Mathematics in Engineering Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 1635

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Aalborg Centre of Problem-Based Learning in Engineering, Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
2. Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Interests: teaching and learning of mathematics at higher education level, including STEM; problem and project-based learning; learning psychology; subject matter analysis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut für Didaktik der Mathematik und Physik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Interests: the use of mathematics in signal theory and more general in empirical sciences; epistemological and subject scientific analyses of mathematical practices; anthropological theory of the didactics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the role of mathematics in engineering education. Mathematics is, without question, an essential tool for engineers, but how we teach it at the university level is another matter. Previous research has shown, on one side, that it is often a challenge for engineering students to learn mathematics and, on the other side, that they need different mathematics and another approach to mathematics than, for example, mathematics students. Mathematics teaching should take into account the specific uses in engineering science as well as new digital possibilities (from CAS, MATLAB, to AI) even more than before. In view of this situation, numerous efforts are being made to modify content appropriately and to try out new teaching methods.

The planned issue aims, above all, to present contributions that combine both concerns, i.e., that make solid epistemological analyses of specific uses of mathematics the starting point for considerations of modified forms of teaching. A contribution may address any of the following questions or go beyond these topics:

  • How to enable engineering students to gain new experiences in learning mathematics;
  • How to relate the teaching in mathematics courses more to how mathematics concepts are taught in engineering courses?
  • How can new digital possibilities (CAS, MATLAB, and AI) be used to make mathematics teaching more relevant for engineering students?
  • How may inquiry-, project-, problem-, case-, challenged-based learning, and other activity-based teaching modes make mathematics more relevant for engineering students?

Prof. Bettina Dahl Søndergaard
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Hochmuth
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • epistemological analysis
  • subject matter analysis
  • digital tools
  • problem-based learning
  • inquiry-based learning
  • challenged-based learning
  • mathematics in engineering education
  • higher education
  • university pedagogy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

26 pages, 1708 KiB  
Article
A Structured AHP-Based Approach for Effective Error Diagnosis in Mathematics: Selecting Classification Models in Engineering Education
by Milton Garcia Tobar, Natalia Gonzalez Alvarez and Margarita Martinez Bustamante
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070827 - 29 Jun 2025
Viewed by 262
Abstract
Identifying and classifying mathematical errors is crucial to improving the teaching and learning process, particularly for first-year engineering students who often struggle with foundational mathematical competencies. This study aims to select the most appropriate theoretical framework for error classification by applying the Analytic [...] Read more.
Identifying and classifying mathematical errors is crucial to improving the teaching and learning process, particularly for first-year engineering students who often struggle with foundational mathematical competencies. This study aims to select the most appropriate theoretical framework for error classification by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multicriteria decision-making method. Five established classification models—Newman, Kastolan, Watson, Hadar, and Polya—were evaluated using six pedagogical criteria: precision in error identification, ease of application, focus on conceptual and procedural errors, response validation, and viability in improvement strategies. Expert judgment was incorporated through pairwise comparisons to compute priority weights for each criterion. The results reveal that the Newman framework offers the highest overall performance, primarily due to its structured approach to error analysis and its applicability in formative assessment contexts. Newman’s focus on reading, comprehension, transformation, and encoding addresses the most common errors encountered in the early stages of mathematical learning. The study demonstrates the utility of the AHP as a transparent and replicable methodology for educational model selection. It addresses a gap in the literature regarding evidence-based criteria for designing diagnostic instruments. These findings support the development of targeted pedagogical interventions in mathematics education for engineering programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mathematics in Engineering Education)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3126 KiB  
Article
Using a Realistic Context to Motivate and Teach Engineering Students the Chain Rule
by Imad Abou-Hayt and Bettina Dahl
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040433 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Existing research shows that students struggle to understand and use the chain rule appropriately. Other research suggests instructors use more contextually rich problems in their teaching to allow the students to experience calculus through meaningful contexts. In response, this concept paper presents four [...] Read more.
Existing research shows that students struggle to understand and use the chain rule appropriately. Other research suggests instructors use more contextually rich problems in their teaching to allow the students to experience calculus through meaningful contexts. In response, this concept paper presents four tasks using the chain rule that we anticipate can be compatible with how students discern concepts, and which could enhance the students’ understanding of the chain rule. The setup is that the students learn the chain rule through the multiplication rule, demonstrated through four teaching tasks. Applying Tall’s three worlds of mathematics when designing mathematics tasks makes it possible to blend symbolic and embodied worlds, opening the door to the formal world, which is beneficial for engineering students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mathematics in Engineering Education)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop