Studying mathematics at university level: a sequential cohort study for investigating connotative aspects of epistemological beliefs

Connotative aspects of epistemological beliefs

“…To trace possible developments during bachelor's degree, the participants-regardless of their programmes of study-were sorted into three groups: 1 st and 2 nd semester, 3 rd and 4 th semester, as well as 5 th and 6 th semester (students with a higher semester count were discarded for this analysis) (N=1493; cf. Schreck et al, 2023). The data do not suggest great change in connotative judgements about school maths within the first three years of university studies (see Figure 4).…”

“…Looking at the total sample (i.e., students of different study programmes and different semesters), school maths and scientific maths are perceived as two separate domains of knowledge (see Table 1; cf. Schreck et al, 2023). The largest discrepancy is found with the assessment of the factor "Simplicity" of knowledge.…”

“…With regard to their study programmes, the students were sorted into three groups (students of the Bachelor of Science degree, pre-service teachers for upper secondary school, other pre-service teachers including pre-service teachers for lower secondary schools and for primary schools) to analyse study group specific CEB as well (cf. Schreck et al, 2023). Regarding school maths (see Figure 2), students aiming at the Bachelor of Science degree find school maths less confirmable (MV 3.04) and slightly vaguer (MV 3.38) while at same time more static (MV 4.75) than pre-service teachers of mathematics (see Figure 2).…”

“…The judgements about scientific maths tend in the same direction regardless the students' study programme and the considered item-factor (see Figure 3; cf. Schreck et al, 2023). And yet, students of the study programme "Bachelor of Science" rate items regarding the factors "Certainty/ Texture" and "Variability" the lowest, which means that they judge scientific maths the most stable (MV 3.34), precise (MV 2.27), confirmable (MV 2.12), accepted (MV 3.18), certain (MV 3), dynamic nature (MV 3.56), and the most flexible (MV 4.05).…”

“…For the assessment of mathematical CEB during academic studies, the CAEB was presented to university students attending different mathematical programs of study at the University Cologne at the beginning of the winter terms in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively (cf. Schreck et al, 2023). 1774 students completed the questionnaire (601 male, 1086 female, 87 students did not specify their gender): 580 students in 2017 (mean age 20.36, SD 3.06), 397 in 2018 (mean age 22.03, SD 3.26), and 797 in 2019 (mean age 21.71, SD 2.95).…”