| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | August 19, 2020 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | October 13, 2020 |
| Award Number: | 2021161 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Mike Ferrara
mferrara@nsf.gov (703)292-2635 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2020 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $264,354.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $264,354.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
|
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2507 UNIVERSITY AVE DES MOINES IA US 50311-4505 (515)271-3788 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
2507 University Avenue Des Moines IA US 50311-4505 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | IUSE |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
This project aims to serve the national interest in high quality undergraduate mathematics education and career pathways. Specifically, this exploratory research project will investigate whether mathematics research projects conducted early in students? college mathematical careers will spark students? engagement and interest in mathematics. To do so, the PI will work with 12 students in two weekly mathematics seminars of six students each. The students will pose their own questions to investigate, then develop skills in building innovative quantitative solutions to these complex problems. The project has a focus on students from populations that have not yet been equitably recruited into mathematics majors. Participating students will be recruited from non-major or pre-major mathematics courses, with an emphasis on recruiting students who are people of color. A second goal of the project is to capture the nuances in conducting educational research when the mathematician directing the research project is a Black man.
The project aims to answer the following research questions: In what ways can undergraduate students enrolled in pre-Calculus and Calculus courses engage in developing and researching authentic mathematical research questions? In what ways does participation in authentic mathematics research shift how students think about themselves as mathematicians or potential mathematicians? How does race intersect with mathematics as the students do research with a faculty mentor? To address these questions, the project will collect data on students? mathematical work, weekly student journals, and weekly surveys. The project will also collect journals from the Principal Investigator, and video recordings of two seminar meetings. These data will be analyzed using content analysis methods. Results of the study will contribute to the literature about undergraduate research in mathematics, about supporting student populations that have traditionally been excluded from upper level mathematics courses, and about the complexity of the experience of Black STEM faculty. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Traditionally, many people think of mathematics as something abstract and difficult, only for those who are already "good" at it. This project flips that idea on its head by inviting students, even those who are just taking math because it's required, to dive into mathematical research. The key is that the research topics come from the students themselves. We asked them a simple question: "If you could use math to understand anything in the world, what would it be?"
The answers were fascinating! Students wanted to explore everything from how music becomes popular online to how we can reduce the use of single-use plastics. With guidance from experienced faculty, these students learned how to use mathematical tools to build models and analyze these real-world issues. What's really exciting is that many of them were able to create quite sophisticated models, even without a strong background in higher-level mathematics. They learned about things like how diseases spread to understand how trends go "viral" on social media, and they used data to look at important social issues like home ownership and the pay gap.
This project isn't just about doing math; it's about changing how students see themselves. Many participants were surprised to discover that they could actually do mathematics and use it to answer questions they cared about. This early success has boosted their confidence and sparked a real interest in the subject. In fact, some students who never thought they would pursue math are now considering majoring or minoring in it!
Beyond the individual student impact, this project is also about making mathematics more inclusive. We specifically wanted to reach students who have historically been underrepresented in math. A significant part of this project looked at the experience of students working with a Black faculty mentor. We found that for Black and Latinx students, having a professor who shared their racial background created a stronger sense of connection and belonging in the field. This highlights the importance of having diverse role models in mathematics and other sciences.
The lessons learned from this project are valuable for educators everywhere. By showing that students can engage in meaningful mathematical research early on, and by making it relevant to their own interests, we can inspire a new generation of mathematicians and problem-solvers from all backgrounds. This project is helping to reshape how we think about who can do mathematics and when they can start making a real impact with it.
Last Modified: 04/09/2025
Modified by: Terrance Pendleton
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
