Utilising student profiles in mathematics course arrangements
Porras, Päivi (2015-12-15)
Väitöskirja
Porras, Päivi
15.12.2015
Lappeenranta University of Technology
Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-265-874-6
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-265-874-6
Tiivistelmä
This thesis develops a method for identifying students struggling in their mathematical
studies at an early stage. It helps in directing support to students needing and benefiting
from it the most. Thus, frustration felt by weaker students may decrease and therefore,
hopefully, also drop outs of potential engineering students.
The research concentrates on a combination of personality and intelligence aspects.
Personality aspects gave information on conation and motivation for learning. This part
was studied from the perspective of motivation and self-regulation. Intelligence aspects
gave information on declarative and procedural knowledge: what had been taught and
what was actually mastered.
Students answered surveys on motivation and self-regulation in 2010 and 2011. Based
on their answers, background information, results in the proficiency test, and grades in
the first mathematics course, profiles describing the students were formed. In the
following years, the profiles were updated with new information obtained each year.
The profiles used to identify struggling students combine personality (motivation, selfregulation,
and self-efficacy) and intelligence (declarative and procedural knowledge)
aspects at the beginning of their studies.
Identifying students in need of extra support is a good start, but methods for providing
support must be found. This thesis also studies how this support could be taken into
account in course arrangements. The methods used include, for example, languaging
and scaffolding, and continuous feedback. The analysis revealed that allocating
resources based on the predicted progress does not increase costs or lower the results of
better students. Instead, it will help weaker students obtain passing grades.
studies at an early stage. It helps in directing support to students needing and benefiting
from it the most. Thus, frustration felt by weaker students may decrease and therefore,
hopefully, also drop outs of potential engineering students.
The research concentrates on a combination of personality and intelligence aspects.
Personality aspects gave information on conation and motivation for learning. This part
was studied from the perspective of motivation and self-regulation. Intelligence aspects
gave information on declarative and procedural knowledge: what had been taught and
what was actually mastered.
Students answered surveys on motivation and self-regulation in 2010 and 2011. Based
on their answers, background information, results in the proficiency test, and grades in
the first mathematics course, profiles describing the students were formed. In the
following years, the profiles were updated with new information obtained each year.
The profiles used to identify struggling students combine personality (motivation, selfregulation,
and self-efficacy) and intelligence (declarative and procedural knowledge)
aspects at the beginning of their studies.
Identifying students in need of extra support is a good start, but methods for providing
support must be found. This thesis also studies how this support could be taken into
account in course arrangements. The methods used include, for example, languaging
and scaffolding, and continuous feedback. The analysis revealed that allocating
resources based on the predicted progress does not increase costs or lower the results of
better students. Instead, it will help weaker students obtain passing grades.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [1100]