Toward matching instructor objectives to student quantitative reasoning in sophomore math methods

A common objective of physics programs is that majors will learn to reason quantitatively like a professional physicist. One natural venue for developing this reasoning is the sophomore-level Math Methods course. To consider whether the instructional practices of this course support the development of all students’ mathematical reasoning, we have embarked upon a project to characterize instructor goals and the instructional environment across multiple institutions. In this talk, we present preliminary data that suggest that the quantitative reasoning skills of many physics majors do not change appreciably over the course of a physics degree. In addition, we present data from interviews with faculty from a variety of institutions who have taught Math Methods. We discuss ways in which these data can help inform interventions to help our courses better serve all students.