Working Group on Community College Mathematics Research

Meeting at RUME in Denver, CO on  Feb. 20 

http://sigmaa.maa.org/rume/crume2013/Home.html

Organizers:

Irene M. Duranczyk, University of Minnesota (duran026@umn.edu)

April Strom, Scottsdale Community College (april.strom@sccmail.maricopa.edu)

John T. Smith, Pellissippi State Community College (jtsmith2@pstcc.edu)

Claire Wladis, Borough of Manhattan Community College at the City University of New York (profwladis@gmail.com)

Mark Yannotta, Clackamas Community College (marky@clackamas.edu)

Ann Sitomer, Portland Community College (asitomer@pcc.edu)

Vilma Mesa, University of Michigan (vmesa@umich.edu)

Abstract

We will bring together researchers of community college mathematics teaching and learning. Over the past two years we have made progress growing a cadre of community college researchers and establishing an agenda for advancing community college teaching and learning research in mathematics. As a group we have identified and submitted for publication three articles on moving from anecdotal to evidence-based research for community college teaching and learning. We have developed one collaborative research proposal for collecting evidence-based research across the nation, and we are working on developing a second collaborative research proposal for advancing evidence-based professional development activities for community college mathematics faculty. This working group is intended for active scholars in community college mathematics education, new researchers or researchers in other areas who are interested in investigating teaching and learning, and research-practitioners (i.e. community college faculty who have earned, or are in the process of earning, a doctoral degree) who see research and teaching at the community college as their primary focus. The agenda of the Working Group session includes the following activities: (1) provide a summary of the work done at RUME 2001 and 2012, including an outline of ongoing plans for continued submission of research commentaries to journals and other outlets; (2) report on and discuss the results of the Institute of Educational Sciences proposal, Student success in mathematics: An exploratory investigation of students, instructors, and content at community colleges; (3) discuss a logic model for advancing an evidence based professional development project for community college faculty involving classroom-based research; (4) discuss and outline plans for ongoing and future collaborations on specific research questions among working group members; and (5) generate ideas and topics for advancing an special issue of a research journal focused on community college mathematics education.  We anticipate working group outcomes to include: (1) a report for the RUME Proceedings; (2) a report for the research committee of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC); (3) continued collaboration between the professional organizations for community college faculty (MAA, AMATYC, and NCTM); (4) the outline of a special issue of a research journal focused on community college mathematics education; and (5) a cadre of educators to continue engagement in research of community college mathematics education, with specific plans for collaborative research projects, grant proposals, and article submissions throughout the 2013-2014 academic year. 

Using Mathematics and Statistics Education Research to Inform Classroom Practice

Using mathematics and statistics education research to inform classroom practice

By Ann Sitomer and Kelly Mercer, Portland CC

(a paper presented at the AMATYC 38th Annual Conference)

Reading a research paper

Abstract

•      Read the abstract.

•      The study may or may not have anything that addresses your question

•      Do not worry about technical language if you think there is something of interest in the article

Introduction

•      Read the introduction (or the first section of the paper)

•      The big picture is typically laid out here

Background (or Theoretical Framework or Conceptual Framework or Literature Review)

•      Skip this section for now

•      Come back to this section if you think there may be something of interest

Methods

•      Skip this section for now

•      Come back to this section if you think there may be something of interest

Results (or Findings) and Discussion

•      Read this section

•      Typically includes examples of how students interacted with the mathematical activities used in the study or within a particular instructional intervention

Conclusion

•      The conclusion typically addresses what supported student learning and what were the barriers to student learning

•      There is often a discussion about implications for practice

Some sources of quality research

Mathematics Education

·         Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME)

·         Journal of Mathematical Behavior (JMB)

·         For the Learning of Mathematics

·         Mathematical Thinking and Learning

Statistics Education

·         Statistics Education Research Journal

·         Journal of Statistics Education (JSE)

·         Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME)