Beyond numbers: The effect of prior mathematical knowledge on university progress of engineering students

Nagy-Kondor, Rita (2026) Beyond numbers: The effect of prior mathematical knowledge on university progress of engineering students Annales Mathematicae et Informaticae. ISSN 1787-6117 (Online)

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Hivatalos webcím (URL): https://doi.org/10.33039/ami.2026.02.001

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Mathematics is the foundation of science, technology and engineering. At University of Debrecen Faculty of Engineering teachers can experience that the basic studies have difficulties, transition from high school to university mathematics courses is a challenge for many students. According to previous researches, prior mathematical knowledge has a central role in the initial stages of university studies. In the light of the existing literature, this report examined the mathematics level of engineering students at a Hungarian university at the end of first academic year, to investigate the relationship between prior mathematics education in secondary school and academic performance. We report about the effect of high school mathematics knowledge on the university progress of engineering students after the initial stages. We investigated whether the students are able to make up for the prior mathematical knowledge deficiency, or whether it holds them back in university progress even after one year. Our aim was to understand the factors behind of students’ achievement. Based on our survey, we can conclude that at University of Debrecen Faculty of Engineering many engineering students had problems with prior mathematical knowledge deficiency, which affects university progress, significantly correlated with the first practical test, suggesting that the ability to apply knowledge in practice is more closely related to prior knowledge. We hope this paper represents a valuable addition to the literature on academic preparedness and equity in higher education.

Mű típusa: Folyóiratcikk - Journal article
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Nagy-Kondor, Rita
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Megjegyzés: Accepted manuscript. Published online: February 13, 2026
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Kulcsszavak: engineering education, educational research, mathematics education, problem solving
Nyelv: angol
DOI azonosító: 10.33039/ami.2026.02.001
ISSN: 1787-6117 (Online)
Felhasználó: Tibor Gál
Dátum: 13 Feb 2026 10:22
Utolsó módosítás: 13 Feb 2026 10:22
URI: http://publikacio.uni-eszterhazy.hu/id/eprint/8972
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