Using a phenomenological approach, we examined the sense of belonging for first-generation Latino men enrolled in a developmental mathematics course at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The focus was on faculty-student interactions that fostered a sense of belonging. Data were collected through individual, semistructured interviews. Participants…

Creating sustained, transformative change within and across organizations is challenging, particularly when those undertaking change act as individuals. COMmunities of Practice (CoPs) are organically created collaborations among like-minded participants, working toward a common set of goals (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger-Trayner &…

The purpose of the qualitative exploratory case study was to examine California community college administrators' perceptions of preparation for achieving full compliance in implementing California Assembly Bill (AB) No. 705. The study involved analyzing documents, a physical artifact, and archived data from 14 community colleges in southern…

Student success inequities in online gateway math courses exacerbate the problematic trend that too few marginalized, community college students complete a degree, especially during the time of COVID-19 in which this study was situated. This critical participatory action research study examined the experiences and perspectives of the on-the-ground…

Lesson Study (LS) is a structured, collaborative professional development approach that gives instructors a framework for actively investigating how to improve student learning in their classrooms. Despite evidence of LS improving teacher practice and student learning in K-12 settings, there have been few documented examples of its use among…

Course coordination implies coordination in the design, structure, and teaching of a course to the extent that multiple instructors within a multi-section course have come to a common agreement. The course coordination model within our college's Department of Mathematics is described and discussed. The outcomes experienced as the department moved…

Poor mathematics preparation severely restricts students' future educational and occupational choices. This paper explores the extent to which differences were observed in the pedagogical practices of those teaching college introductory college math at a community college and at a four-year college. Although college math instructors generally may…

We present a model for professional development of instructional faculty. Though initially conceived for accreditation compliance as a credentialing process for adjunct faculty, this project led to increases in participants' collaboration on lesson design, investment in curricular decisions, and adoption of active learning methods. In this paper,…

This article illuminates how faculty translate professional development around contextualized math instruction into teaching practice, and offers practical recommendations for those embarking upon similar curricular reform efforts at community colleges.

In "Belonging and Identity in STEM Higher Education," leading scholars, teachers, practitioners and students explore belonging and identity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and how this is impacted by disciplinary changes and the post-pandemic higher education context. In STEM fields, positivist…

Community colleges have been under increasing pressure to devise alternate math pathways to the traditional sequence of developmental math classes. Considering the important role faculty play in student success, this qualitative study focuses on faculty perspectives regarding Quantway, a novel alternate pathway for community college students who…

Remedial courses have been part of the college landscape in the United States since at least the 1800s when nearly 250,000 students were placed into remedial courses. Traditionally, students who enrolled in remedial courses were placed into that course solely based on one test score. Students who enrolled in traditional remedial courses were more…

This article reports on a reconceptualization of the Precalculus course experience at Florida International University. We discuss the details of the redesign process--unified within a faculty learning community (FLC) model--along with a broader change in the course sequence leading up to Calculus. We provide data, including the comparison between…

Objective: In numerous calls for reform to community college math instruction, contextualization has been identified as an effective approach to teaching and learning. Yet, little is known about how faculty contend with math contextualization and how they make decisions about its adoption. This study explored how community college faculty teaching…

Improving college STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) student learning outcomes is an ongoing area of focus in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). This reform includes challenging, changing, and adapting both teaching practices and the learning environment. Communities of practice (CoPs) can support faculty in making these…