Mathematical Understanding vs. Engineering Understanding: Engineering Students’ Perceptions

Abstract

The current study explores how BSc engineering students at an academic college of engineering perceive engineering and mathematical understanding and the interrelationships between them. The theoretical framework for this research includes three main aspects of engineering and mathematical understanding: procedural, conceptual, and applicable. The participants were thirty BSc students from different engineering disciplines who answered a four-open-items questionnaire that included three questions dealing with specific mathematical and engineering subjects and one general question. Content analysis of the students' answers revealed that all three aspects were reflected in the students' answers. More responses were recognized in student answers to the specific questions than to the general question. The procedural aspect was very prominent among the students' responses to the specific mathematics and engineering subject. Regarding the answers to the general question, it can be induced that students possess general perceptions of mathematic understanding as procedural and conceptual, but not applicable; and engineering understanding as conceptual and applicable, but not procedural. Concerning relationships between mathematical and engineering understanding, more than one third of the students claimed that mathematics is a tool for engineering; yet, at the same time, not even one student addressed applicable aspects of mathematical understanding in the general question. This fact stresses the students' detached general perception of mathematical understanding as not applicable.Keywords: mathematical understanding, engineering understanding, student perceptions IntroductionThe 21st century is characterized by information explosion; nevertheless, accessibility to information is friendly and becoming easier as time advances. Therefore, teaching for understanding has become the trend, rather than teaching information. The subject of mathematics has always existed at the core of engineering education. Engineering students take many courses in mathematics while qualifying for a first academic degree in engineering. Nevertheless, a thorough literature review of academic journals and using Google Scholar revealed no articles regarding engineering students' perceptions about the nature of mathematical understanding and engineering understanding, considering the similarities and the differences between them. The authors of the current paper find it interesting to investigate the students' perception of mathematical understanding versus engineering understanding and the relationship between them.The paper is organized as follows. First comes the literature review about understanding in general, then mathematical understanding is followed by the literature review about engineering understanding. Secondly is the research plan, including the research questions, population, and methodology, and finally come the findings followed by a discussion and conclusion. Literature Review Approaches to UnderstandingAccording to the M...