PhD research looks at why students struggle with mathematics
A newly-capped applied mathematician sought, in his doctoral thesis, to uncover why students face challenges in studying the subject.
“In the realm of first-year university mathematics, students often face challenges in applying critical evaluation and analysis skills to solve mathematical problems,” Dr Mthobisi Ntuli, who recently graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Despite the significance of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in problem-solving, there is a gap in understanding how to develop and assess these skills effectively among first-year calculus students. Existing research indicates a deficiency in students’ basic knowledge and skills, hindering their ability to tackle university-level calculus concepts.”
Dr Ntuli’s PhD research sort to address this gap by using HOTS to enhance first-year students’ problem-solving abilities in mathematics.
His motivation stemmed from the recognition of varying student performances and the importance of understanding why certain students struggle while others excel.
“By focusing on developing the necessary skills to overcome threshold concepts, such as understanding limits, my study aimed to empower students to navigate complex mathematical problems effectively,” he said.
Dr Ntuli explained the motivation for his research: “Generally, in a class or group of students, you can find students who perform exceptionally well and others who perform poorly. This may be because of students’ prior education or lack of basic knowledge and skills to understand concepts of first-year university mathematics.
“Research has shown that two students can perform the same in a task up to a specific mathematical point and then one student takes a further step while the other cannot. As a researcher, it is very important to get an understanding why one student lagged, and which skills the other student used to go further. Understanding this will empower researchers to produce methods of how to help the student who lagged to develop the necessary skills to be able to take that further step.”
Dr Ntuli’s study focused specifically on improving problem-solving abilities in first-year calculus students by developing HOTS. His primary objective was therefore to create purposeful assessment questions aligned with module content to foster the development of HOTS.
Having started at UKZN as an undergraduate in the BSc Augmented Programme, and now with his PhD successfully behind him, Dr Ntuli hopes to pursue a career as an academic and researcher.
In his spare time, he is an avid runner, participating in full and half marathons on a regular basis. He thanked his family and church for their support, as well as his supervisor, Professor Anesh Maharaj for his unwavering support, invaluable contributions and mentorship.
