Mastery Learning in Calculus I Affects Student Learning, Grade Improvement, and Professor Exhaustion
Date of Presentation
4-2014
Name of Conference
American Educational Research Association
Date of Conference
4-2014
Location of Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Document Type
Conference Presentation
Department
School of Education, Leadership, and Public Service
Abstract
Three Calculus I courses were taught under conditions of either traditional teaching, 2/3 mastery, or full mastery to test four hypotheses. Under conditions of mastery learning on exams, students should attain appropriate higher-level mathematical concepts, achieve more learning of higher-level mathematical concepts, learn higher-level mathematical concepts more quickly, and evaluate mastery learning favorably. Support for all hypotheses occurred only in the 2/3 mastery condition. A shift toward higher grades was attributed to grade improvement, not grade inflation, as determined by six mathematicians with blind review of final exam items. Final exams in mastery learning courses were significantly more difficult. We discuss the effects of mastery learning on student learning, grades, and the professor.
Recommended Citation
Puncochar, J., & Faust, D. (2014). Mastery learning in Calculus I affects student learning, grade improvement, and professor exhaustion. Poster presentation at the American Educational Research Association’s 2014 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Higher Education Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons