Document Type : Scientific - Research
Author
Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University, Ahar Branch, Ahar, Iran
Abstract
Mathematics has a special place in the quality of engineering education. Engineering depends significantly on the mastery of mathematics and mathematics is the foundation of engineering. This study is focused on the quality of mathematics education of engineering students by identification and classification of engineering students’ errors in solving differential equations. 43 engineering student test sheets were studied in the second semester of the 2012 academic year. Students' errors in solving differential equations are considered as one of the causes of mathematics academic failure. The four-stage model, called Baft, is presented as 1-Diagnoses (a differential equation), 2- Call (a good strategy to solve the differential equation), 3- Run (the called strategy) and 4-Review (the implementation of the strategy). As a quasi-experimental design, students’ performance in pretest (the midterm exam) and post test (the final exam) are compared. The Diagnoses-errors rate is reduced from 44% to 21%, whereas the percentage of Call-errors increased from 15% to 25%. Percentage of Run-errors and Review-errors have not changed significantly.
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