The Qualms and Quarrels with Online Undergraduate Mathematics: The Experiences of African American Male STEM Majors

ABSTRACT

Equity-related issues are a critical contemporary concern in mathematics education, and one specific area that has been taken up deals with equitable instructional modalities. However, the focus of many of these discussions, meetings, and publications is on K–12 mathematics education. This study reports on one aspect of an ongoing, equity issue in undergraduate mathematics education – face-to-face versus online mathematics instruction. In so doing, it investigates this issue surrounding online mathematics learning with African American (Both African American and Black are used interchangeably throughout this article, and these terms refer to students who were born and completed their schooling in the United States.) male Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors who have successfully completed the Calculus sequence using a critical race perspective. Findings show that these Black men did not prefer online mathematics instruction. Recommendations are shared to deal with the qualms and quarrels of online mathematics and ultimately better prepare African American male students for STEM majors.

KEYWORDS:

• African American male students
• critical race theory
• online learning
• STEM
• undergraduate mathematics

Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge the generous support of the National Science Foundation’s CAREER (Award No. 1553379) program. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

¹ Interestingly, I am revising this manuscript amid the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, a time when these pedagogical discussions are the order of the day.

² Also, see Martin (2019) for a critical discussion regarding equity and antiblackness in mathematics education.

³ I am not suggesting that all African American male students were reared in urban communities. However, this institution is in an urban city with unique opportunities for African American male students to use mathematics as a tool to bring awareness to and improve the living conditions of the Black populace.