Changes in Students' Mathematical Competencies at the Beginning of Higher Education within the Last Decade at a German University

Autor/inn/en	Büchele, Stefan; Feudel, Frank
Titel	Changes in Students' Mathematical Competencies at the Beginning of Higher Education within the Last Decade at a German University
Quelle	In: International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 21 (2023) 8, S.2325-2347 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Feudel, Frank)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1571-0068
DOI	10.1007/s10763-022-10350-x
Schlagwörter	Mathematics Skills; Competence; College Freshmen; College Mathematics; Foreign Countries; Mathematics Tests; Economics Education; Computation; Symbols (Mathematics); Thinking Skills; Mathematics Curriculum; Educational Change; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mathmatics achievement; Mathematics ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Kompetenz; Studienanfänger; Ausland; Wirtschaftskunde; Denkfähigkeit; Bildungsreform; Deutschland
Abstract	Mathematics plays a significant role in many study programs. However, several studies show deficiencies and a decline in beginning undergraduates' skills in mathematics in many content domains. However, it remains unclear whether they have improved in so-called process competencies like modeling, mathematical reasoning, or using different representations instead, because there has been a shift towards the acquisition of such in many recent curricula. We investigated this issue at a university in Germany based on data from a (non-standardized) mathematics entry test taken by 3076 economics students divided into different cohorts from 2012 to 2019. Using regression analyses, we found that, on the one hand, students' ability to carry out symbolic calculations decreased. On the other hand, their performance increased in some test questions focusing on other process competencies like reasoning, mathematizing, or using different representations, which have become common tasks at school due to a stronger emphasis on these process competencies after a curriculum reform. Our data indicate that this reform might have had the desired effect. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01