attending University (SMAU) Scale. The qualitative part of the study consisted of focus interviews with public health graduate students in the MPH program. Analysis of the results revealed several key conclusions:1. certain intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for attending college, based on an analysis of variance (ANOVA), affected a students choice of public health or medicine for graduate study and careers; and a students perceived value of a medical degree;2. students perceived that participation in health related internships, community service/service learning, and research experiences played a role in graduate study/career choice of public health; 3. the education level of study participants mothers was determined via a chi-square test to be significantly associated with career/graduate study in public health; and 4. a majority of students (62%) reported that they lacked sufficient information when they entered college to make an informed decision on graduate study/career choice related to healthcare fields. The findings from the study provided data to individuals at the site who are responsible for recruitment, marketing, and undergraduate public health curricular/co-curricular decision. In particular, the study provides evidence for: 1. developing information via websites, campus visits and other mechanisms about public health graduate study and careers that appeals to the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of undergraduates;2. incorporating opportunities for undergraduates at the site to participate in health related experiential opportunities, have positive faculty-student interactions, and introducing public health concepts to all undergraduate students; and3. creating information for websites and coordinating in-person events that provide information about public health careers and graduate study options.

The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for the strengthening of education and training in infection prevention and control (IPC) in higher educational institutions (HEIs). This is fundamental to ensure health science students are confident and competent in clinical practice. To explore the existing evidence on undergraduate health science students' preparedness for IPC practice. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Ovid, MEDLINE Complete, ProQuest, Scopus, Google Scholar, and gray literature. Quantitative and mixed-methods studies on teaching, learning, and technological approaches to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in undergraduate health science curricula were included. Participants were undergraduate students in medical, nursing, pharmacy, dental, physiotherapy, radiology, medical imaging, and paramedic programs. Studies published in English between 2010 and 2023 were considered. Twenty studies were identified for this review. Most of the studies 11 (55%) reported improved knowledge, practice, attitudes, and confidence in IPC after implementation of technological approaches. The most reported technological approaches were didactic instruction 12 (65%) followed by virtual simulation. There is considerable variation in the scope, content, and delivery methods for IPC in undergraduate programs. The use of traditional face-to-face teaching methods remains widespread despite its lack of interactive or practical aspects. It is important to incorporate technological methods that promote experiential learning in IPC and to develop standardized curricula for IPC at national, regional, and international levels.

Endodontics is considered a challenging and stressful area by dental practitioners and particularly by dental undergraduate students. Stress or anxiety is prevalent among dental undergraduates, with academic and clinical factors considered the principal sources. In addition, the lowest level of student confidence is generally observed when undertaking complex procedures such as root canal treatment. The aim of this review was to investigate the factors responsible for stress, anxiety and confidence in endodontic education and to identify factors which could potentially moderate undergraduate student stress and enhance confidence, improve well-being before concluding by suggesting potential educational improvements. A narrative review was performed by searching 3 databases (Pubmed, Web of Science and Scopus). Inclusion criteria were original research reports related to undergraduate dental students' stress, anxiety or confidence in endodontics education. Quantitative, qualitative or mixed-method studies were considered. This narrative review included 51 studies, which were subdivided into six categories describing factors that have an influence on student stress, anxiety and confidence in endodontics: the patient, the clinical procedure, the academic staff, the teaching methods, the clinical organisation and the student. The management of the endodontic patient's expectations, personality and sometimes acute pain can be stressful for the student. The clinical endodontic procedure, with its complexity and multiple steps, visualisation difficulties and possible complications can also be challenging. Academic staff experienced in endodontics, who are supportive and provide consistent advice, are crucial in managing student stress and anxiety. Educational methods also play an important role in increasing confidence, with a reflective approach, a special focus on hands-on sessions and clinical support with systematic feedback. The clinic should be well-organised and ideally multi-disciplinary, with adequate endodontic equipment and should ensure that the student has sufficient time to practise. Finally, the student's individual stress level is an important factor. The year of training as well as gender should be considered as having an influence on the student stress level. Undergraduate students find endodontics stressful. Educational improvements in endodontics can contribute to moderating the stress and increasing confidence, while improving endodontic learning and promoting student well-being.

A Review of:
 Riehle, C. F., & Hensley, M. K. (2017). What do undergraduate students know about scholarly communication?: A mixed methods study. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 17(1), 145–178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/pla.2017.0009 
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To examine undergraduate student researchers’ perception and understanding of scholarly communication practices and issues. 
 
 Design – Mixed method study involving a survey and semi-structured interviews. 
 
 Setting – Two major undergraduate universities in the Midwest region of the United States. 
 
 Subjects – Undergraduate students who participated in or had completed undergraduate research experiences with faculty mentors. 
 
 Method – The method was first approved by Institutional Review Board offices at both campuses involved in the study. Then, students received invitations to participate in a survey via email (Campus 1 = 221 students; Campus 2 = 345 students). Identical online surveys ran separately on each campus; both remained open for a period of three weeks. All respondents received a reminder email one week before the survey closed. 
 
 Participants answered twelve questions related to demographics and scholarly communication practices. The survey examined knowledge and experience across five areas: the peer review process, author and publisher rights, publication and access models, impact of research, and data management. All students who completed the survey were entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon card. The response rates were 34.8% (Campus 1) and 18.6% (Campus 2). 
 
 Surveys on both campuses were administered using different software: campus 1 utilized Qualtrics survey software while campus 2 used an institution-specific survey software. Data sets were normed and merged later in the study to enable comparison and identify broad themes. 
 
 Survey respondents were also invited to participate in a 15 to 20 minute follow-up interview and were compensated with a $20 Amazon gift card. The interviews consisted of four open-ended questions that further examined students’ knowledge of scholarly communication practices. The researchers coded interview transcripts and identified themes. Qualitative software was used to analyze the surveys and assess coder agreement. Finally, connections and anomalies between survey and interview results were explored. 
 
 Main Results – Quantitative and qualitative data collected during the study indicate that students were most confident in their understanding of the peer-review process and data management but felt less confident in their knowledge of author and publisher rights, publication and access models, and determining the impact of scholarly research publication. In addition, they value instruction related to scholarly communication topics like the peer-review process, publication models, and data management. However, few students feel confident in their current level of knowledge or ability surrounding the previously mentioned topics. Study findings suggest that this knowledge gap is based on a lack of training or discussion of scholarly communication topics in relation to students’ research activities. 
 
 Results also suggest that undergraduate students have difficulty articulating their rights as authors and their scholarly communication practices. In many cases, skill sets like data management are learned through trial and error while students progress through the research process. In some cases, faculty mentors have misperceptions and assumptions about undergraduate students’ knowledge and abilities regarding scholarly communication practices. This can create challenges for undergraduate students as they attempt to make informed decisions about research activities based on a limited foundation of experience or information. 
 
 Finally, results indicate that undergraduate student researchers do not currently view the library as a place to learn about scholarly communication practices. The authors suggest that by forming strategic relationships with undergraduate research program directors, faculty, and graduate student mentors, librarians are in a prime position to incorporate scholarly communication practices into information literacy sessions or provide point-of-need coaching. 
 
 Conclusion – The researchers conclude that academic libraries are in a unique position to support overarching research, teaching, and learning goals within the academic community. By developing programs that support information literacy and scholarly communication, libraries demonstrate value and align goals with teaching and learning priorities within the higher education community as a whole. Through this work, librarians support students as knowledge creators and advocate for training that emphasizes data literacy, copyright and authors’ rights, and the impact of research within specific disciplines.

PurposeSelf-efficacy has been argued theoretically and shown empirically to be an essential construct for students’ improved learning outcomes. However, there is a dearth of studies on its causal effects on performance in mathematics among university students. Meanwhile, it will be erroneous to assume that results from other fields of studies generalize to mathematics learning due to the task-specificity of the construct. As such, attempts are made in the present study to provide evidence for a causal relationship between self-efficacy and performance with a focus on engineering students following a mathematics course at a Norwegian university.MethodThe adopted research design in the present study is a survey type in which collected data from first-year university students are analyzed using structural equation modeling with weighted least square mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator. Data were generated using mainly questionnaires, a test of prior mathematics knowledge, and the students’ final examination scores in the course. The causal effect of self-efficacy was discerned from disturbance effects on performance by using an innovative instrumental variable approach to structural equation modeling.ResultsThe findings confirmed a significant direct effect of the prior mathematics knowledge test (β = 0.52, SE = 0.01, p < 0.001) on self-efficacy, a significant direct effect (β = 0.43, SE = 0.19, p = 0.02) of self-efficacy on performance, and a substantial mediating effect (β = 0.22, SE = 0.10, p = 0.03) of self-efficacy between a prior mathematics knowledge test and performance. Prior mathematics knowledge and self-efficacy explained 30% variance of the performance. These findings are interpreted to be substantial evidence for the causal effect of self-efficacy on students’ performance in an introductory mathematics course.ConclusionThe findings of the present study provide empirically supports for designing self-efficacy interventions as proxies to improve students’ performance in university mathematics. Further, the findings of the present study confirm some postulates of Bandura’s agentic social cognitive theory.

Research into the experiences of students in mathematics with a marginalized sexual identity has remained largely underexplored, relegating these experiences and individuals to remain invisible. In this study, we leverage Queer Theory to address this gap in research by reporting on the experiences of Queer-spectrum undergraduate students (n = 2,454) enrolled in introductory mathematics courses (Precalculus, Calculus 1, and Calculus 2) across the United States. Drawing on student data (n = 24,327) from the Student Post-Secondary Instructional Practices Survey, we examine reported outcomes of math learning experiences and access to learning environments. Overall, within introductory math courses, sexual identity had a significant relationship with accessing learning environments and mathematical learning experiences. Asexual students were among those that reported higher levels of interactions with peers and instructors, a greater sense of community & participation, positive math affect, and were more likely to access learning environments external to the course yet anticipated receiving a lower course grade when compared to straight students. Bisexual students reported lower levels of interactions with instructors, a diminished sense of community & participation, math engagement, positive math affect, and were less likely to access learning environments compared to straight students. These findings suggest that Queer-spectrum students experience mathematical learning in a different manner than their straight peers and in relation to other Queer spectrum identities. Queer-spectrum students with a sexualized identity perceive that mathematics environments are not normative places to be a part of the community, resulting in negative dispositions, reduced interactions, and lower academic success. The impact of sexual identity, although small, contributes to negative indicators of positive mathematical experiences and suggests that the normative discourses in mathematics that are identity neutral, heteronormative, and aligned with binary thinking are differentially impacting Queer-spectrum students.

In their Viewpoint “Introductory science and mathematics education for 21st-century biologists” (Special Issue on Mathematics in Biology, 6 Feb., p. 788), W. Bialek and D. Botstein propose that undergraduate biology students must undergo very rigorous quantitative coursework beyond calculus and differential equations sequences, so that they will be intellectually prepared for the challenges of 21st-century biology, where quantitative thinking is the essence of understanding living systems. Their prescription to eradicate this inadequacy among biology students is to develop a curriculum in introductory college-level classes where more emphasis is placed on quantitative thinking. Quantitative thinking is a process that cannot be achieved by students taking advanced mathematics courses alone; an environment that nurtures a culture of quantitative thinking in all science courses must be created. This quantitative culture must be an integral component of all science courses. To meet these challenges, we must revise our science curriculum. Physics, chemistry, mathematics, and other courses must integrate biological problems in their study work, and teachers must change their attitudes toward teaching to become more receptive to this interdisciplinary approach. Understanding living systems will require input from all fields of science. If we can achieve that, then we can develop our students to be inquisitive, productive, intellectually mature, critical thinkers ready for the challenges of the 21st century.

BackgroundWorkforce shortages, resource limitations, and inadequate capacity in African higher education institutions are significant challenges that hinder their global competitiveness in generating knowledge products. Academic partnerships have been established to address these gaps. It is essential to evaluate these partnerships to ensure they align with principles of ethics, equity, reciprocity, and the achievement of shared goals. The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) is an institution that employs a partnership-based model to deliver high-quality surgical education. The aim of the study was to assess its partnership based surgical education programs.MethodsThis study was conducted at UGHE using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design that incorporates perspectives of learners, facility and partners. Qualitative interviews were conducted with students, faculty, and partners involved in UGHE’s surgical education programs within the last three years. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the interview data. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics and presented in charts and tables with integration in a joint display.ResultsTwenty-one interviews were conducted, revealing 4 key themes from the thematic analysis: (1) A needs-based approach is used to determine the suitability of partnerships (2), UGHE and its partners worked towards equitable outcomes (3), Positive outcomes of the partnership model (4) Challenges faced in delivering surgical education using a partnership model and proposed solutions. Most participants viewed the model positively, identifying benefits such as diverse exposure, improved student experiences, faculty development, and technology transfer. However, institutional and systemic gaps that limit maximum benefits were noted. The quantitative survey had a 42% response rate with 31 responses from undergraduate and postgraduate students. All students agreed that didactic and simulation sessions led by UGHE partners enhanced their learning. A significant difference (p <.001) was found between postgraduate and undergraduate students’ responses regarding the adequacy of time for partner-facilitated sessions.ConclusionsThe results underscore the significant positive impact of UGHE’s institutional partnership-based model in delivering surgical education, especially in enhancing student learning and faculty capacity. However, communication gaps, lack of resources, and time prevent the partnership-based model from reaching full potential.