A Study of Students’ Perceptions of Mathematics Homework Policies, with Emphasis on Engineering Undergraduates

Since entry-level mathematics courses often pose a significant challenge to the successful completion of a degree in engineering and engineering technology, encouraging student success in these courses is essential. One common cause for failure in gateway mathematics courses is a lack of homework completion by the students. In this paper, we try to determine some key factors that prevent students from completing their mathematics homework, and what policies are effective in encouraging a high completion rate. We present results of a survey of more than 600 undergraduate engineering and engineering technology students. The results of the survey can serve as a guide to inform future research into best practices in this important area.