This study used the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) to assess the motivation and learning strategies of students in a self-paced developmental mathematics class. A total of 194 undergraduate students participated in this study. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and regression analysis were conducted to assess…

Universities have drawn on an assortment of strategies to address the learning challenges and high attrition rates of developmental mathematics students. One of those strategies has been utilizing computer adaptive instruction (CAI) mathematics software. Reports about the efficacy of CAI vary from glowing to unfavorable. This article presents an…

This study investigated differences between students' multiplication fact automaticity scores and student competencies on five problems from Intermediate Algebra assessments with a sample of university students. The five types of problems were: (1) linear equations with fractions, (2) system of linear equations, (3) factor by grouping, (4)…

Decades of research have documented young students' misinterpretations of the equal sign and the impediments these present for children's mathematical development. Much less is known about individual differences in adults' knowledge of the equal sign. We assessed 182 college students from developmental math courses and present analyses from a…

This study sought to answer if a relationship existed between required corequisite support and success in gateway College Algebra courses. Complete College America and Complete College Georgia initiatives over the last ten years have sought ways to increase access to higher education with high progression and completion rates. Efforts such as the…

This paper analyzes how weekly study plans can increase student achievement in developmental mathematics courses at a four-year public institution of higher education. Quantitative data were collected regarding student completion of weekly study plans through an experimental methodology. Results show that students in the experimental group earned…

A faculty development workshop, focused on incorporating universal learning strategies into developmental mathematics courses, was created and utilized in a developmental mathematics department at an open-enrollment, mid-western university to ascertain the best methods for dissemination of essential learning strategies to developmental math…

This study examined the implication of the Algebra Connection Essay in a developmental algebra course. Undergraduate students (n=18) in four Intermediate Algebra courses were administered a pre-attitudinal survey prior to receiving information on the essay about their chosen or desired program of study. After submitting the essay, the students…

Poor completion outcomes in community colleges' developmental education programs have spurred reforms in developmental education policies and practices in order to increase students' chances of success. In the case of developmental math, the focus of this article, such changes include revisions to testing and placement policies, amendments to the…

Developmental education programs and services have long provided underprepared and unprepared postsecondary students with the academic tools and life-management skills necessary to successfully complete collegelevel coursework. Legislation and policy changes, including implementing statewide minimum admissions requirements and restricting…

Low passing rates in developmental mathematics have been a serious concern for community colleges for many years. A course in Quantitative Literacy (QL) offers non-STEM students an alternative option to introductory algebra as a path to a degree. This paper describes the implementation and evolution of QL at the Borough of Manhattan Community…

This chapter describes a promising new approach to teaching developmental arithmetic and prealgebra, and presents research findings that demonstrate how a faculty support network helped instructors adopt new teaching strategies and gain confidence in teaching the reformed course.

Often secondary mathematics methods courses include classroom peer teaching, but many pre-service teachers find it challenging to teach their classmate peers as there are no discipline issues and little mathematical discourse as the "students" know the content. We will share a recent change in our methods course where pre-service…

At two-year public community colleges, the 2011 three-year persistence rate was 23.9%. From 1988 to 2006, between 40% and 60% of all first-time community college students were referred to and enrolled in at least one developmental education course. More students begin college underprepared in mathematics than any other subject area, and only about…

Mathematics is a particular stumbling block for community college students in developmental course work. The present study empirically investigated student-level and teacher-level factors that influence the success of community college students enrolled in developmental mathematics courses. Specifically, numerous variables in one statistical model…