George Mason team receives grant for national mathematics success study
Introductory mathematics courses are often among the biggest obstacles to degree completion, with many colleges reporting DFW rates exceeding 30 percent. A DFW rate measures the percentage of students who earn a D, receive an F, or withdraw from a course. George Mason University researchers are joining a national study to better understand these challenges and identify strategies that help more students succeed.
Sarah Khankan, director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and the study's principal investigator, and Jennifer Bazaz Gettys, assistant dean for academic affairs and strategic enrollment in the College of Science, received an APLU grant to participate in a national research study examining the role introductory mathematics courses play in student retention and degree completion. The study is affiliated with Project EMBER (Eliminating Mathematics Barriers through Evidence-based Reforms), a national initiative focused on improving outcomes in gateway mathematics courses.
According to the APLU, high DFW rates in introductory mathematics courses can disproportionately affect some student groups, including low-income and first-generation students. Researchers hope the study will identify effective strategies for improving outcomes and reducing achievement gaps in gateway mathematics courses.
“Introductory mathematics courses are often gateway courses that students need to complete in order to progress toward their degrees,” said Khankan. “Because these courses enroll large numbers of students, improvements in these courses have the potential to affect a significant number of students and contribute to broader improvements in retention and graduation.”
Khankan added that at George Mason, the goal is to ensure students develop a strong mathematical foundation that prepares them for success in advanced coursework, whether in mathematics or other disciplines.
The research study aims to better understand how students perform in introductory mathematics compared with other high-enrollment undergraduate courses and how outcomes vary across student demographics and course sections. Researchers will also examine the relationship between performance in gateway mathematics courses and longer-term measures such as student retention and graduation rates. In addition, the study seeks to identify institutions that have successfully improved student success in these courses and document reforms that could be replicated elsewhere.
"I hope the research will help us identify specific patterns in student performance and understand where students are experiencing the greatest challenges in our introductory mathematics courses," Khankan said. "In particular, I think it will be valuable to look beyond overall DFW rates and understand how outcomes vary across different courses, sections, and student populations. This will give us a stronger evidence base for determining where changes or additional support may be most useful."
The findings could help inform decisions about how introductory mathematics courses are structured, taught, and supported at George Mason and contribute to a broader understanding of effective approaches for improving student success nationwide.
