Tradução, adaptação transcultural e avaliação das propriedades psicométricas do Lernstrategien im Mathematikhaltigen Studium para universitários brasileiros

Abstract

Teaching mathematics at the university level presents unique challenges that require specific learning strategies, many of which differ from those used in other academic areas. The use of appropriate strategies in the study of university mathematics plays a fundamental role in academic performance during the first semesters of engineering courses. To advance scientific research on this subject, it is essential to collect data using instruments that take into account the particularities of learning strategies in mathematics. However, there is a gap in national instruments that allow for an adequate assessment of these strategies. This gap served as motivation for the present study, which aimed to carry out the translation, cross-cultural adaptation of the "Lernstrategien im Mathematikhaltigen Studium" and evaluate the psychometric properties of the version intended for Brazilian university students. This methodological study consisted of three distinct stages. In the first stage, the instrument was cross-culturally adapted in five phases: translation, synthesis, backtranslation, evaluation by a committee of experts, and pre-test. In the second stage, the psychometric properties of the adapted instrument were assessed using a sample of 734 engineering students from the Federal Technological University of Paraná. In the third and final stage, we investigated which learning strategies could predict success in the subjects "Differential and Integral Calculus 1" and "Analytical Geometry and Linear Algebra". The results of the cross-cultural adaptation indicate that the instrument has semantic, idiomatic, conceptual, and cultural equivalence, as well as demonstrating content validity. The evaluation of the psychometric properties revealed satisfactory construct validity and reliability. In the search for predictive factors for passing the subjects "Differential and Integral Calculus 1" and "Analytic Geometry and Linear Algebra", it was observed that resistance to frustration and the strategies of connection, practice, effort, and simplification play a significant role in increasing the chances of passing. In conclusion, the instrument adapted for Brazilian Portuguese is valid and reliable for assessing some specific learning strategies in university mathematics. However, it is recommended that the instrument be re-evaluated in future research to consolidate its use. The implications of this study for university mathematics research and teaching are discussed, along with the limitations of the research and suggestions for future studies.