Practicing Engineers’ Perspective on Mathematics and Mathematics Education in College

Abstract

This paper reports on a qualitative study focusing on engineers’ point of view in regard to university mathematics and mathematics education. An individual interview was conducted with three electrical and two mechanical engineers between the ages of 25-40, all engaged in successful careers. The subjects were requested to reflect upon themselves as learners of mathematics in the past and as consumers of mathematics in the present. The interviews were analyzed within a framework designed during the research. Framework was grouped into three types: teaching mathematics, analytical thinking and mathematics is an essential and powerful discipline for an engineer’s life.