2020 - 2025

Teaching for PROWESS aims to increase access and success for community college students in mathematics courses on the STEM pathway. Guided by the IMPACT: Improving Mathematical Prowess and College Teaching document (American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges, 2018), the project will convene teams from eight community colleges mathematics departments to transform the teaching and learning of mathematics at both the classroom and department levels. This project is guided by a definition of active learning in mathematics (ALM) as described by Laursen and Rasmussen (2019); active learning in mathematics is grounded on four principles: (1) students’ deep engagement in mathematical thinking; (2) instructors’ interest in and use of student thinking; (3) student-to-student interaction; and (4) instructors’ attention to equitable and inclusive practices.

Teaching for PROWESS is a partnership between the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC), Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Clackamas Community College, and the STEM Research Center at Oregon State University. The project includes four components: (1) professional development focused on the four principles of ALM and developing instructional leaders in two-year college mathematics education; (2) the development of researcher-practitioner partnerships between members of AMATYC’s Research Community and participating community colleges; (3) a virtual community of transformation hosted by AMATYC that supports participating colleges in their work towards sustaining change; and (4) research that focuses on changes in mathematics teaching and learning in the unique context of community colleges and explores changes at both the classroom and department level.

This collaborative effort is funded by an NSF-IUSE grant (2013550) and has the potential to increase understanding about how sustained faculty development and participation in a researcher-practitioner partnership affects student success rates and retention in community college mathematics, as well as how active learning improves student’s engagement, knowledge and skills.

Partner Institutions:

• Clackamas Community College
• Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• Pima Community College
• Kellogg Community College
• Connecticut State Community College
• Randolph Community College
• St. Louis Community College
• Indian River State College

Center Team: