Factors Determining the Student's Prior Mathematical Experience

Abstract

An important challenge that universities have faced in recent years is to increase students’ ability to achieve a sustainable future by incorporating the ecological, economic and social aspects of human existence. In the context of sustainable development, special attention is devoted to mathematics education because this discipline develops logical thinking and serves as a tool for taking substantiated decisions to foster the development of sustainable society. Despite it, the studies on students’ previous experience and the knowledge they gained in the pre-university learning process state that students’ mathematical knowledge has deteriorated significantly over the last decade. Diagnostic tests are commonly used to assess students’ knowledge of mathematics and previous experience. Several other factors that determine the student's prior mathematical experience are identified by the authors: math knowledge self-assessment, motivation is based on the attitude towards math, teaching strategies at school and rational thinking based on math potential values. These factors are used to measure Forest faculty students’ prior mathematical experience and the level of knowledge they gained in the pre-university learning process.