Supporting at-Risk University Business Mathematics Students: Shifting the Focus to Pedagogy

Abstract

Colleges and universities are grappling with supporting underprepared students in mathematics. While research examines the demographics of students and the effects of changing the number of preparatory courses, few studies examine the impact of pedagogical practices on student outcomes. This study investigated the effect of an alternative pedagogy, the Thinking Classroom framework, on student attitudes and learning performance in a first-year university business mathematics course. The Thinking Classroom approach focuses on collaborative problem-solving on vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS). Students rated the overall course experience and collaborative classroom experience highly after participation in the Thinking Classroom. Students in the Thinking Classroom had a significantly higher average grade point average than students in the control group.