A Short Summer Research Experience for Secondary Education Mathematics Majors at a Small Liberal Arts College

Abstract

One of the best ways for STEM students to understand the methods and thought process of their discipline is through participation in an undergraduate research project. However, mathematics secondary education students at Hood College are historically less likely to self-select for these types of supplemental experiences than traditional mathematics majors. Hood’s Noyce STEM Teacher Education Partnership (NSTEP) sought to address this by designing a shortened summer research experience specifically for secondary education students in mathematics. The Summer Research Experience in Mathematical Modeling (SREM2) was a 4-week summer research project that provided this opportunity at a small college. Here we describe the benefits of such an experience and present the design of our program and its outcomes.