Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Francisca Uvah
Committee Member
Ashley Russom
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
basic algebra, community college students, Conway, cued maintenance, developmental education, developmental studies programs, Eastern North Carolina, Estes, learning, long-term memory, mathematics achievement, mathematics aptitude, mathematics developmental education, mathematics education, mathematics placement tests, memory models, Nairne, placement scores, refresher seminars, remedial mathematics, self-guided instruction, student placement, time lapse, vocational use of mathematics, workforce education
Abstract
Developmental Higher Education: Exploring Time Lapse as a Precursor to Mathematics Developmental Education Placement: This dissertation attempts to elucidate two of the many factors that could be contributing to the high rate of students who take developmental or remedial mathematics classes. Because many possible causal factors exist, the current focus was on examining the time lapse between the student’s most recent mathematics course and taking a placement test on course placement. Mathematics instructors at a community college in Eastern North Carolina indicated that this factor appears to be significant among the students at the college based on their informal observations. Memory models by Estes (1972), Nairne (1992), and Conway (1992) support this observation by explaining the importance of cued maintenance for long-term memory stores.
Data analysis examined course placement to the time lag as well as to the mediating factor of cued maintenance. This study confirmed that an increase in the number of years between the time of formally studying mathematics and taking the placement test affected the course placement score. The researcher explored cued maintenance for memory of mathematical concepts through vocational use and a refresher seminar in basic mathematics. Students also received a packet of information for self-guided instruction in basic algebra and asked specific algebra questions of the seminar instructor. One-hour refresher courses positively affected the placement-test score on subsequent test administrations, but neither the vocational use of mathematics or self-study had an effect.