Different attitudes towards mathematics amongst two groups of management students: a Norwegian case study

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate management students’ attitudes towards mathematics by comparing two groups. The students in Group 1 had prior professional education (in healthcare, education, and so on) and were taking a master’s degree in management. The students in Group 2 were ordinary business and economics students. The sample was taken from different universities in Norway. The chosen methods were pairwise companionship and binary logistic regression. The results showed a substantial difference in attitudes towards mathematics between the two groups, especially in self-confidence. Views on the value of mathematics also differed. The impact of gender was minor in Group 1 and non-existent in Group 2. Attitudes towards mathematics differed between the male and female business and economics students.