TY - JOUR
T1 - Teacher immediacy and learning mathematics
T2 - Effects on students with divergent mathematical aptitudes
AU - McCluskey, Ryan
AU - Dwyer, Jerry
AU - Sherrod, Sonya
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, © 2017 Research Council on Mathematics Learning.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Undergraduates pursue degrees in disciplines in which they hold an affect or possess an interest. Math and science majors possess a positive affect for mathematics; however, to maximize the number of math majors, it is important to boost the motivation of non-math majors to learn mathematics. This study examines the relationships between instructors’ nonverbal immediacy and (1) affective learning of math, (2) affect for math, and (3) affect for the instructor. Participants were 426 freshmen (math and non-math majors) at a public university in the southwest United States. Comparisons were made between students enrolled in calculus and algebra courses. Comparisons between groups of varying math aptitude were also examined. Immediacy was moderately correlated with students’ affective learning (0.38), with the strongest correlation for those with medium math aptitude (0.47). When affective learning was restricted to affect for the subject content, an even stronger correlation was found for students with medium math aptitude (0.49). There was no significant difference between the correlations for immediacy and affective learning for calculus students and algebra students. An even stronger positive correlation (0.61) was found between immediacy and affect for the instructor. Results suggest that, regardless of aptitude for mathematics, students enrolled in mathematics courses who perceive their instructors to be immediate have a greater positive affect toward the instructor and the mathematics content. Surprisingly, students with an average aptitude in mathematics have a greater positive affect toward the mathematics content when compared to students with higher and lower aptitudes in mathematics.
AB - Undergraduates pursue degrees in disciplines in which they hold an affect or possess an interest. Math and science majors possess a positive affect for mathematics; however, to maximize the number of math majors, it is important to boost the motivation of non-math majors to learn mathematics. This study examines the relationships between instructors’ nonverbal immediacy and (1) affective learning of math, (2) affect for math, and (3) affect for the instructor. Participants were 426 freshmen (math and non-math majors) at a public university in the southwest United States. Comparisons were made between students enrolled in calculus and algebra courses. Comparisons between groups of varying math aptitude were also examined. Immediacy was moderately correlated with students’ affective learning (0.38), with the strongest correlation for those with medium math aptitude (0.47). When affective learning was restricted to affect for the subject content, an even stronger correlation was found for students with medium math aptitude (0.49). There was no significant difference between the correlations for immediacy and affective learning for calculus students and algebra students. An even stronger positive correlation (0.61) was found between immediacy and affect for the instructor. Results suggest that, regardless of aptitude for mathematics, students enrolled in mathematics courses who perceive their instructors to be immediate have a greater positive affect toward the instructor and the mathematics content. Surprisingly, students with an average aptitude in mathematics have a greater positive affect toward the mathematics content when compared to students with higher and lower aptitudes in mathematics.
KW - Algebra
KW - calculus
KW - mathematics education
KW - teacher immediacy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071647896&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/19477503.2016.1245047
DO - 10.1080/19477503.2016.1245047
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85071647896
SN - 1947-7503
VL - 9
SP - 157
EP - 170
JO - Investigations in Mathematics Learning
JF - Investigations in Mathematics Learning
IS - 4
ER -