Abstract:

As an intellectually stimulating discipline, mathematics forms an integral part of a variety of curriculum programs on offer. Meaningful acquisition of mathematical skills is central to the development of scientific literacy in any instructional setting. By its very nature, engineering as a key field of expertise heavily relies on meaningful acquisition of mathematical skills for stimulation of economic growth and sustainable development. The complexity of the articulation gap between school and higher education prompted various institutions of higher learning in South Africa to consider alternative admission criteria for entering students. To this end, admitted students are increasingly placed in the mainstream curriculum programs and extended curriculum programs on the basis of their overall admission score. Students placed in the extended curriculum programs are largely viewed as at-risk cohort requiring additional critical academic support to ensure academic success. The development of requisite skills ought to be informed by a clear understanding of the complexity of cognitive and affective factors associated with various learning areas. As a means to foster the maximization of academic experience, undergraduate engineering students’ attitudes towards mathematics as a key knowledge domain were assessed through the administration of a Mathematics Attitude Questionnaire. The administration of Mathematics Attitude Questionnaire formed part of a survey which was carried out after the students were adequately exposed to university instruction. The purposive sample comprised of undergraduate students who were specifically enrolled for programs in Electrical Engineering (Mainstream), Metallurgical Engineering (Mainstream) and Mechanical Engineering (Extended) at a South African university. The questionnaire was statistically analysed to capture the nature of the students' attitudes towards mathematics as an integral part of the academic offering. The investigation essentially sought to provide insights into the differentiation between the attitudes towards mathematics displayed by undergraduate engineering students in the mainstream and extended curriculum programs.The study revealed that South African undergraduate engineering students in both the mainstream and extended curriculum programs displayed largely positive attitudes towards the nature of mathematics as a key knowledge domain. In particular, the key findings strongly suggest that the confidence of students when grappling with the cognitive demands of mathematics appeared to be crucially dependent on a conflation of cognitive and affective factors. Theoretical implications for meaningful development of mathematical skills are discussed.

Keywords:

Mathematical skills, scientific literacy, assessment