Use Longitudinal Data and Moving Average to Illustrate Effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction

• Published in: PRIMUS : problems, resources, and issues in mathematics undergraduate studies Vol. 33; no. 9; pp. 1022 - 1034
• Main Authors: Wang, A. Tingxiu, Çelik, B. Mehmet, Webster, C. Pamela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis 2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Academic grading; Calculus; College Mathematics; Colleges & universities; Effectiveness; Ethnic Groups; grade distribution; Grades (Scholastic); Instructional Effectiveness; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics education; Mathematics Instruction; Minority & ethnic groups; moving average; retention; Student retention; Supplemental instruction; Supplementary Education; Teaching; Texas
• ISSN: 1051-1970; 1935-4053
• DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2023.2214930

Texas A&M University-Commerce has implemented supplemental instruction (SI) for Calculus since the fall of 2013. A direct display of the ABC rates from fall 2005 to spring 2021 only presents fluctuation from semester to semester, and one can hardly deduce that the ABC rates are increasing. In this paper, the "moving average" technique is used to reveal the effectiveness of SI in improving the percentage of students earning a grade of A, B, or C (ABC rates) in Calculus. Our longitudinal data under the "moving average" also shows that the SI implementation increased the ABC rates of major ethnic groups.