Authors: Ghislaine Gueudet ¹; Fabrice Vandebrouck ²

• 1 Etudes sur les sciences et les techniques
• 2 Laboratoire de Didactique André Revuz

This article presents a synthesis of international research in mathematics education about the secondarytertiary transition, with a specific interest in the most recent works. These studies may concern students' difficulties, and investigate different factors causing these difficulties: notions become more abstract, expected practices refer to those of mathematicians, the institutional culture changes. Some studies analyze more broadly the practices of teachers and students at the end of high school or at the beginning of post-secondary level. Research in mathematics education provides keys to understanding current practices and their consequences, whether in ordinary courses or in teaching device specially designed to improve the transition from secondary to tertiary education. In some cases, it also proposes innovative courses fostering active student involvement, and highlights the benefits of these courses. The development of initial and in-service training for university teachers could help extend such teaching beyond experimental contexts.