Universal Journal of Educational Research Vol. 8(5), pp. 1899 - 1906
DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2020.080526
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Engineering Students' Performances in Mathematics through Project-based Learning

N. Razali ^1,*, N. A. Zainuri ¹, H. Othman ¹, Z. M. Nopiah ¹, N. A. A. Bakar ^2
1 Department of Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
² Institut Matematik Kejuruteraan, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Project-based learning is an example of active learning and is student-driven, interdisciplinary, collaborative and technology-based. To test the hypothesis that project-based learning maximises course performance, we analysed a difficulty index of examination scores or failure rates and compared between 422 students in the 2016/2017 session, who took the Vector Calculus course and project-based learning with 342 students from the 2015/2016 session without project-based learning. The analysis of the difficulty index is used to investigate the achievement of the course outcome and the analysis on the correlation between the project-based learning scores and the final exam scores are identified using Pearson's product-moment correlation. The effect sizes indicate that on average examination scores improved by about 12% with project-based learning and students in classes with project-based learning were 3.4 times more likely to get as than students in classes without project-based learning. It is observed that the difficulty index for all course outcomes are achieved and distributed between a good range of 0.3–0.8. It is also proven that the students find it easier to answer the exam questions after the project-based learning is implemented based on the results of their mid and final semester exams.

KEYWORDS
Project-based Learning, Engineering Mathematics, Difficulty Index

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] N. Razali , N. A. Zainuri , H. Othman , Z. M. Nopiah , N. A. A. Bakar , "Engineering Students' Performances in Mathematics through Project-based Learning," Universal Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 1899 - 1906, 2020. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2020.080526.

(b). APA Format:
N. Razali , N. A. Zainuri , H. Othman , Z. M. Nopiah , N. A. A. Bakar (2020). Engineering Students' Performances in Mathematics through Project-based Learning. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(5), 1899 - 1906. DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2020.080526.