| This study investigated a geometry intervention as a method for refreshing, reviewing, and learning the proper geometrical tools needed in the calculus II course.; At Texas A&M University, students in 28 sections of the engineering and science calculus II course participated in the study. The geometry intervention was given to half of the sections. A geometry test was given to all of the students in the class at the beginning of the semester, and was preceded by a questionnaire and the Aiken's Mathematics Attitude Survey. The activities in the geometry intervention, based on the results of the geometry test, included a set of geometry problems and a formula sheet. (questionnaires were also given after the second class and at the end of the semester. Interviews of some students, instructors, and teaching assistants were taken throughout the semester.; The scores on the geometry items of the common exams, the scores on all examinations, and the course grades, taking into account the students' scores on the geometry test and their grade in calculus I, were used to compare the achievements of the students in the traditional calculus group to those in the geometry intervention group. In addition to t-tests, linear mixed effect regression was used to find linear models fitted by maximum likelihood.; The study showed that the geometry intervention in calculus II was effective in helping the students be more successful on the geometry related problems on the exams. There was consensus among students, teaching assistants, and instructors that geometry is needed to understand and succeed in calculus II, and that the geometry intervention was beneficial. The geometry intervention had no effect on the exam scores, probably due to the paucity of problems that required geometry this year. Students who delayed taking calculus II even one semester after taking calculus I had significantly lower exam scores. Students taking calculus I at a place other than Texas A&M had lower scores on the first two exams, but this effect was gone by the third and the final exams. Lastly, women scored higher on all exams, thus earning significantly higher grades. |
