Publication: Designing for and Understanding the Adult Learner in a Mathematics Course
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2016-10-20
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Lakhani, Heena. 2016. Designing for and Understanding the Adult Learner in a Mathematics Course. Master's thesis, Harvard Extension School.
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Abstract
Currently, there is ample research on mathematics education in formal settings for K-16 populations, but very little research in the domain of adult education. There is very little to no extant research on how or why adults may pursue a personal interest course in mathematics. This thesis seeks to explore this gap as well as to investigate how adult learners engage in and make sense of mathematical ideas and to understand the characteristics of adults who pursue a personal interest class in mathematics. In the present study, a math course was designed for adult learners that drew upon the theories of andragogy and how people learn. The study investigated the learning experiences and the characteristics of the three adults enrolled in the course. To gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences, qualitative methods such as observations, interviews, and document analysis were utilized.
This study finds that adults leverage their experiences and prior knowledge when making meaning of mathematical ideas, and that they can value and enjoy mathematical thinking that is based on math’s practical as well as its recreational purposes. These findings can inform the design and implementation of mathematics classes for adult learners.
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Education, Mathematics
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