Date of Last Revision
2023-05-03 04:57:20
Major
Adolescent to Young Adult - Integrated Mathematics
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts in Education
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2019
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to dissect why it is important to teach mathematics to every student, even if the student does not plan on pursuing mathematics in his or her career. This paper will describe and test various reasons why mathematics is taught to every student but it will focus on math as a way to help develop and improve problem-solving and logical reasoning skills. An experiment was conducted on a random sample of fourteen University of Akron students who were measured on their problem-solving abilities and critical thinking through playing two games. These students were then compared to the other participants with regard to the level of math courses they have taken and how well they did on the games. The results show that students who have taken high level math courses, on average, were more successful (won more with less turns) in both games. This draws a correlation between taking math courses and an increase in a student’s critical thinking and logical reasoning skills, skills that are important in a wide variety of careers and circumstances.
Research Sponsor
Karen Plaster
First Reader
Dr. Wondimu Ahmed
Second Reader
Dr. Linda Saliga
Recommended Citation
Harris, Megan Marie, "Why We Teach Mathematics to Every Student: Determining Impact of Mathematics on Problem Solving and Logical Reasoning Skills" (2019). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 605.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/605
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons