Abstract
Among 34 participating countries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States performed below average in mathematics earning a rank of 27. The World Economic Forum (2014) ranks the United States 51 out of 144 countries scoring a 4.4 out of 7 (7 = excellent) in the quality of mathematics and science education. Although the United States’ competitive advantage and economic growth is directly connected to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, only 28 percent of those students choose to major with these fields in college. In addition, 48 percent of students that choose to major within STEM fields will switch to non-STEM majors or leave college without completing a degree (Chen, 2013). Since construction management is a STEM-related field, these statistics are concerning. While basic foundational math principles are methodically established and advanced in the public school system from kindergarten through middle school, students’ growth within math appears to stagnate in high school. This could stem from the fact that high school students can opt out of math or complete all math requirements during their first year of high school. When students opt out of math or complete it early, these students go multiple semesters without a math requirement. The intent of this research is to show that abstinence from mathematics in high school can result in a lack of growth in math skills, which then becomes an unnecessary hurdle for university freshman entering into STEM majors such as Construction Management. Using a standard math exam that tests students’ knowledge and ability in regards to unit conversions, measurement, and basic geometry, this pilot study compares middle school exam results with those of university freshmen enrolled in STEM-related fields.
Recommended Citation
Barry, Nathan; Hollman, Angela; and Porter, Dale
(2017)
"Math Skills that Don’t Add Up; A Comparison between Eighth Grade and College Students,"
The Professional Constructor: Vol. 42:
No.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://open.clemson.edu/aic-journal/vol42/iss1/3
