Modelo psicológico, sociocultural e psicossocial do desempenho acadêmico na transição do Ensino Médio à Educação Superior: o caso do curso de Licenciatura em Matemática da UFTM

Abstract

One of the objectives that students involved in the Brazilian educational context aim to achieve during their lives is university. Society as a whole contributes to make it a part of their life goals, raising expectations regarding the necessity of academic studies. Before starting their academic studies, students go through periods of change, from Elementary School to Higher Education. However frail or capable the student might be, the focus of these moments is the anguish felt until the Higher Education access they hope for is achieved. Thus, the students change under the consequences of these process, which can contribute positively or negatively in the cognitive process they go through during academic studies. Therefore, this research follows the approach “Educational Fundamentals and Practices”, being a sub-project linked to the Study Group in Statistical Education and Mathematics – GEEM, tied to the Post-Graduation Program in Education at the Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro. Thus, this work aimed to propose an eclectic model (considering psychological, sociocultural and psychosocial aspects) of evaluation of the academic performance of students in the Graduation course in Mathematics who are going from High School to Higher Education Institutions, through a theoretical approach of the transitions. It is believed that the grades the students obtain in the exams (tests) of the Vestibular (exam akin to the SAT); social, economic, demographic and cultural variables of the students; and attitudes of the students regarding Mathematics, are good predictors of the academic performance of students in the Graduation Course in Mathematics. Thus, through the results obtained in the selection process for Higher Education Institutions – the Vestibular, from 2009 to 2011; the variables obtained through a questionnaire applied to the students regarding social, economic, cultural and educational aspects; and their attitudes regarding Mathematics – obtained through the Scale of Attitudes Regarding Mathematics, adapted and validated by Brito (1998) – a multiple regression was conducted to determine how well each of the (independent) variables considered can describe the situation, and how well all of them can, together, explain the dependent variable (performance). The study points out that previous knowledge is extremely important and needs to be taken into account as a fundamental factor, related to the students who intend to ingress University, since the grades in these tests influenced greatly the academic performance of the students. Regarding the second semester, data indicates that a positive feeling about Mathematics, that is, a positive attitude towards the area, suggests a better academic performance. Finally, these results indicate how important it is for universities to develop studies and better understand the profile of their students, establishing relationships between these profiles and their performances during the course itself.