Mathematical maturity for engineering students

This dissertation presents four studies on the mathematical education of engineering students. The first study is a qualitative analysis of the beliefs of engineering faculty at a single institution regarding what constitutes “mathematical maturity” for engineering students. Faculty emphasized the need for mathematical modeling skills, fluent symbolic representation skills, and a combination of effortless algebraic fluency and ability to use computational tools. The second study is an analysis of the beliefs of engineering faculty at a variety of institutions. These faculty also emphasized modeling, representation, and computation, corroborating the results of the first study. The third study is an analysis of the mathematical content of engineering circuits and statics homework problems. Just 8% of statics problems and 20% of circuits problems use calculus, and in a much more limited way than what is taught in calculus. The fourth study presents a quantitative survey of engineering sophomores’ perceptions of the relevance of mathematics to their engineering studies. The students have somewhat favorable views of the relevance of mathematics, but some high-performing students view mathematics as irrelevant.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2018

Author dc:creator

• Faulkner, Brian

Contributors dc:contributor

• Waldrop, Lara
• Herman, Geoffrey L.
• Loui, Michael
• Carney, Paul S.
• Cromley, Jennifer G.

• mathematical epistemology
• mathematical modeling
• mathematics
• mathematics education
• engineering education
• engineering mathematics
• symbol sense
• mathematical competencies
• curriculum
• perceptions of relevance

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2018 Brian Faulkner

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101539

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/101539