Comparison of Mathematical Modelling Skills of Secondary and Tertiary Students

Abstract

The primary motivation of this study is to investigate whether there are any differences, and what they are, between the mathematical modelling skills of secondary and tertiary students entering a highly academic university in China. With this aim in mind, we used a multiple-choice question instrument, which has been extensively used in experimental studies in various countries, to assess students’ modelling skills. Two tests, each consisting of six questions, were conducted with approximately 200 first-year students from Tsinghua University. The first test was carried out as the students entered the University, and the second test was carried out at the end of the first semester after an introductory unit in mathematical modelling. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the differences in the results of these two tests.