An Analysis of Post-Secondary Mathematics Instructors

The purpose of this study was to determine significant similarities and differences among post-secondary mathematics instructors with a focus on how they teach and engage students in learning mathematics. Prior research confirms that some of the similarities and differences among post-secondary mathematics education practices fit within categories that include teaching preparation, academic background, and cultural issues. Therefore, the study sought to explore these characteristics and to possibly identify others, with the intention of improving the overall effectiveness of mathematics teaching at the post-secondary level. Data were collected from eight post-secondary mathematics instructors through a screening survey and informal interviews. For data analysis procedures, a coding process was used that was motivated by guidelines from Bhattacharya (2017) and Hatch (2002) to analyze the interview data. This method of analysis enables the development of themes from the interview data which was used to understand the participants teaching philosophies and practices with regards to teaching post-secondary mathematics. Three themes were revealed by the data concerning the participants’ beliefs regarding teaching post-secondary mathematics. These were 1) student-centered instructor beliefs, 2) content-centered beliefs, and 3) beliefs on student practices. Three themes were revealed by the data concerning practices the participants deem relevant to the teaching and learning post-secondary mathematics. These were 1) student-centered instructor practices, 2) content-centered practices, and 3) student practices. The analysis of the data revealed potential influences of the participants’ beliefs on the practices they find relevant to teaching and learning, as well as potential implications of these influences on mathematics and mathematics education.