Fostering Students' Preparation and Achievement in Upper Level Math Courses

Abstract

This study describes an intervention to address motivation and student engagement in upper - level math courses. The effect of the intervention regarding students' achievements is investigated via students' opinions and data analysis from students' assessments. The results of this study show that the featured intervention decreases anxiety, provides confidence, and increases motivation for class preparation which, in turn, fosters students' "in- and out-of- class interactions" and boosts students' self-confidence on studying math on their own'. Moreover, students' assessment scores reveal a significant increase on students' grades.