Self-Regulation in First-Semester Calculus
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Self-Regulation in First-Semester Calculus Carolyn Johns 1 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Improving STEM retention is a major focus of universities and studies have shown calculus to be a barrier for STEM intending students. Prior to this study, local data indicated students did not pursue STEM fields because they were not passing calculus. The goal of this study is to report on factors related to student success in first-semester calculus. In particular, taking into account incoming math aptitude, the relationship between final grades and self-reported self-regulatory aptitudes were examined. Selfregulatory aptitudes include self-reported measures of motivational orientations and use of learning strategies. Results indicate self-regulatory aptitudes predict final grades above and beyond math aptitude. In this study, math aptitude alone predicted 32% of variance in students’ final calculus grades. However, adding in measures of selfregulation, the model was able to predict 48% of variance. In addition, measures of self-regulation differed amongst high and under achievers as well as low and over achievers. This indicates self-regulation plays a role in student success. Furthermore, gender differences were present in measures of self-regulation which may be of importance for improving retention of women in STEM. Keywords Calculus . Motivation . Self-regulation . STEM education . Quantitative
research First-semester calculus is known to be a barrier to success for students desiring a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2016). Recent national data in the US shows that little more than half of students in first-semester calculus receive a grade of an A or B and DFW1 rates are around 22–38% depending on the type of institution in which the course is taken (Bressoud 2015). Of particular concern is the number of women who do not persist into second-semester calculus with 20.1% of 1
DFW rate is the percent of students who received a grade of D, F, or Withdraw on their transcript.
* Carolyn Johns [email protected]
1
The Ohio State University (Mathematics Department), Columbus, OH, USA
International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education
females switching their second-semester calculus intention at the end of first-semester calculus while only 11.1% of males switch their second-semester calculus intention (Ellis et al. 2014). Research has correlated student self-regulation with final grades (Pintrich et al. 1991). Self-regulation can broadly be defined as the planning, monitoring, controlling, and reflection on one’s progress toward a goal in the areas of cognition, motivation/ affect, environment, or behavior (Pintrich 2000). With particular reference to calculus, recent studies have shown self-regulation measures can predict exam scores in firstsemester calculus (Worthley 2013) and a calculus based engineering analysis course (Hieb et al. 2015). This suggests that addressing self-regu
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