Abstract
The changes in society require revision of the content of higher education. Mathematics as a classical subject has played an important part in higher education until now, especially in engineering education. The introduction of mathematics IT programmes (MathCad, MathLab, Matematica, Maple…) in labour market caused the reduction of the practical application of the classical mathematics, therefore it is important to draw attention to the development of mathematical competences. The theoretical part of the paper deals with the notion of competence, its aspects and types, considers the question of the essence of mathematics, examines general competences driven teaching of mathematics, describes organisational model underlying the curriculum in mathematics that is based on the division of the content of mathematics into levels. The paper describes the main issues of the development of teaching of mathematics discussed by European mathematicians (SEFI Math Working Group). The paper presents the results of the ERDF project “Cross-border network for adapting mathematical competences in the socio-economic development (MatNet)”, which studied the role of mathematics in today's labor market in the context of modern education (“Mathematics in professional activities”) and the role of mathematics in studies at the Latvia University of Agriculture (LUA) and Siauliai University in Lithuania (“Mathematics in professional studies”). The paper describes the LUA experience in integration of IT programmes in the study process of mathematics, as well as the experience of organizing the self-directed study of mathematics' practical application based on didactic approach and e-learning features.
Highlights
Contemporary education has to fulfill many tasks required by modern trends in the development of society
SEFI (European Society for Engineering Education) Mathematics Working Group suggests the following definition: “ Mathematics is at the heart of engineering, being both a language for the expression of ideas and the means of communicating results
More than 65% employees consider that mathematics gives an insight into the world; more than 72% consider that mathematics develops thinking, helps to make a decision in a particular situation and find new ideas, but more than 79% consider that mathematics helps to model and analyze the problems of the real world “ Fig.6”
Summary
Contemporary education has to fulfill many tasks required by modern trends in the development of society. This process has caused urgent needs to change the education environment. Mathematics is involved in this process it is important to examine the role of mathematics in the present education, especially engineering education. The following questions should be revised again: What is Mathematics?, What is the purpose of teaching Mathematics?, What do we want students to do with their understanding?. The problem is that mathematics must appear understandable and relevant and be of practical use in the adults’ living world. Many research findings show that the “school mathematics” and mathematics that are used or needed in a range of life situations are not related
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP)
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
