Analysis of the Mathematical Achievement of Students in a Fashion Merchandising Course

Abstract

Perceived lack of mathematical competence of students in a Fashion Merchandising course was a concern to faculty and students. Using an interdisciplinary approach, two professors, one in the Home Economics Department and one in the Mathematics Department, collaborated to determine which factors influenced performance on mathematical content and how to enhance mathematical skills. Goals of this research were to: (l) establish students' mathematical ability, (2) track their achievement during the fashion merchandising course, and (3) provide recommendations for improving student performance. Data on high school achievement (SAT scores), grades in college mathematics course, scores on a pretest and background data (i.e. age, hours of outside employment) were collected Correlation coefficients were calculated for these variables and the grade on the mathematical portion of the course. Students'progress was monitored throughout the course. The best predictor of the grade on mathematical content was the score on the pretest. The only other significant predictor was the overall grade in the course. The importance of consistently emphasizing mathematical content was found to positively aid students in their performance.

Keywords

fashion merchandising curriculum retail mathematics

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