THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF MATHEMATICS SERVICE COURSES AT TWO YEAR COLLEGES

The goal of the study was to consider possible approaches for the improvement of the instructional effectiveness of mathematics service courses in two year colleges. This study focused upon the cooperation or interface between mathematics and occupational-technical faculty in the development and delivery of occupational-technical mathematics courses for the business and technology careers. That interface was suggested as being the key to successful instruction in those courses.;Level of interface was measured by obtaining perceptions of selected administrators and faculty concerning two questions. One question focused upon the willingness of mathematics faculty to adapt their concept of appropriate mathematics for occupational-technical programs. The other question obtained perceptions of the amount of coordination provided by the mathematics faculty for occupational-technical mathematics courses. Perceptions were requested from heads of mathematics programs, campus deans of instruction and heads of selected occupational-technical programs. A campus rating for interface was developed from these responses. Campuses were assigned a low, moderate, or high level of interface based upon the campus ratings.;Case studies were used to provide in-depth studies of the six high interface and the eight low interface colleges of the sample. Information was gathered through the use of campus visitations, individual and group interviews, questionnaires and rating sheets. These in-depth studies involved mathematics faculty, occupational-technical faculty and various administrators.;The case studies were examined for similarities among the high interface colleges and the low interface colleges and for differences between the groups. That analysis provided five key factors influencing level of interface and six supporting factors. The key factors are the following. (1) Quality of informal communication; (2) Process for developmental and review of content for occupational-technical mathematics courses; (3) Departmental location of responsibility for teaching occupational-technical mathematics courses; (4) Student headcount enrollment; (5) Date of the opening of the college.;The study undertook to measure the level of interface at 100 randomly selected two year colleges in the United States and then to determine the factors that influence level of interface between mathematics and occupational-technical faculty. Those factors were determined using a case study approach at a sample of six high and eight low interface colleges.;Because of the heavy interrelatedness of the key and supporting factors with one another, the factors required observation in terms of their collective influence on level of interface. Accordingly, the study produced models that characterized high interface colleges and low interface colleges.;The study provided a framework for examining the instructional effectiveness of mathematics service courses. The model of a high interface college provided a description of the characterizations of those factors that influence a high level of interface.;The study noted with concern four trends observed as impacting upon mathematics education. (1) Mathematics service courses are increasingly being taught by faculty outside mathematics programs. When this occurs, mathematics faculty are very likely to have no involvement in the development and delivery of those courses. (2) A substantial minority of mathematics faculty still retain the view that "career" programs are inferior to "academic" programs. (3) Limited numbers of mathematics faculty have interest in teaching mathematics service courses. (4) Limited numbers of mathematics faculty have confidence in their ability to teach mathematics service courses.