Teaching Mathematics to tertiary students can be a challenge to educators, mainly because they must deal with learners' varying levels of readiness. Some of the factors attributing to the variability are learners' perceptions of mathematics, their previous learning experiences, and fear of failure. We implemented a teaching approach to facilitate student ownership through active peer involvement and flexibility with assessments. In this paper, we analyse students' perceptions of learning mathematics when using the new approach for three consecutive semesters. We discuss the results of our study and the factors that helped students overcome their inhibitions and appreciate mathematical concepts.