Successful dissertation defense: Daria Benden on motivational changes in students in math-intensive courses and correlations with academic success
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Why is the dropout rate in the first year of study in STEM subjects so high? This question was also posed by Daria Benden, a PhD student in the Lauermann group. Using data from the BONNS study, she investigated which expectation and value beliefs students had with regard to their mathematics courses at different points in the first semester. In addition, she focused on motivational change over the course of the semester. In her dissertation "Short-term developmental processes of students' expectations and task values in math-intensive study programs and links to academic success and dropout tendencies" she emphasizes the importance of motivational slumps in the early phase of study, as they can be the first warning signs of low academic performance and dropout tendencies. The results offer important starting points for future research and for intervention measures to promote student motivation in mathematics-intensive courses.
The IFS congratulates warmly on this achievement!