Satisfaction, satisfactoriness, motivation and ambiental factors of second year university students

Abstract

Research in Mathematics Education on affect-related factors that influence a university student’s relationship with their studies tends to adopt a psychological approach and focus on constructs like motivation, perceived difficulty, or self-efficacy. Notwithstanding their central role, this paper explores the contribution of research in the areas of Economics and Social Sciences to include other factors, which are often considered marginal in Psychology but that can play an important role in determining a student’s choice to either abandon or continue their studies and take a degree. We consider, thus, the constructs of satisfaction and satisfactoriness to address these factors and we analyse the interviews of two students enrolled in a STEM undergraduate course and attending the second year. Different characterisations of satisfaction and satisfactoriness emerge. The results hold not only in the context of mathematics learning but in general for tertiary education.