Assessment of Polytechnic Students' Understanding of Basic Algebra

摘要

It is important for engineering students to excel in algebra. Previous studies show that the algebraic fraction is a subtopic of algebra that was found to be the most challenging for engineering students. This study is done with 191 first semester engineering students who have enrolled in engineering programs in Malaysian polytechnic. The respondents are divided into Group 1 (Distinction) and Group 2 (Credit) based on their Mathematics SPM result. A computer application is developed for this study to assess student information and understanding of the algebraic fraction topic. The result is analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The test results show that there are significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 and that most of the students scored below the minimum requirement.