Mathematics for biological sciences undergraduates: a needs assessment

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to investigate the mathematical needs of biological sciences undergraduate students. Student needs were measured through a needs assessment methodology scheme that included a content analysis of peer-reviewed journals, a nationwide cross-sectional survey, and semi-structured interviews. The research question that guided the study was: what are the mathematical needs of biological sciences undergraduate students as perceived by certain stakeholder groups? The stakeholder groups represented the areas of ecology, evolution, and behaviour, and developmental biology to portray two extremes in the use of mathematics. Major findings included: (1) The use of mathematics to support experimental design is the most consistent need across disciplines. (2) An overall understanding of mathematical models is needed as a minimum for scientific literacy. (3) Evolution and animal behaviour students need descriptive and inferential statistics, stochastic processes, differential equations, and mathematical models in general. Developmental biology students, on the other hand, need only descriptive and inferential statistics, and mathematical models. These needs, however, strongly vary depending on students’ career tracks within their subdisciplines, suggesting the necessity of a flexible undergraduate curriculum.