“That Wasn’t the Math I Wanted to do!”—Students’ Beliefs During the Transition from School to University Mathematics

• Published in: International journal of science and mathematics education Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 599 - 618
• Main Authors: Geisler, Sebastian, Rolka, Katrin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01.03.2021; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: College Freshmen; College Mathematics; Education; Mathematical analysis; Mathematics; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Education; Predictor Variables; Science Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Student Attitudes; Students; Beliefs; Transition from school to university mathematics; Dropout
• ISSN: 1571-0068; 1573-1774
• DOI: 10.1007/s10763-020-10072-y

It is a well-known fact that many students struggle during the transition from school to university mathematics. The aim of our quantitative study was to clarify the role of students’ beliefs concerning the nature of mathematics for a successful transition. We distinguish between static beliefs (mathematics as a finished system of rules, facts and formula) and dynamic beliefs (mathematics as a dynamic discipline with applications in everyday life). In particular, we examined whether first year students’ beliefs are suitable to predict students’ exam achievement and their satisfaction (as criteria for a successful transition) and how students’ beliefs develop during the transition. Therefore, we used questionnaires at the beginning and in the middle of the first term at university. Our results indicate that dynamic beliefs decrease during transition, whereas static beliefs remain rather stable. This seems problematic since dynamic beliefs turned out to negatively predict students’ dropout intention, while static beliefs are a negative predictor of students’ achievement in real analysis. Furthermore, the beliefs assessed in the middle of the term had a stronger predictive power than those at the beginning of the term. Based on these results, we discuss implications for the teaching of mathematics during the transition.