Practical Numeric and It Skills Maths Component Summary Notes: A Content Analysis

This research was conducted to examine the contents of the Practical Numeric and IT Skills Maths Component Summary Notes which has served as the main text used by the lecturers of the Faculty of Foundation Studies. The researcher endeavored to examine the text as regards its learning objectives, mathematical concepts, processes, symbols and errors. Results show that the text consists of 12 units with a total of 43 learning objectives out of which 19 or 44.19% are stated in the “to understand” form and 24 or 55.81% are based on Bloom's Taxonomy. Further analysis discloses that out of the 24 objectives based on Bloom's Taxonomy, 14 or 58.33% are redundantly expressed hence only 10 objectives or 41.67% are explicitly stated. The mathematical concepts which are not fully explained are percentages, variables, numerical and literal coefficients of algebraic expressions, derivations of formulae, and parabolas. The processes which are to be given focus are using the number line in adding and subtracting integers; and making algebraic expressions using variables and not letters. Mathematical symbols such as () and-can simplify working with algebraic expressions. The errors committed in the text are on BODMAS Rule, changing improper fraction to mixed number, finding the value of algebraic expression using substitution, simplifying algebraic expression, and finding the gradient of a line.