First-year seminar intervention: Enhancing firstyear\nmathematics performance at the University of Johannesburg

This chapter aims to understand the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) on first-year mathematics students at the Instituto Profesional Providencia (IPP) in Santiago, Chile, where more than half (52%) of first-year students typically drop out of their studies. In order to address this, the institution established an innovation fund and a project to profile, assess and monitor student performance through an early warning system. IPP stakeholders envisioned that a strategy to promote OER uptake could complement these efforts. By looking at an OER intervention amongst firstyear students, this study seeks to identify ways in which OER can provide new tools, opportunities, and contexts to improve student performance and lower dropout rates by answering the following research questions: What is the effect of OER use on firstyear students’ mathematics course performance? In face-to-face instruction, what is the effect of OER use on first-year students’ class attendance? What are teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the OER adoption process? <br>To answer questions one and two, this study used a quantitative method to estimate the effect of OER use on students’ mathematical course performance and class attendance. Five groups of first-year students were compared based on the analysis of two scenarios. In Scenario 1, a control group and two treatment groups were in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting. The control group relied on a proprietary textbook; the first treatment group was taught with the help of a Khan Academy OER collection; and the second treatment group was taught by means of a custom-designed Open Textbook. Scenario 2 compared two classes in blended-mode Algebra and Calculus courses. The control group relied on a proprietary resource, and the treatment group used a Khan Academy collection of OER in addition to the proprietary resource. In order to estimate the effectiveness of OER use on students’ mathematical performance, the impact analysis focused on three result variables: (1) students’ marks before the final exam, (2) students’ final exam marks, and (3) students’ final course marks after the exam. <br>To answer research question three, a mixed-methods approach was applied in the form of a series of semi-structured interviews, a focus group discussion and a student survey. The students who used the Khan Academy OER collections or the Open Textbook were asked to participate in this study in order to better comprehend learners’ and teachers’ perceptions of OER. Students in Scenario 1 who used Khan Academy resources obtained statistically significantly better exam grades than those who used the proprietary resource or the Open Textbook, suggesting that not all kinds of OER have the same effect on student performance. In Scenario 2, there was no improvement in mathematical course performance amongst students using OER. In terms of student attendance, face-to-face mode students who used Khan Academy OER had significantly lower attendance levels than those who relied on the proprietary textbook, which may be due to the fact that when students have access to the infrastructure required to access OER remotely they tend to work more from home. <br>With regard to student and teacher perceptions of the OER adoption process, the qualitative and quantitative data confirmed the assumption that OER can be relevant and useful to Chilean students. <br>The chapter concludes with the insight that “openness” does not necessarily produce an impact in and of itself, but is instead part of a greater set of tools and practices in which many variables exert an influence. Neither the intrinsic nature of information and communication technologies nor openness are tools or instruments that can be said to result in a specific outcome. <br>The dataset arising from this study can be accessed at:<br> https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/577

This is the last phase of a four-year study which aimed to determine the significance of the difference in the mathematics (math) performance of the participants when grouped according to their hemispheric dominance (HD). The study was anchored in the Split-Brain or Lateralization Theory of Roger Wolcott Sperry which states that the brain is divided into two hemispheres, the left, and the right hemisphere. The participants were eighty-eight (88) fourth-year college students from the courses of Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (BSM), Bachelor of Science in Education major in Mathematics (BSEd), Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communication Engineering (BSECE), and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering major in Automotive Engineering (BSMEAE) at Western Visayas College of Science and Technology SY 2014-2015. The participants’ HD was determined by the use of a researcher-made 46-item Hemispheric Brain Dominance Test while their mathematics performance was based on their Math classes average final grades. The statistical tools used were the mean, standard deviation, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Post hoc tests. The hypothesis was set at the 0.05 alpha level. As an entire group, the left brain was the dominant brain hemisphere among the participants from phase I to phase IV. When the participants were grouped according to program in phase I, the BSM, BSEd, and BSMEAE was left-brain dominant while the BSEE participants were right-brain dominant. The BSECE had an equal number of left-brained and right-brained participants. In phase II, the dominant brain hemisphere was the left brain. Only the BSEE participants were right-brain dominant. In phase III, the dominant brain hemisphere was the left brain, except for the BSMEAE where there was an equal number of left-brained and right-brained participants. In phase IV, all participants from the different programs were left-brained. Only the BSEE participants were right-brain dominant. As an entire group, phase I and II participants had “fair” mathematics performance; phase III had “good” mathematics performance, and phase IV had “very good” mathematics performance. When the participants who were right-brained were grouped according to mathematics performance, phase I had “conditional” mathematics performance; phase II and III had “fair” mathematics performance; and phase IV had “good” mathematics performance. Those who were left-brain dominant had “fair” mathematics performance in phase I, “good” mathematics performance in phase II and III, and “very good” mathematics performance in phase IV. In all phases of the study, significant differences existed in the level of mathematics performance when the participants were grouped according to their hemispheric brain dominance. The “left-brained” performed better in mathematics than the “right-brained”. There was a significant decrease in the enrolment of participants who were right-brain dominant because they shifted to other courses or they transferred to other schools. In phases, I, II and III, significant differences existed in the level of mathematics performance when the participants were grouped according to their program. There is no significant difference in the hemispheric brain dominance of the participants when grouped according to the phase of the study. This implies that the slight changes in the hemispheric brain dominance of the participants were not significant in the last four years.

This study was anchored in the Split-Brain or Lateralization Theory of Roger Wolcott Sperry which states that the brain is divided into two hemispheres, the left hemisphere, and the right hemisphere. This was conducted to determine the significance of the difference in the mathematics(math) performance of the participants when they were grouped according to their hemispheric dominance (HD) and program. There were 172 first-year participants of Western Visayas College of Science and Technology, Iloilo City in phase I (SY 2011-2012). This was reduced to 120 participants in phase II (SY 2012-2013) and to 88 participants in phase III (SY 2013-2014). The participants’ HD was determined by the use of a researcher-made 46-item Hemispheric Brain Dominance Test while their mathematics performance was based on their average final grades in their Math classes. The statistical tools used were the mean, standard deviation, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Post hoc tests. The test in the hypothesis was set at .05 alpha level. Results showed that as an entire group, the left brain was the dominant brain hemisphere among the participants in phases I, II and III. In phase I and II, the participants had “fair” mathematics performance while phase III had “good” mathematics performance. When the participants were grouped according to their hemispheric dominance in phase I, the participants who were right-brain dominant had “conditional” mathematics performance while in phase II and III, they had “fair” mathematics performance. Those which were left-brain dominant in phase I had “fair” mathematics performance while in phase II and III, they had “good” mathematics performance. In phases, I, II and III of the study, significant differences existed in the level of mathematics performance when the participants were grouped according to their hemispheric brain dominance. The left brain dominant participants performed better in their mathematics performance than the right brain dominant participants. In phases, I, II and III, significant differences existed in the level of mathematics performance when the participants were grouped according to their program. The Post hoc (Scheffe) test results showed that BS Math significantly differs in their math performance from BSECE and BSMEAE participants. Furthermore, BSECE significantly differs in their math performance from BSEd and BSMEAE participants. Also, BSMEAE significantly differs from BSEE and BSEd participants in their math performance. There is no significant difference in the hemispheric brain dominance of the participants when they were grouped according to the phase of the study. This implies that the hemispheric brain dominance of the participants did not change for the last three years. It is highly recommended to administrators and guidance counselors to assess the brain dominance of the incoming freshmen and give priority to left-brained students for Math-laden courses. More researches should be conducted in different subjects, programs, and backgrounds to add support to this study.

prevalent in 20–57% of stroke patients, visual field defects have been shown to impact quality of life. Studies ([8][1]) have shown increased risk of falling, ambulatory difficulties, impaired reading ability, and feelings of panic in crowded or unfamiliar places in patients with visual field

This dissertation examines the course-enrollment behavior of first-year students at a public Midwestern university. Using the student choice construct, modern college choice theory, and the constructs of habitus, human capital, financial capital, social capital, cultural capital, along with background variables such as gender and locus of control, a course selection theory is proposed to explain students' voluntarily enrollment in a seminar designed to assist with the academic and social transitions to college. The literature review shows numerous studies have been done examining the impacts these courses may have on first-year students’ academic performance, retention, and graduation rates. In many of these studies, however, subsets of students were targeted for enrollment and participation in the seminars was not voluntary. In others, students self-select into the first-year transition seminars, raising questions about whether or not their subsequent success is attributable to their participation in these courses. Prior to this study, few, if any, studies have examined enrollment in these first-year seminars as the dependent variable and attempted to explain how various factors impact whether or not students voluntarily choose to enroll. This quantitative research looked at 7,561 first-year students enrolling in 20062007 and 2007-2008 and, using logistic regression, attempted to explain whether or not students chose to enroll in a transition seminar. Data was gathered from institutional offices (Admissions, Registrar, and Student Financial Aid) and through an Entering Student Survey completed by 99% of each entering cohort. Of the 52 independent variables included in the model, 17 were significant in one or more steps (or blocks) of the model.

Abstract: Purpose: To fully participate in the future world, students of today should be mathematically skilled. Nowadays, mathematics backs directly and fundamentally the ways of business, health, finance, governance, and technology. Thus, this study predicts the performance in Mathematics through attitude in Mathematics, reflective thinking skills, and problem-solving skills of the Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) students. Research methodology: This study utilized the descriptive-predictive method. It was conducted in Sto. Tomas National High School has 58 respondents. Results: There is a positive significant relationship between attitude in Mathematics, reflective thinking skills, and performance in Mathematics. However, it was revealed that there is a negative not significant relationship between problem-solving skills and performance in Mathematics. Furthermore, it was discovered that attitude in Mathematics significantly predicts performance in Mathematics. Limitations: The study is quantitative non-experimental research. The respondents are only those students who specialized in science, mathematics, and engineering. Contribution: The model that predicts the performance in Mathematics can be considered by mathematics teachers in improving the performance of STE students in Mathematics. Keywords: 1. Attitude in Mathematics 2. Reflective Thinking Skills 3. Problem Solving Skills 4. Performance in Mathematics

to general feelings such as liking/disliking of mathematics, nor is it meant to exclude perceptions of the difficulty, usefulness, and appropriateness of mathematics as a school subject. There are several ways affective variables are related to mathematics learning. It is likely that a student who feels very positive about mathematics will achieve at a higher level than a student who has a negative attitude toward mathematics. It is also likely that a high achiever will enjoy mathematics more than a student who

PurposeSelf-efficacy has been argued theoretically and shown empirically to be an essential construct for students’ improved learning outcomes. However, there is a dearth of studies on its causal effects on performance in mathematics among university students. Meanwhile, it will be erroneous to assume that results from other fields of studies generalize to mathematics learning due to the task-specificity of the construct. As such, attempts are made in the present study to provide evidence for a causal relationship between self-efficacy and performance with a focus on engineering students following a mathematics course at a Norwegian university.MethodThe adopted research design in the present study is a survey type in which collected data from first-year university students are analyzed using structural equation modeling with weighted least square mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator. Data were generated using mainly questionnaires, a test of prior mathematics knowledge, and the students’ final examination scores in the course. The causal effect of self-efficacy was discerned from disturbance effects on performance by using an innovative instrumental variable approach to structural equation modeling.ResultsThe findings confirmed a significant direct effect of the prior mathematics knowledge test (β = 0.52, SE = 0.01, p < 0.001) on self-efficacy, a significant direct effect (β = 0.43, SE = 0.19, p = 0.02) of self-efficacy on performance, and a substantial mediating effect (β = 0.22, SE = 0.10, p = 0.03) of self-efficacy between a prior mathematics knowledge test and performance. Prior mathematics knowledge and self-efficacy explained 30% variance of the performance. These findings are interpreted to be substantial evidence for the causal effect of self-efficacy on students’ performance in an introductory mathematics course.ConclusionThe findings of the present study provide empirically supports for designing self-efficacy interventions as proxies to improve students’ performance in university mathematics. Further, the findings of the present study confirm some postulates of Bandura’s agentic social cognitive theory.

This article reports on the results of an investigation into the academic performance of first-year students in Science and Engineering programmes at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The increase in the drop-out rate and the decrease in the success rate in Science modules such as Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at first year level is a serious challenge for South African higher education. Science, Engineering and Health Science faculties need to rethink admission processes, curricula and teaching and learning, as these modules form the core first year curriculum in these fields. Placement versus selection remains a contentious issue in higher education; different admission criteria are applied and in order to meet enrolment targets in institutions. This investigation suggests that post-admission placements have institutional advantages and increase the likelihood of student success. Current placement and admission practices are based on school performance. It is suggested here that the placement strategy in Science-related programmes should be based on performance at school, the National Benchmark Test and adaptation to higher education at first-year experience). Structured articulation pathways can provide for placement into main stream, extended degree or diploma programmes and could improve graduation rates.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine the impact of paraphrasing strategy on the mathematical problem-solving skills and mathematics performance of first-year college students while also exploring the interrelationship between these skills and performance. The 40 participants of this study were randomly assigned into the experimental and control groups following the pre-test and post-test equivalent group design. The instruments used were the Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills Inventory by Chirinda (2013) and a researcher-made performance test. Statistical analyses were the independent sample t-test, paired sample t-test, and Pearson r. The experimental group was taught using a paraphrasing strategy, while the control group was taught using the traditional method. According to the findings, there is a statistically significant difference between the post-test scores of the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group scoring higher. Even though both groups improved in their post-test, the significant difference in the mean gain scores shows that the experimental group performed better than the control group, and this improvement was due to the use of a paraphrasing strategy. A significant correlation also existed between mathematical problem-solving skills and mathematics performance, implying that as the mathematical problem-solving skill increases, performance increases. Theoretically, these findings support the cognitive learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of active engagement strategies like paraphrasing in enhancing understanding and retention. This study suggests that educators should incorporate paraphrasing strategies into their teaching methods to improve students' mathematical performance. It can be concluded that a paraphrasing strategy can be used to increase performance in Mathematics. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term effects of paraphrasing strategy on different student populations.

In educational system of Iran, the students entered to high school after passing elementary school and junior high school by selecting their interested field of study. Among them, the students with weak performance in mathematics continue their studies in the field of human sciences, the students with average performance in mathematics continue their studies in the field of experimental sciences and student with high performance in mathematics continue their studies in the field of mathematics. It seems that there may be a hypothesis telling students with weak performance in mathematics have low self-believe. Therefore, their performance in mathematics may be improved by promoting their self-believe. The purpose of the present research is analysis the factor of self-believe on progress and performance in mathematics. The sample of this study contains 85 girl students of third grade of high school in Karaj City. The method of this research is correlation and the tools of this research include: self-believe test prepared by the researcher for measurement and test of mathematics as index for performance of students in mathematics in three fields of human sciences, experimental sciences and mathematics. The data gained with Pearson correlation coefficient statistical method shows that there is a direct meaningful relationship between self-believe and performance of students in mathematics. Moreover, it is shown that there is a different meaningfulness between the students of experimental sciences and human sciences from viewpoint of self-believe and according to the mean of self-believe it can be concluded that the students in the field of experimental sciences have the most self-believe. Therefore, it seems that the teachers and instructors can promote and establish efficient strategies for promotion of self-believe among students in school and educational institutes and this needs more studies and researches in this regard.

Is First-Year Seminar Type Predictive of Institutional Retention Rates? Dallin George Young (bio) First-year seminars (FYS) are courses "intended to enhance the academic and/or social integration of first-year students" (Barefoot, 1992, p. 49). Colleges and universities initiate FYS to help first-year students develop a connection with the institution, provide orientation to campus resources and services, foster the development of academic skills, support the learning and developmental objectives of undergraduate education, and retain students from the first to second year of college (Greenfield, Keup, & Gardner, 2013; Young & Skidmore, 2019). Further, they form a connective thread for first-year experiences such as providing an orientation to campus resources, creating a sense of belonging, developing study skills, and serving as a curricular anchor for other high-impact practices (Greenfield et al., 2013; Young & Skidmore, 2019). Frequently, FYS represent what has been termed an extended orientation course, usually named college survival or success (Greenfield et al., 2013; Hunter & Linder, 2005); however, multiple varieties of the form exist (Young & Skidmore, 2019). Barefoot (1992) outlined a scheme that persists as the most widely adopted typology of FYS: (a) extended orientation seminars, (b) academic courses with uniform content across all sections, (c) academic courses with content that varies across sections, (d) preprofessional or discipline-linked courses, and (e) seminars with a focus on basic study skills. Tobolowsky and associates (2008) described a sixth type, hybrid courses, combining elements of the other types. The literature base is replete with evidence that FYS contribute to improvements in academic performance; interaction with faculty; use of campus services; satisfaction with the institution; active involvement in cocurricular activities; positive perceptions of self-as-learner; enhanced lifelong-learning orientation; and development of academic, interpersonal, and communication skills (see Koch, Foote, Hinkle, Keup, & Pistilli, 2007; Padgett, Keup, & Pascarella, 2013; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Additionally, large-scale reviews of the published research on the effects of participation in FYS have indicated that FYS had at least indirect effects from the first to second year in college (Mayhew, Rockenbach, Bowman, Seifert, & Wolniak, 2016; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Permzadian & Credé, 2016). Notwithstanding these results, recent research has emerged that questions whether FYS have any effect at all on student success (Culver & Bowman, 2020). The flexibility of the FYS to meet the needs of a wide variety of institutional contexts is a feature seen as part of its widespread success (Greenfield et al., 2013); however, the research record is unclear about which seminar types have greater impact on student outcomes. Some researchers found that extended orientation types are connected to improved outcomes (see Friedman & Marsh, 2009; Ryan & Glenn, 2004), while others point to the benefits of [End Page 379] academic seminars (see Swing, 2002; Zerr & Bjerke, 2016). Other studies have found mixed results in outcomes based on FYS type. Permzadian and Credé (2016) found that extended orientation seminars were positive and significant predictors of first-to-secondyear retention, and academic seminars were positive predictors of first-year GPA. Weissman and Magill (2008) reported that the benefits of one seminar type over another were related to the type of student who participated. Confounding the interpretation of the opus of literature linking FYS type and student retention is the fact that the research on the topic comprises only single-institution studies and studies conducted at the student level. Only a limited number of studies have included the influence of institution-level characteristics on student retention or intent to persist. For example, Porter and Swing (2006) found that improved academic engagement in FYS at the institution level was associated with higher levels of students' intent to persist to the second year. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK/JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY In 2008, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) introduced a list of 10 high-impact practices (HIPs) that had been tested and found to have significant positive influence on student engagement and retention (Kuh, 2008), including FYS and experiences. Kuh and O'Donnell (2013) identified 8 elements of HIPs that explained the educational and pedagogical practices that led to the impact found in HIPs: (a) high performance expectations; (b) significant investment of time and effort by students; (c) interactions with faculty and peers about substantive matters; (d) experiences...

With a decrease in state and federal funding, higher educational institutions need to focus on retaining students. However, student retention is a multifaceted problem that requires varied solutions. Traditional measures, or cognitive measures, of student success, such as pre-college knowledge (SAT and high school grade point average) have not explained how higher education institutions retained students, especially students who are considered at-risk. Since the nature of student retention is idiosyncratic, research needs to focus on other measures, such as students' non-cognitive factors. Tinto has outlined non-cognitive factors, such as pre-college characteristics, goals and commitments, and institutional experiences, which influence students' academic success and retention to the institution. Using Tinto's model as a framework for this study, the purpose of this research was to examine the non-cognitive characteristics of at-risk first-year students to determine if there were differences between students who were academically successful and academically unsuccessful students and students who were retained and not retained to the institution. For the purposes of this study, at-risk students were identified by utilizing the Transition to College Inventory(TCI), which measures Tinto's pre-college characteristics and goals and commitments. Additionally, first-year students' institutional experiences were examined using the Freshmen Experience Survey. This study's sample included all first-year students who were identified as medium or high risk, based on the TCI (n = 3,667). Additionally, students needed to complete the First-Year Biographical Questionnaire (BioQ) and the First-Year Experiences Survey (FES) to be included in this study. Logistical regression analyses were performed to test eight hypotheses. Results of the analyses performed revealed that pre-college characteristics, goals and commitments, and institutional experiences were significantly different for those at-risk first-year students who were academically successful than for those who were not successful. Additionally, analyses revealed that pre-college characteristics were significantly different for at-risk first-year students who were retained to the institution to the following fall semester than for those who were not retained. Results from this study can inform higher educational practitioners about the types of programming and services needed to assist at-risk first-year students to become academically successful and be retained by the institution.

Many studies have indicated that mathematics anxiety, and other negative attitudes and emotions toward mathematics, are pervasive and are associated with lower mathematical performance. Some previous research has suggested that working memory is related to both mathematics anxiety and mathematics. Moreover, both gender and chosen course of study (sciences vs. humanities) appeared likely to influence students’ attitudes to mathematics. In the present study, 40 university undergraduates completed a battery of assessments investigating working memory, attitude to mathematics, test anxiety. and mental and written arithmetic. Attitudes to mathematics were significantly associated with the other variables: working memory, test anxiety, and both measures of mathematical performance. The other variables were not strongly associated with one another. There were no gender differences in mathematical performance, but females exhibited more negative attitudes to mathematics and higher test anxiety than males. After controlling for test anxiety, there ceased to be significant gender differences in attitudes to mathematics. Science students had more positive attitudes to mathematics than humanities students, but the groups did not differ in test anxiety, Science students were better at written but not mental arithmetic. They were also better at working memory, but this was not a significant covariate when the groups were compared on mathematical performance and attitudes to mathematics The results are discussed, with particular focus on implications for future research on influences on mathematics anxiety.

The study examines the influence of parental involvement and academic motivation on students' mathematics performance, mediated by students' interest in mathematics. The current study adopts a descriptive-correlational research design. The study population comprises all first-year and second-year senior high students in the Central Region of Ghana. A sample of 290 students was randomly selected from four senior high schools in the Central Region of Ghana. The researcher used stratified sampling techniques to categorize the students into the various courses offered in the schools and employed simple random sampling techniques to select respondents from each stratum for the study. A structured questionnaire was used as a research instrument to collect data from the target population. Analysis of Moment Structures (Amos) version 23 and IBM SPSS version 23 were used as analysis tools for data analysis. The analysis results show that parental involvement, academic motivation, and students' interest in mathematics have a significant positive effect on mathematics achievement. Furthermore, students' interest in mathematics partially mediates the link between parental involvement and mathematics achievement. Finally, students' interest in mathematics partially mediates the connection between mathematics motivation and mathematics achievement. The study recommends that parents must be fully involved in their children's education, especially in their mathematics learning, by providing students with the necessary support to improve their mathematics learning and performance.