The relation among factored homogeneous item dimensions and thinking interest factors to student success in Fundamentals of Mathematics I

The relation among various predictive factors of mathematics achievement has received considerable attention. Historically, the majority of factors come from the cognitive domain. More recently, an individual's preferred way of thinking has been recognized as a significant component in forecasting one's ability to do mathematics.; Psychologists generally agree that ability tests account for at most 20% of the variation in school achievement. What accounts for the 80% of unexplained variation? Analyses have shown that the variance explained by cognitive factors reduces to 25% when affective variables are held constant by statistical means.; Cognitive psychologists advocate using affective and cognitive variables to improve the prediction of student success in mathematics. Approximately one thousand first year college students in Fundamentals of Mathematics I (FOM I) responded to the “Guided Study Research Examination” (GSRE) and the “Thinking Interest Survey Form C” (TIS). This study focuses on four research questions: (1) Are the GSRE factors in this study different from those found in a previous study? (2) Are there similarities among the TIS factors in this study and those identified in a previous study? (3) What is the relation between the GSRE and TIS factors? (4) To what extent can FOM I course performance be predicted from the ability and thinking interest factors found in this study?; The questions were addressed through an application of descriptive statistics, a t-test of correlated samples, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, multiple group factoring, hierarchical factor analysis, correlation, canonical correlation and regression analysis.; The GSRE proved to be reliable and valid (p(t(Obs = 8.07) > t(α = .025, df = 24) < .05)). Four achievement factors evolved that were congruent to those identified in a previous study. Five factors from the thinking interest domain were found to be similar to those found in a previous study. The two domains can be spanned by two variates (p(F > 2.4 1) = .0004 < .05)). The four GSRE factors and one of the TIS factors proved to be significant predictors of achievement in FOM I. The five predictor variables account for 65% of the variance in the criterion variable.