Measuring students’ transition into university and its association with learning outcomes

Pampaka, María; Williams, Julian; Hutcheson, Graeme

doi:10.1080/01411926.2011.613453

Cited by 45 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…However, studies involving several possible predictive factors are scarce. One exception is the study by Pampaka, Williams and Hutcheson [13] which is a mixed-method study, including a quantitative measurement of students' transitional experience, similar in spirit to the study reported on in the present paper. They reported that students' perceptions of the transition to university mathematics, their degree of positivity towards the transition and their self-efficacy are good predictors for the development of positive dispositions to university studies in mathematics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Success-factors in transition to university mathematics

Bengmark

Thunberg

Winberg

2017

International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and

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This study examines the relative importance of different factors influencing students' performance in first year university mathematics. Characteristics (motivation, actions and beliefs) of students at three universities in Sweden (n=1007) were measured twice; when entering the university and at the end of the first year. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Orthogonal Projection to Least Squares (OPLS) analysis were used for the identification of constructs and analysis of the predictive power of the constructs, respectively. Four important constructs were found which we label Self-efficacy, Motivation type, Study habits and Views of mathematics.When entering university, these four constructs predicted 14% of the variation in students' level of success at university math, as measured by their grades in university mathematics, while 37% could be predicted at the end of their first year at the university. When comparing the four constructs, self-efficacy is the best predictor, yet, by it self, only explaining 5% of the variation when measured in the beginning of the university studies, but 21% at the end of the first year. Upper secondary grades alone predicted 17% of the variation in first year university grades. Together, students' upper secondary grades and the four constructs predicted 21% and 43% of students' university mathematics grades, when constructs pertained to upper secondary school and university, respectively.Study habits were found to be more important for predicting university achievement for the third of the students' with the lowest upper secondary grades. Relying on the textbook and frequent interaction with peers during the university studies, at the expense of using internet-based resources for learning, contributed positively to university achievement for this same group. The association between students' view of mathematics and their university performance was low for students with intermediate and high upper secondary grades, and non-existing for students with lower grades.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Success-factors in transition to university mathematics

Bengmark

Thunberg

Winberg

2017

International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and

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“…The number of participants in the survey and the number of interviewees decreased as the project progressed due to student attrition (for example, students changing programmes or leaving the universities). For a quantitative analysis of the survey data, please refer to [3]. An interesting anecdote: we found some reluctance from engineering departments to contact their upcoming students with a survey about mathematics, as there was concern that the idea they would have to study mathematics might put them off coming.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mathematics and its value for engineering students: what are the implications for teaching?

Harris

Black

Hernandez‐Martinez

et al. 2014

International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and

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Mathematics has long been known to be problematic for university engineering students and their teachers, for example Scanlan [1]. This paper presents recent data gathered from interviews with engineering students who experienced problems with mathematics and their lecturers during their transition through the first year in different programme contexts. Our interviews with the students reveal how they understand the relation between engineering and mathematics and we draw on the concept of 'use-and exchange-value' to explore this relationship more fully. This paper challenges both the pedagogical practice of teaching non-contextualized mathematics and also the lack of transparency regarding the significance of mathematics to engineering. We conclude that the value of mathematics in engineering remains a central problem, and argue that mathematics should be a fundamental concern in the design and practice of first year engineering.

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“…La transición a la Universidad es un proceso complejo, multifactorial que requiere del estudiante significativos y múltiples cambios y adaptaciones, en un período que podemos estimar en dos años (Gall, T. L., Evans, D. R. y Bellerose, S., 2000; Pampaka, M., Williams, J., y Hutcheson, G., 2012;Pérez, C. L., 2015). Los y las estudiantes deberán generar no sólo nuevas maneras de pensar, también tendrá que crear relaciones sociales y culturales con sus profesores, compañeros y compañeras en un entorno desconocido.…”

Section: Contextounclassified

Investigación cualitativa para la mejora de los resultados académicos en primer curso en los grados de Ingeniería de la Escuela de Ingeniería de Gipuzkoa - [Qualitative research for the improvement of the academic results in first year in the degrees on the Faculty of Engineering of Gipuzkoa]

Echegaray¹,

Barroso²,

Laskurain³

et al. 2017

La Innovación Docente Como Misión Del Profesorado : Congreso Internacional Sobre Aprendizaje, Innovación Y Competitividad

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Abstract-It is critical for the Faculty of Engineering, Gipuzkoa (FEG) of The University of The Basque Country to reduce the Dropout Rate (DR) in the first course of Engineering Grades. To this end, an Educational Improvement Project (EIP) was launched for the period 2015-2017. The proposed EIP seeks a significant improvement in the Yield Rate (YR), Rate of Success (RS) and DR of the first year courses of the degrees that are taught in the FEG, through the improvement in teaching and information and orientation of new students. The product to be elaborated consists of a set of innovative proposals for the processes of Teaching / Learning (T/L). This communication focuses on the questionnaire that has been passed to first-year students in the FEG. The preliminary results show that students have difficulties to adapt to new working dynamics when arriving to university. They are used to the information overload, which makes them get lost when the information search itself is part of the learning process.

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Measuring students’ transition into university and its association with learning outcomes

Cited by 45 publications

References 33 publications

Success-factors in transition to university mathematics

Success-factors in transition to university mathematics

Mathematics and its value for engineering students: what are the implications for teaching?

Investigación cualitativa para la mejora de los resultados académicos en primer curso en los grados de Ingeniería de la Escuela de Ingeniería de Gipuzkoa - [Qualitative research for the improvement of the academic results in first year in the degrees on the Faculty of Engineering of Gipuzkoa]

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