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Unlocking Success in Calculus for Engineering Majors: Impact of Engagement Tactics for Underrepresented Undergraduate Engineering Students

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

June 26, 2024

Conference Session

Mathematics Division (MATH) Technical Session 3

Tagged Division

Mathematics Division (MATH)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

26

DOI

10.18260/1-2--48205

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/48205

Download Count

145

Paper Authors

biography

Zenaida Aguirre Munoz Ph.D. University of California, Merced

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Dr. Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz is a Professor of Cognitive Science and Quantitative Systems Biology at UC Merced. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and in Spanish from UC Santa Barbara as well as a Ph.D. in Psychological Studies in Education from the UC, Los Angeles. Dr. Aguirre-Muñoz’s research integrates cognitive science, linguistics, learning sciences, and model-based assessment applied to the following areas: (a) STEM education and identity development; (b) model-based assessment and instruction; (c) the impact of opportunity to learn on learning and achievement; and (d) discipline-based education research for culturally and linguistically diverse students.

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Melissa Almeida University of California, Merced

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Melissa Almeida, a Ph.D. student in Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced, is deeply engaged in the intersection of learning, cognitive science, and STEM education. Her research evaluates the impact of classroom interventions, focusing on embodied cognition and the educational use of augmented and virtual reality technologies. Moving beyond initial feasibility, her work aims to evaluate the educational outcomes and psychosocial benefits of embodied learning pedagogies in general, as well as those afforded via these technologies.
Her solid academic foundation includes a Master’s degree from the University of California, Merced, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, Stanislaus. Her approach to innovating STEM education is informed by a seasoned background in business information technology and management. This unique blend of skills and experiences drives her research and dedication to developing inclusive educational environments and advancing the integration of empirically beneficial technological pedagogies in the classroom.
Through her work, Melissa aims to contribute meaningful insights into the effective integration of technology in education, aspiring to shape the future of STEM learning environments to be more engaging and accessible for all students.

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Comlan de Souza California State University, Fresno

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Keith Collins Thompson University of California Merced

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Khang Tran California State University, Fresno

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Yue Lei University of California, Merced

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Erica M Rutter University of California, Merced

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Lalita G Oka California State University, Fresno Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-0161-4453

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Dr. Lalita Oka is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering at the California State University, Fresno. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Geotechnical Engineering. Her research interests include experimental geotechnics, numerical modeling, liquefaction assessments, and dam safety. She is also interested in issues related to women in engineering and has published numerous articles in ASEE conferences.

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Maribel Viveros University of California Merced

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Bianca Estella Salazar University of California, Merced

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Changho Kim University of California, Merced

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Changho Kim is Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of California, Merced. He is participating in the "Why, What and How" Calculus project as co-PI.

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Abstract

Performance in Calculus courses is seen as a major barrier to students’ progress in STEM majors. The problem is particularly amplified for disadvantaged groups such as underrepresented minoritized students (URMs) and first-generation college students. Extant literature and guidance increasingly point to the need to address the psychosocial factors that can bolster resilience, persistence, and positive self-concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Improving the Calculus experience requires understanding the complex networks of relationships among individual and classroom variables that impact UMS performance in first year calculus courses. Much of the extant research in this area involves universities with small proportions of URMs. Thus, continued study of the impact of these factors on more diverse student populations is also necessary to better capture the calculus experience of URM engineering majors. The purpose of the study was to examine student and classroom-level factors that influence course performance measured by course grade. This study focused on two engineering-related psychosocial factors: (1) engineering self-efficacy and (2) engineering sense of belonging, and three mathematics-specific psychological factors which we refer to as math motivators, (1) math interest, (2) self-concept, and (3) anxiety. Classroom level factors included active engagement practices, proportion of females, proportion of URMs students and proportion of first-generation students in classes. Data were taken from an ongoing study examining the impact of a calculus redesign project on student performance. All survey instruments were previously piloted and refined to improve technical quality based on confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). CFA revealed good model fit indices for all instruments. The data set consisted of 790 first-year undergraduate students taking calculus in 37 sections, from two Hispanic Serving Institutions in the fall semester. Six models were compared. The final model included Level 1 indicators: student background model variables + Engineering identity, math interest and math self-concept: Level 2 indicators: campus, course + engagement. Hierarchical Linear Model analyses showed individual and class-level factors impacting course grades in complex ways. Both student and classroom level factors were found to predict course performance. URMs and first generation college students outperformed non URMs and non first generation students. This trend was consistent across the six models. Math-specific psychological factors predicted course grade, but Engineering identity and math anxiety did not significantly predict course grade in the final model when active engagement opportunities were included in the model at Level 2. These results indicate it is important to explicitly integrate active engagement strategies and target mathematics-related psychological factors in the design of calculus content to improve factors that have been shown to impact engineering persistence and career intentions. The results also suggest active engagement can mitigate the negative impact of math anxiety and increase course performance of URM engineering students. It is important to highlight that interest and self-efficacy are constructs that heavily depend on the context. These results suggest that active engagement strategies can facilitate the success of URM engineering students

Aguirre Munoz, Z., & Almeida, M., & de Souza, C., & Thompson, K. C., & Tran, K., & Lei, Y., & M Rutter, E., & Oka, L. G., & Viveros, M., & Salazar, B. E., & Kim, C. (2024, June), Unlocking Success in Calculus for Engineering Majors: Impact of Engagement Tactics for Underrepresented Undergraduate Engineering Students Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--48205

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