Classroom Community in Introductory Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics: A Mixed Methods Study of Student Belonging and Course Attributes
A strong sense of classroom community is associated with many positive learning outcomes and is a critical contributor to undergraduate students’ persistence in STEM, particularly for women and students of color. This poster describes a mixed-methods investigation into the relationship between classroom community and course attributes in introductory undergraduate mathematics and statistics courses, mediated by student demographics. Data were collected at a United States university from online courses in the 2020-21 academic year and from hybrid and in-person courses in the 2021-22 academic year. Quantitative data were gathered from both students and instructors and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The primary instrument was the validated Classroom Community Scale – Short Form. These quantitative results are complemented and contextualized by thematic and textual analyses of focus group data, gathered using a protocol piloted during the 2021-22 academic year. Preliminary practical implications of the study include the value of synchronous participation in fostering connectedness and the importance of attending to students’ personal identities in understanding their experiences of belonging.
