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About the PI Teaching
Exoplanet & Education Research Lab at Amherst College

Our Education Research

MATH FOR SCIENCE AND REAL LIFE

 
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Our Research

We measure students' quantitative reasoning (real-world mathematical) skills at the beginning and end of a semester of introductory science courses. We also measure their feelings about doing math, including their levels of: math anxiety, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging in STEM. Our goal is to understand whether general education science courses can be an effective tool for (a) helping students improve their numerical skills and (b) lowering barriers to entry to STEM disciplines.

 

Questions we explore in our work

Can introductory science courses for non-majors help students master real world numerical skills?

What should I do if I want to improve my numeracy skills?

What role do math anxiety, sense of belonging, metacognition, self-efficacy, and growth mindset play in perpetuating barriers to entry into STEM careers?

Featured Projects

 
Projects
Developing Computational Tools for Exoplanet and Educational Research
Developing Computational Tools for Exoplanet and Educational Research

Many of the students in the Follette Lab have a deep interest in software development and front and back-end design of computational tools. The software and tools they design are essential in streamlining everyday research operations and driving our research forward.

The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science Study
The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science Study

Much of the dialogue surrounding effective pedagogy for college-level general education astronomy courses has been focused on how best to engender "science literacy", yet students cannot be scientifically literate without also being numerate.