The findings suggest competency development for a subset of competencies. There is evidence that specific mathematical domains facilitate or hinder the development of specific mathematical competencies. Furthermore
Ioannis Liakos
PhD Candidate
Ioannis Liakos has submitted his thesis entitled «IThe development of students’ mathematical competencies: The case of biology students» and defended the thesis for the PhD-degree Thursday 16 March 2023.
He has followed doktorgradsprogrammet the PhD programme at the Faculty of Engineering and Science at UiA.
This research focuses on the development of mathematical competencies of first-year university students in a Biology department as they engage in non- routine open-ended mathematical tasks set in the context of biology. The research employs a scaling instrument on a modified extant competence framework to identify evidence of student competency development by exploring situations where students activate particular mathematical competencies. The scaling instrument is designed to evaluate the quality of competence activation. The research creates individual competency profiles for volunteer students who participated in a series of calculus classes addressing several mathematical areas over one semester. The research also explores whether the activation of the distinct mathematical competencies are inter- related exploring instances of concurrent activation.
The findings suggest competency development for a subset of competencies. There is evidence that specific mathematical domains facilitate or hinder the development of specific mathematical competencies. Furthermore, there are indications that the activation of specific competencies hinder or favor the concurrent activation of specific other competencies.
This research highlights techniques that may advance the study of students’ assessment and evaluation concerning the acquisition of mathematical knowledge. It provides evidence that the employment of a competency scaling scheme can provide information regarding the quality of students’ competence activation This study also comprises implications for new student assessment methods where the teacher can obtain a more detailed picture of each student’s performance by creating a competence profile where the weaknesses and strengths of the students are on full display.
the trial lecure and the public defense took place in Auditorium B1 001, Campus Kristiansand og digitally ont Zoom conferencing app.
The Head of The Department of Mathematical Sciences Ingvald Erfjord was Disputation Chair.
The trial lecture with the topic "Transdisciplinary Research in Mathematics Education: Chances and Limitations" was held 16 March at. 10:30.
The public defense was the same day at 12:00.
The title of the thesis: "The development of students’ mathematical competencies: The case of biology students"
Professor John David Monaghan, UiA
Professor Yuriy Rogovchenko, UiA
Associate professor Olov Viirman, Uppsala Universitet, Sverige
First Opponent: Professor Dr. Hans-Stefan Siller, University of Wuerzburg, Germany
Second Opponent: Associate Professor Mette Susanne Andresen, UiB, Norway
Committee Chair: Professor Said Hadjerrouit, UiA