Images and Metaphors of Mathematics Among University Students

Abstract

This paper discusses the images and metaphors of mathematics held by university students through their experiences of learning mathematics and the application of mathematical knowledge in real life. The study involved two hundred and four university students selected using purposive sampling and data was obtained through a question form shared online. The analysis was based on descriptive statistics, namely comparing percentages among the responses, since the measurement level of the data collected was either categorical or ordinal and there was no continuous data collected. The findings indicate that images and metaphors related to mathematics held by university students focused more on physical aspects rather than non-physical. Thus, the lack of understanding and imbalance in mathematics learning involving metaphysical domains needs to be observed in detail.