{"id":{"repo_id":"arizona-thes","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/613129"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/arizona-thes/oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/613129","repository":{"repo_id":"arizona-thes","name":"University of Arizona","base_url":"https://repository.arizona.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Students' Agency in an In-Class Computer-Centered Developmental Mathematics Classroom: The Best Laid Plans of Math and (Wo)men","abstract":"Community colleges are tasked with helping all students regardless of their academic background to receive a degree, certificate, or other form of education. Many of these students need support in learning the mathematical content necessary to take college-level courses. Since a large proportion of students in these developmental classes are students of color, and unlikely to be successful, developmental courses are not leveling the playing field of higher education. In-class computer-centered (ICCC) classes are a possible solution to this social justice issue because they provide students with flexible learning opportunities. Students can work independently on a schedule that matches their needs and can access the multiple learning tools embedded in the software in ways that make the most sense for their own learning. Research on ICCC mathematics courses has primarily compared success rates with those of traditional lecture classes. These quantitative studies provided a limited view of student activity in an ICCC class and did not demonstrate how students were navigating these courses or the nature of their experiences. This study uses a qualitative research design to explore student actions and their experiences relative to their success. In my analysis, I utilized Bandura's construct of agency, defined as the capacity to understand, predict and alter the course of one's life's events (Bandura, 2008). My framework also considers agency as a temporal phenomenon residing in the past, present, and future (Emirbayer & Mische, 1998). Agency is operationalized temporally and by using four characteristics, intention, forethought, reflection, and reaction. This study uses case study research design where students are interviewed and observed in an ICCC class. In it I illustrate the various forms of agency students bring and leverage in the ICCC mathematics classroom in their attempts to be successful. Findings indicate that the students who were successful were most adept at leveraging a variety of resources to help them work towards their goals. There is the assumption that students need flexibility and individualized learning in developmental courses; these needs are addressed by ICCC and are a way in which the ICCC format perfects the traditional lecture. However, this research demonstrates that the question of how to best help developmental students remains open.","abstract_html":"Community colleges are tasked with helping all students regardless of their academic background to receive a degree, certificate, or other form of education. Many of these students need support in learning the mathematical content necessary to take college-level courses. Since a large proportion of students in these developmental classes are students of color, and unlikely to be successful, developmental courses are not leveling the playing field of higher education. In-class computer-centered (ICCC) classes are a possible solution to this social justice issue because they provide students with flexible learning opportunities. Students can work independently on a schedule that matches their needs and can access the multiple learning tools embedded in the software in ways that make the most sense for their own learning. Research on ICCC mathematics courses has primarily compared success rates with those of traditional lecture classes. These quantitative studies provided a limited view of student activity in an ICCC class and did not demonstrate how students were navigating these courses or the nature of their experiences. This study uses a qualitative research design to explore student actions and their experiences relative to their success. In my analysis, I utilized Bandura's construct of agency, defined as the capacity to understand, predict and alter the course of one's life's events (Bandura, 2008). My framework also considers agency as a temporal phenomenon residing in the past, present, and future (Emirbayer & Mische, 1998). Agency is operationalized temporally and by using four characteristics, intention, forethought, reflection, and reaction. This study uses case study research design where students are interviewed and observed in an ICCC class. In it I illustrate the various forms of agency students bring and leverage in the ICCC mathematics classroom in their attempts to be successful. Findings indicate that the students who were successful were most adept at leveraging a variety of resources to help them work towards their goals. There is the assumption that students need flexibility and individualized learning in developmental courses; these needs are addressed by ICCC and are a way in which the ICCC format perfects the traditional lecture. However, this research demonstrates that the question of how to best help developmental students remains open.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Aly, Geillan Dahab"],"institution":"The University of Arizona.","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Graduate College","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Wood, Marcy B."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Betts, J. David","MIlem, Jeffrey","Summers, Jessica"],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016","date_published":"2016","updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:55:59Z","subjects":["Computer-Centered Instruction","Developmental Education","Equity & Social Justice","Student Agency","Teaching & Teacher Education","Community College"],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. 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Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613129"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Community colleges are tasked with helping all students regardless of their academic background to receive a degree, certificate, or other form of education. Many of these students need support in learning the mathematical content necessary to take college-level courses. Since a large proportion of students in these developmental classes are students of color, and unlikely to be successful, developmental courses are not leveling the playing field of higher education. In-class computer-centered (ICCC) classes are a possible solution to this social justice issue because they provide students with flexible learning opportunities. Students can work independently on a schedule that matches their needs and can access the multiple learning tools embedded in the software in ways that make the most sense for their own learning. Research on ICCC mathematics courses has primarily compared success rates with those of traditional lecture classes. These quantitative studies provided a limited view of student activity in an ICCC class and did not demonstrate how students were navigating these courses or the nature of their experiences. This study uses a qualitative research design to explore student actions and their experiences relative to their success. In my analysis, I utilized Bandura's construct of agency, defined as the capacity to understand, predict and alter the course of one's life's events (Bandura, 2008). My framework also considers agency as a temporal phenomenon residing in the past, present, and future (Emirbayer & Mische, 1998). Agency is operationalized temporally and by using four characteristics, intention, forethought, reflection, and reaction. This study uses case study research design where students are interviewed and observed in an ICCC class. In it I illustrate the various forms of agency students bring and leverage in the ICCC mathematics classroom in their attempts to be successful. Findings indicate that the students who were successful were most adept at leveraging a variety of resources to help them work towards their goals. There is the assumption that students need flexibility and individualized learning in developmental courses; these needs are addressed by ICCC and are a way in which the ICCC format perfects the traditional lecture. However, this research demonstrates that the question of how to best help developmental students remains open."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Students' Agency in an In-Class Computer-Centered Developmental Mathematics Classroom: The Best Laid Plans of Math and (Wo)men"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Wood, Marcy B."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Betts, J. David","MIlem, Jeffrey","Summers, Jessica"],"dc:creator":["Aly, Geillan Dahab"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2016-06-14T19:19:26Z"],"dc:date.available":["2016-06-14T19:19:26Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2016"],"dc:description.abstract":["Community colleges are tasked with helping all students regardless of their academic background to receive a degree, certificate, or other form of education. Many of these students need support in learning the mathematical content necessary to take college-level courses. Since a large proportion of students in these developmental classes are students of color, and unlikely to be successful, developmental courses are not leveling the playing field of higher education. In-class computer-centered (ICCC) classes are a possible solution to this social justice issue because they provide students with flexible learning opportunities. Students can work independently on a schedule that matches their needs and can access the multiple learning tools embedded in the software in ways that make the most sense for their own learning. Research on ICCC mathematics courses has primarily compared success rates with those of traditional lecture classes. These quantitative studies provided a limited view of student activity in an ICCC class and did not demonstrate how students were navigating these courses or the nature of their experiences. This study uses a qualitative research design to explore student actions and their experiences relative to their success. In my analysis, I utilized Bandura's construct of agency, defined as the capacity to understand, predict and alter the course of one's life's events (Bandura, 2008). My framework also considers agency as a temporal phenomenon residing in the past, present, and future (Emirbayer & Mische, 1998). Agency is operationalized temporally and by using four characteristics, intention, forethought, reflection, and reaction. This study uses case study research design where students are interviewed and observed in an ICCC class. In it I illustrate the various forms of agency students bring and leverage in the ICCC mathematics classroom in their attempts to be successful. Findings indicate that the students who were successful were most adept at leveraging a variety of resources to help them work towards their goals. There is the assumption that students need flexibility and individualized learning in developmental courses; these needs are addressed by ICCC and are a way in which the ICCC format perfects the traditional lecture. However, this research demonstrates that the question of how to best help developmental students remains open."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613129"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["The University of Arizona."],"dc:rights":["Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author."],"dc:subject":["Computer-Centered Instruction","Developmental Education","Equity & Social Justice","Student Agency","Teaching & Teacher Education","Community College"],"dc:title":["Students' Agency in an In-Class Computer-Centered Developmental Mathematics Classroom: The Best Laid Plans of Math and (Wo)men"],"dc:type":["text","Electronic Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Graduate College","Teaching & Teacher Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Arizona"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:55:59Z"}