2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper explores the perceptions of engineering faculty on students’ math readiness and how they respond to it. Prior research shows that introductory math courses often challenge early college students, and students struggle with both understanding and application of mathematical concepts. Additionally, the existing literature has not examined how faculty respond to students’ lack of math readiness. To better understand this issue, this study examines engineering faculty’s perceptions of and responses to students’ math preparedness. The study utilizes interview data collected at two institutions – one private R2 and one public M1 university. A preliminary analysis of seven interviews suggests that faculty perceive that students struggle with understanding math concepts required in engineering courses, performing computations, moving between different mathematical representations, and applying math concepts to engineering problem solving. Faculty primarily respond to this issue by devoting class time to helping students with math concepts and highlighting how math concepts are applied to engineering domains. Additionally, faculty provide out-of-class support to students and encourage peer learning to address this issue. Some also avoid using advanced mathematical concepts in their courses.