Criteria, indicators and levels of mathematical competence formation of future mid-level specialists

Mathematical creativity is perceived as an increasingly important aspect of everyday life and, consequently, research has increased over the past decade. However, mathematical creativity has mainly been investigated in children and adolescents so far. Therefore, the first goal of the current study was to develop a mathematical creativity measure for adults (MathCrea) and to evaluate its reliability and construct validity in a sample of 100 adults. The second goal was to investigate how mathematical creativity is related to intelligence, mathematical competence, and general creativity. The MathCrea showed good reliability, and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the data fitted the assumed theoretical model, in which fluency, flexibility, and originality constitute first order factors and mathematical creativity a second order factor. Even though intelligence, mathematical competence, and general creativity were positively related to mathematical creativity, only numerical intelligence and general creativity predicted unique variance of mathematical creativity. Additional analyses separating quantitative and qualitative aspects of mathematical creativity revealed differential relationships to intelligence components and general creativity. This exploratory study provides first evidence that intelligence and general creativity are important predictors for mathematical creativity in adults, whereas mathematical competence seems to be not as important for mathematical creativity in adults as in children.

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Bilingualism positively predicts mathematical competence: Evidence from two large-scale studies

Learning and Individual Differences ◽

10.1016/j.lindif.2017.12.007 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 61 ◽

pp. 216-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Andree Hartanto ◽

Hwajin Yang ◽

Sujin Yang

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Mathematical Competence

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How Well Prepared are Students for Undergraduate Engineering Mathematics?

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education ◽

10.1177/030641909502300408 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 352-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Duncan A. Lawson

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Test ◽

Mechanical Engineering ◽

Test Results ◽

Mathematical Competence ◽

Rule Of Thumb ◽

Undergraduate Engineering ◽

Engineering Mathematics ◽

Level 3

Many universities admit students to degree courses in mechanical engineering from a wide variety of backgrounds. The majority enter with a study of A level mathematics. An increasing proportion enter having previously studied for BTEC qualifications. The conventional rule of thumb which is used is that BTEC level 3 is equivalent to A level. In this paper this rule of thumb is examined by comparing the performance of A level and BTEC students in a diagnostic test, taken at the start of their course, and the results of the end-of-year examination. The results of students entering the mechanical engineering stream of degree courses at Coventry University in 1991 and 1992 are used to provide the data for this study. The diagnostic test results also show the key areas of weakness in the level of mathematical competence of many students on entry to universities.

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