Research
Student Engagement and Motivation in Post-Pandemic Higher Education Mathematics: A Concept Paper
During the past three years, mathematics educators have had to adjust to the online education system and develop new approaches, strategies, and practices to keep students engaged and motivated. Student engagement and motivation have been established in existing research as vital aspects of education. To promote engagement and motivation during the pandemic, mathematics educators have focused on positive working relationships with students, highlighting values such as care and empathy. Mathematics educators have also adopted various technological tools to enhance student engagement and motivation. As institutions have begun to reintroduce face-to-face classes in the post-pandemic era, there is a need to re-examine these approaches, and how they may be sustained or improved. A significant gap that has remained unexplored in the literature is how mathematics educators maintain or enhance student engagement and motivation upon transitioning to face-to-face or hybrid classes in the post- pandemic era. This concept paper is centered on this research gap, with recommendations for theory and practice based on current knowledge regarding higher education students’ motivation and engagement in mathematics.
Postsecondary Mathematics during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review
The Coronavirus 2019 pandemic has brought about the need for prompt and dynamic changes in the educational system, including the use of e-Learning. Mathematics is a particularly abstract field of study that may be difficult to teach through e-Learning. Psychosocial factors pandemic may further challenge educators and students in mathematics e-Learning during the pandemic. This systematic review aims to explore the transitional experiences of postsecondary educators and students in mathematics e-Learning during the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic. Nine articles met the criteria and were included for synthesis. Findings revealed that the most utilized and preferred technologies were Google Classroom, Moodle, and WhatsApp. Changes in educators' practices included increased hours spent on teaching preparation and tasks, reduced use of gestures, sending notes prior to lessons, and reduced student interactions. Advantages of mathematics e-Learning perceived by educators included improvements in student involvement, lesson planning, teaching style, and comfort in technologies. Major challenges perceived by educators were reduced student interactions, lack of special software for mathematics, difficulty monitoring student progress, and difficulty with testing.
