Impact of a mathematical pre-course on first-year physics students

Jonas Gleichmann 1 * , Hans Kubitschke 1, Jörg Schnauß 1
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1 Institute for Didactics of Physics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, GERMANY
* Corresponding Author
EUR J SCI MATH ED, Volume 13, Issue 3, pp. 172-190. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/16363
Published Online: 09 May 2025, Published: 01 July 2025
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ABSTRACT

The transition from school-level mathematics to the more abstract and formal structures in universities poses challenges for many first-year physics students. To address this gap, most physics faculties offer a mathematics pre-course. Here, we report about a pre-posttest study investigating the impact of a pre-course on N = 56 first-year physics students at the Leipzig University. The according tests were conducted in October 2022, which were correlated to the subsequent first and second-semester exam results. Thus, the research focused on measuring the knowledge gain and changes in mathematical abilities before and after the pre-course as well as the resulting medium-term effects. The results show a significant improvement in the math skills of the participants in the pre-course, especially among participants with intermediate prior knowledge. Additionally, the study reveals a correlation between the level of school mathematics instruction and learning success in the pre-course. Medium-term effects revealed that pre-course participants displayed higher pass rates and better grades, particularly in modules directly influenced by pre-course contents. This research underlines the effectiveness of the pre-course in mathematics in improving and reactivating the mathematical skills of first-year physics students.
Keywords: pre-course, mathematic prior knowledge, first-year students, higher education teaching

CITATION

Gleichmann, J., Kubitschke, H., & Schnauß, J. (2025). Impact of a mathematical pre-course on first-year physics students. European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 13(3), 172-190. https://doi.org/10.30935/scimath/16363

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