Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the degree to which college algebra students’ value mathematical skills in their prospective careers. A survey was administered to N = 144 students in 6 college algebra classes at a mid-sized doctoral granting university. Students in half the classes completed a data analysis project, and half of the students planned to major in a business-related degree. Logistic regression suggested that students held mostly positive attitudes about the value of mathematics in their career, with business students expressing more positive attitudes than those reported by non-business students. Unexpectedly, those who completed the data analysis project expressed less positive attitudes on 6 of the 20 survey items.
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Champion, J., Parker, F., Mendoza-Spencer, B. et al. COLLEGE ALGEBRA STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS IN THEIR CAREERS. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 9, 1093–1110 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-010-9246-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-010-9246-z