Literature Review of Math Misconceptions Across Engineering Disciplines

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown that students’ entry into, and persistence within, engineering programs are significantly hampered by challenges they face in college level math courses and in their understanding of math concepts needed for engineering courses. We focused this literature review on the math concepts required for several core engineering courses: engineering statistics, circuit analysis, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, signals and systems, materials science and control systems. The literature review explored approximately 40 articles from the last 20 years. Specific topics addressed in the literature included algebra, trigonometry, calculus, probability and statistics, and linear algebra. Calculus is the entry level math course in many engineering programs and is a critical foundation for engineering. While most engineering programs expect students to take calculus in their first year, engineering students often lack proficiency in a variety of fundamental prerequisite pre-calculus topics including but not limited to algebra and trigonometry. Conceptual difficulties in calculus, probability and statistics, and linear algebra have been documented throughout the literature. Some of these misconceptions have been shown to persist between high school students and university students. Improved strategies in clarifying misconceptions to students have also been reported, ranging from individualized remediation to course level strategies. The content of this review should serve as a concise starting point for content developers and instructors to help engineering students who struggle with math in their curriculum, and to provide specific misconceptions to target in efforts to remediate math understanding for these students.