Kaya Poff
Language Practices and Ideologies in Real Analysis Lectures
The undergraduate real analysis course, in addition to being particularly difficult to teach and to learn, is often challenging to justify and explain. Throughout the year, my mentor and I have studied several professors’ language practices used in their real analysis lectures in order to answer the questions: What is real analysis and why should we study it? By coding instances of the professors exhibiting value judgments, asserting student-instructor positionality, and other examples of “tension” in the professors’ justification of the course, we have explored how mathematicians navigate the complicated “epistemic game” of real analysis. This summer, we will expand on our research of these fascinating questions regarding the purpose of this class by gathering math student responses to real analysis lectures.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much to the donors who have made my work on this project possible! Getting to work as a research apprentice has been such an enriching experience and has drastically impacted my perspective on mathematics. This research opportunity has meant so much to me and has been a driving force in my decision to pursue a career in education so I cannot extend enough gratitude to the sponsors who have allowed me the opportunity to continue on this project. I am excited to learn more from my mentor and make new discoveries this summer!