A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF WOMEN'S SENSE OF BELONGING IN AN ACTIVE LEARNING UNDERGRADUATE CALCULUS COURSE.

Low sense of belonging has been identified as a key reason for women's decisions to leave STEM majors. Prior studies indicate that incorporating active learning opportunities may support students' sense of belonging. Calculus is an especially ripe setting for investigating STEM students' sense of belonging, as it often acts as a gatekeeper course for STEM majors. This mixed methods study investigates changes in women's sense of belonging during the first semester of a year-long active learning Calculus course. Women who reported large changes were interviewed to investigate the influence of active learning opportunities on their sense of belonging. Results indicate an initial significant increase followed by a plateau in women's sense of belonging. Six women who experienced changes in their sense of belonging agreed to be interviewed, and this analysis is ongoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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