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Can business and economics students perform elementary arithmetic?
Lionel G Standing1, Robert A Sproule, Ambrose Leung
1Department of Psychology, Bishop's University, Lennoxville, QC, Canada. lstandin@ubishops.ca
Psychological Reports
|June 27, 2006
Summary
Many college business and economics students struggle with basic arithmetic, with only 40% passing a third-grade math test. Performance was not linked to demographics or math anxiety, but declined over their college years.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Mathematics Education
Background:
- Elementary arithmetic skills are foundational for higher education.
- Concerns exist regarding the basic mathematical proficiency of college students.
- Previous studies indicate potential deficits in fundamental math competencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the elementary arithmetic skills of business and economics majors.
- To identify factors influencing performance on basic math tests.
- To compare current arithmetic proficiency with historical data.
Main Methods:
- Administered the D'Amore Test of Elementary Arithmetic (1932 third-grade items) to 146 business and economics majors.
- Collected data on self-predicted scores, demographics, academic performance in calculus, and attitudes towards STEM and math anxiety.
- Analyzed score trends over the students' initial years on campus.
Main Results:
- Only 40% of students correctly answered all 10 items.
- Self-predicted scores correlated with actual performance.
- Performance was not associated with demographic variables, calculus grades, STEM interest, or math anxiety.
- Scores showed a decline during the students' initial years.
- A specific item involving order of operations had a 23% error rate.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of business and economics students lack basic arithmetic proficiency.
- Factors beyond demographics and math anxiety influence basic math skills.
- The decline in scores over initial college years warrants further investigation.
- Findings align with previous research, suggesting persistent issues in fundamental math skills.
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