STUDYING MATHEMATICS AT THE UNIVERSITY: THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNING STRATEGIES

Many students studying mathematics at university experience great difficulties in their first year. In Germany, universities have to deal with drop-out rates of 40-50% of first-year students with a major in mathematics. Possible reasons are differences between school and university concerning the character of mathematics taught and the learning culture. In a study with N = 118 students with a major in mathematics, we investigate individual determinants of students' competency development in their first semester. First results indicate that the type of learning strategies mainly used by students has an impact on mathematics achievement, interest and self-concept. Except for the case of high achieving students, these types of learning strategies are not related to individual variables at the beginning of the study.