Essential maths:for business and management

Assuming no prior mathematical knowledge, this approachable and straightforward text covers the essential mathematical skills needed by business and management students at undergraduate and MBA level. Clare Morris uses a clear and informal narrative style with examples, painlessly leading the reader through fundamental mathematical principles. "Essential Maths" spans basic arithmetic and algebra, and introduces readers to calculus and simple statistics, employing exercises and activities throughout to enable students to check their learning and reflect on their progress and understanding. Also available is a companion website with extra features to accompany the text, please take a look on http://www.palgrave.com/business/morris/index.html

Breaking down barriers:teenage girls’ perceptions of engineering as a study and career choice

Background: Stereotypically perceived to be an ‘all male’ occupation, engineering has for many years failed to attract high numbers of young women [1,2]. The reasons for this are varied, but tend to focus on misconceptions of the profession as being more suitable for men. In seeking to investigate this issue a participatory research approach was adopted [3] in which two 17 year-old female high school students interviewed twenty high school girls. Questions focused on the girls’ perceptions of engineering as a study and career choice. The findings were recorded and analysed using qualitative techniques. The study identified three distinctive ‘influences’ as being pivotal to girls’ perceptions of engineering; pedagogical; social; and, familial. Pedagogical Influences: Pedagogical influences tended to focus on science and maths. In discussing science, the majority of the girls identified biology and chemistry as more ‘realistic’ whilst physics was perceived to more suitable for boys. The personality of the teacher, and how a particular subject is taught, proved to be important influences shaping opinions. Social Influences: Societal influences were reflected in the girls’ career choice with the majority considering medical or social science related careers. Although all of the girls believed engineering to be ‘male dominated’, none believed that a woman should not be engineer. Familial Influences: Parental influence was identified as key to career and study choice; only two of the girls had discussed engineering with their parents of which only one was being actively encouraged to pursue a career in engineering. Discussion: The study found that one of the most significant barriers to engineering is a lack of awareness. Engineering did not register in the girls’ lives, it was not taught in school, and only one had met a female engineer. Building on the study findings, the discussion considers how engineering could be made more attractive to young women. Whilst misconceptions about what an engineer is need to be addressed, other more fundamental pedagogical barriers, such as the need to make physics more attractive to girls and the need to develop the curriculum so as to meet the learning needs of 21st Century students are discussed. By drawing attention to the issues around gender and the barriers to engineering, this paper contributes to current debates in this area – in doing so it provides food for thought about policy and practice in engineering and engineering education.

Time for action? Elementary engineering education - Challenging teachers, policy makers and parents

Grounded in the findings of a three year exploratory student whereby teachers' and policy makers' perceptions of elementary level engineering education were analysed, this paper focuses upon three strands of engineering education activity: Pedagogy: Practice, and: Policy. Taking into account the challenges associated with introducing engineering education at an elementary level across the UK, the paper critiques the role played by the 'competition model' in promoting engineering to children and 4 to 11 years. In considering the 'added value' that appropriately developed engineering education activities can offer in the classroom the discussion argues that elementary level engineering has the potential to reach across the curriculum, offering context and depth in many different areas. The paper concludes by arguing that by introducing the discipline to children at a foundational level, switching on their 'Engineering Imaginations' and getting them to experience the value and excitement of engineering, maths and applied science a new "Educational Frontier" will be forged. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2014.

It's about bits of machines & stuff:why girls don't 'do' engineering

This paper draws upon part of the findings of an ethnographic study in which two seventeen year old girls were employed to interview their peer about engineering as a study and career choice. It argues that whilst girls do view engineering as being generally masculine in nature, other factors such as a lack of female role models and an emphasis on physics and maths act as barriers to young women entering the discipline. The paper concludes by noting that engineering has much to offer young women, the problem is, they simply don't know this is the case! Copyright © 2013 Jane Andrews & Robin Clark.

It's not just for boys

Against an historical background of sexual inequality in the workplace engineering persists as a bastion of inequality in the 21st century. This research examines the perceptions of engineering of 86 students, who chose to study the new Level 2 Engineering Diploma at age 14. The students were based in the South West of Birmingham, close to the MG Rover Longbridge plant that closed in 2005. The results have been compared with the results of the EngineeringUK survey (EngineeringUK,2012) on perceptions of Engineering. The survey involved 5 schools - one all girls' school. Nearly a third of the students were girls. The study provides an insight into how these students acquired their perceptions of Engineering and provides clarity as to why they were attracted to join the programme at age 14. A key aspect of this study is to understand why these girls did choose and stay with the study of engineering, whilst most do not despite performing as well as boys in Maths and Science at GCSE level. Informed by the outcomes of this study the paper identifies key areas where work can be done to change teachers, parents and pupils perceptions and enable more females to recognise the possibility of both studying and working in an engineering field.

It’s about bits of machines & stuff:why girls don’t ‘do’ engineering

This paper draws upon part of the findings of an ethnographic study in which two seventeen year old girls were employed to interview their peer about engineering as a study and career choice. It argues that whilst girls do view engineering as being generally masculine in nature, other factors such as a lack of female role models and an emphasis on physics and maths act as barriers to young women entering the discipline. The paper concludes by noting that engineering has much to offer young women, the problem is, they simply don’t know this is the case!

Laboratory focussed learning of core electronic engineering concepts in the first year of an honours degree programme

In common with most universities teaching electronic engineering in the UK, Aston University has seen a shift in the profile of its incoming students in recent years. The educational background of students has moved away from traditional Alevel maths and science and if anything this variation is set to increase with the introduction of engineering diplomas. Another major change to the circumstances of undergraduate students relates to the introduction of tuition fees in 1998 which has resulted in an increased likelihood of them working during term time. This may have resulted in students tending to concentrate on elements of the course that directly provide marks contributing to the degree classification. In the light of these factors a root and branch rethink of the electronic engineering degree programme structures at Aston was required. The factors taken into account during the course revision were:. Changes to the qualifications of incoming students. Changes to the background and experience of incoming students. Increase in overseas students, some with very limited practical experience. Student focus on work directly leading to marks. Modular compartmentalisation of knowledge. The need for provision of continuous feedback on performance We discuss these issues with specific reference to a 40 credit first year electronic engineering course and detail the new course structure and evaluate the effectiveness of the changes. The new approach appears to have been successful both educationally and with regards to student satisfaction. The first cohort of students from the new course will graduate in 2010 and results from student surveys relating particularly to project and design work will be presented at the conference. © 2009 K Sugden, D J Webb and R P Reeves.