Academic adaptation of first-year students in secondary vocational educational institutions when learning Mathematics

The paper deals with the first-year students’ academic adaptation while studying at secondary vocational educational departments at regional universities as a tool for improving the quality of vocational education. Improvements in education are government policy priorities in this field. The authors analyze the educational activity of first-year students majoring in Economics, Engineering, and Information Sciences when they learn Mathematics as a general subject. Students’ academic achievements have been assessed during the entry test, midterm exam, and ongoing monitoring. The purpose of the research is to determine the importance of the trainees’ academic adaptation in the new educational space and identify the educational environment for its successful implementation. The emphasis is placed on adaptation challenges and possible ways to meet them based on the questionnaire results. The survey of students and lecturers makes it possible to devise measures to reduce the number of weak students and coordinate teaching activities. The research findings may be useful for lecturers of secondary vocational educational institutions.