Breaking Barriers : Student Success in Community College Mathematics

The fact college students often struggle in mathematics is not new. They exhibit a great deal of anxiety, dislike, and overall disinterest. Quantitative data displaying abysmal student success rates are widely available and shared. This book explores the complexity surrounding the issue of student difficulties in community college math. Though much quantitative research focuses on the faculty experiences and perspectives regarding methods and practices, the author puts the focus on students’ experiences. The book presents the results of a study focused on students who struggled in mathematics. Though their experiences varied, they all entered community college with a great deal of disgust and anxiety toward mathematics courses and requirements. These impressions and attitudes create barriers to success. However, all the students eventually succeeded in fulfilling their college-level mathematics requirement. The author presents these students’ experiences prior to entering community college, what led to both success and failure in their math courses, and the common themes leading to success and failure. Through these student responses, the author assists readers in gaining a better understanding of the community college student who struggles in math and how to break students’ community college math barriers to success. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface 1. Math is a Four-Letter Word 2. The Framework for Developmental and Introductory College-Level Math 3.The Study, Settings, and the Participants 4. Prior Experiences in Math 5. Attempting Math and Community College 6. Navigating the First Developmental Math Course 7. Math Pathways and Completing Developmental Math 8. The End of the Rainbow 9 I Need More Math…Now What? 10. Lessons Learned in the Aftermath Appendix A: Analyzing the Results and Ensuring Accuracy Appendix B: Pre-Algebra and Introduction to Algebra Course Content Appendix C: Stand-Alone Quantway 1 and Statway 1 Course Content Appendix D: Elementary Algebra (all hal