Development of Mathematics Competences in Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Zeidmane Anda 
Published: March 2013

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves /> <w:TrackFormatting /> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF /> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark /> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp /> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables /> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx /> <w:Word11KerningPairs /> <w:CachedColBalance /> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math" /> <m:brkBin m:val="before" /> <m:brkBinSub m:val="&#45;-" /> <m:smallFrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispDef /> <m:lMargin m:val="0" /> <m:rMargin m:val="0" /> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup" /> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440" /> <m:intLim m:val="subSup" /> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr" /> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><span class="StyleAbstractItalicChar"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">The changes in society require revision of the content of higher education. Mathematics as a classical subject has played an important part in higher education until now, especially in engineering education. The introduction of mathematics IT programmes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>(MathCad, MathLab, Matematica, Maple&hellip;) in labour market caused the reduction of the practical application of the classical mathematics, therefore it is important to draw attention to the development of mathematical competences. The theoretical part of the paper deals with the notion of competence, its aspects and types, considers the question of the essence of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>mathematics, examines </span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">general competences driven teaching of mathematics, describes </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;" lang="EN-GB">organisational model underlying the curriculum in mathematics that is based on the division of the content of mathematics into levels. The paper describes the main issues of the development of teaching of mathematics discussed by European mathematicians (SEFI Math Working Group).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">The paper presents the results of the ERDF<span style="color: #006600;"> </span>project <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">&ldquo;Cross-border network for adapting mathematical competences in the socio-economic development (MatNet)&rdquo;, which studied</span> <span class="hps">the role of mathematics</span> <span class="hps">in today's</span> <span class="hps">labor market</span> <span class="hps">in the context of<span style="color: red;"> </span>modern</span> <span class="hps">education (</span>&ldquo;<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mathematics in professional activities</span>&rdquo;)<span class="hps"> and the role</span> of mathematics <span class="hps">in studies at the Latvia University of Agriculture (LUA) and Siauliai University in Lithuania (</span>&ldquo;<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mathematics in professional studies</span>&rdquo;).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The paper describes the LUA experience in integration of IT programmes in the study process of mathematics, as well as the experience of organizing the self-directed study of mathematics&rsquo; practical application based on didactic approach and e-learning features.</span></strong><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal" /> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" 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