Challenges for Emirati university students in comprehending mathematical text and word problems

Mark Causapin 1 * , Timothy Groombridge 2 *
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1 Mathematics and Statistics, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
2 English and Writing, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
* Corresponding Author
EUR J SCI MATH ED, Volume 2, Issue 2A, pp. 94-107. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/9631
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ABSTRACT

The United Arab Emirates has been rapidly developing its educational institutions and trying to adopt a western system of higher education. The government has chosen English to be the medium of instruction in universities and thus has become a critical factor in student learning. In mathematics classes, it can be seen that students struggle to grasp concepts not just because of the actual content but also because of the language barrier. Language is intertwined with the multiple facets of mathematics education but one of the more salient areas is in comprehending mathematical text and problems. This paper attempts to summarize previous research findings that are related to this issue and describe problems faced by teachers using actual classroom cases. The conclusion of this paper outlines some tentative recommendations and a future research agenda to develop strategies to resolve these issues.
Keywords: mathematics education, word problems, Arabic, United Arab Emirates, English language learners

CITATION

Causapin, M., & Groombridge, T. (2014). Challenges for Emirati university students in comprehending mathematical text and word problems. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2(2A), 94-107. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/9631

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