Trends in Basic Mathematical Competencies of Beginning Undergraduates in Ireland, 2003–2013

Deficiencies in beginning undergraduate students’ basic mathematical skills has been an issue of concern in higher education, particularly in the past 15 years. This issue has been tracked and analysed in a number of universities in Ireland and internationally through student scores recorded in mathematics diagnostic tests. Students beginning their science-based and technology-based undergraduate courses in the University of Limerick have had their basic mathematics skills tested without any prior warning through a 40 question diagnostic test during their initial service mathematics lecture since 1998. Data gathered through this diagnostic test have been recorded in a database kept at the university and explored to track trends in mathematical competency of these beginning undergraduates. This paper details findings surrounding an analysis of the database between 2003 and 2013, outlining changes in mathematical competencies of these beginning undergraduates in an attempt to determine reasons for such changes. The analysis found that the proportion of students tested through this diagnostic test that are predicted to be at risk of failing their service mathematics end-of-semester examinations has increased significantly between 2003 and 2013. Furthermore, when students’ performance in secondary levelmathematics was controlled, itwas determined that the performance of beginning undergraduates in 2013 was statistically significantly below that of the performance of the beginning undergraduates recorded 10 years previously

Professional development for out-of-field post-primary teachers of mathematics: an analysis of the impact of mathematics specific pedagogy training

Research shows that teachers influence students’ attitudes towards; performance in; and perceptions of a subject. Hence, the need to improve the teaching and learning of many curricular subjects has been well documented for many years. This paper focusses on efforts made to develop competence among out-of-field teachers of mathematics and evaluates the impact of one component of a continuous professional development (CPD) programme on teachers’ selfefficacy and self-reported teaching styles. As part of this CPD programme, teachers engaged in a series of subject-specific pedagogy workshops and while classroom observations were not feasible they did complete pre- and postworkshop questionnaires to determine the impact that these workshops had on their mathematics teaching efficacy and their reported approach to teaching, both of which researchers consider to be key to effective teaching. Analysis of the quantitative data showed that the workshops led to statistically significant improvements in mathematics teaching efficacy among participants, while analysis of the qualitative data highlighted a shift from procedural or teacherled approaches to more student-centred approaches that focussed on developing understanding. As such the programme was deemed to have a positive effect on the effectiveness of these teachers

Staying the Course: Factors Affecting the Progression of Access Foundation Students at Technological University Dublin

This study examined the factors affecting the progression of Access Foundation students to undergraduate studies, as there is little research on the progression of such students in the empirical literature. Access education has been developed for marginalized students who are traditionally under-represented in higher education. A pragmatic, mixed-methods approach was used to determine the factors that affect the progression of Access Foundation students at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) over three academic years (2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using a range of descriptive and inferential statistics. The grounded theory approach recommended by Strauss and Corbin (1990) was adopted for qualitative analysis. Findings revealed that demographic, psychosocial, environmental, institutional and educational factors play a role in students’ progression from Access education to undergraduate studies. Factors such as housemates, attendance and working during the Access programme were found to be predictors of Access student progression in a binary logistic regression. Additionally, progression rates were higher when there was a higher proportion of mature students in the Access programme. Quantitative and qualitative models of Access student progression were developed

A Comparison of the Mathematical Performance of Mature Students and Traditional Students Over a 10-Year Period

Every student who enrols in a degree programme involving service mathematics in the University of Limerick in Ireland is given a mathematics diagnostic test. The diagnostic test was developed due to mathematics lecturers’ anxiety regarding students’ mathematical competency levels. Students receive the 40 question paper-based test in their first service mathematics lecture without prior notification. Initial analysis of students’ work revealed that many students were having difficulties with basic algebra and arithmetic in particular [Gill, O. 2006. “What Counts as Service Mathematics? An Investigation into the ‘Mathematics Problem’ in Ireland.” PhD diss., University of Limerick]. Further research highlighted the significant decline in diagnostic test performance and the changing profile of service mathematics students between 1998 and 2008 [Faulkner, Fiona, Ailish Hannigan, and Olivia Gill. 2010. “Trends in the Mathematical Competency of University Entrants in Ireland by Leaving Certificate Mathematics Grade.” Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications 29 (2): 76–93]. One of the most notable changes to the student profile over time was the increase in mature students (non-standard students) entering service mathematics programmes. Although non-standard students had a lower mean performance in the diagnostic test, they were found to have a higher mean performance in some cases in service mathematics compared to standard students. This paper explores some of the possible reasons for such findings

How Well Do Engineering Students Retain Core Mathematical Knowledge after a Series of High Threshold Online Mathematics Tests

In the Technological University Dublin, high threshold core skills assessments are run in mathematics for third year engineering students. Such tests require students to reach a threshold of 90% on a multiple-choice test based on a randomised question bank. The material covered by the test consists of the more important aspects of undergraduate engineering mathematics covered in the first two years of the Honours degree programme and/or the three years of the Ordinary degree programme . Students are allowed to re-sit the assessment as frequently as required until they pass. In order to measure the effectiveness of such an exercise a follow up assessment was given to students on their first day of fourth year. A comparison is made with the level of basic mathematical knowledge of these students on their first day in Third year, exactly a year previously. In addition students were surveyed on their view of, how much knowledge had been retained and how effective they felt that this approach had been

Profiling mathematical procedural and problem-solving skills of undergraduate students following a new mathematics curriculum

In 2010 a mathematics curriculum was introduced in Irish second level schools entitled ‘Project Maths’ (PM). It aimed to refocus second level mathematics teaching and learning away from an over emphasis on procedural mathematics towards problem solving and real understanding [Department of Education and Skills (DES). (2010). Report of the Project Maths implementation support group. https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/Report-of-the-Project-Maths-Implementation-Group.pdf]. This paper aims to examine the performance of 1st year undergraduate students’ procedural and problem solving skills after the introduction of PM. A diagnostic test was developed to determine students’ skills in each area and findings demonstrated that students perform statistically significantly better in the procedural skills in mathematics when compared to problem solving skills. These findings raise concerns around the lack of anticipated improved problem solving skills of a cohort of students exposed to this style of teaching and learning. The paper raises discussion surrounding the intended and actual teaching and learning taking place in second level classrooms along with consideration for the potential role of learned helplessness and the literacy issues. Recommendations are made for follow up qualitative research with stakeholders in mathematics education to better understand the ‘why’ of the results presented here

A Comparison of the Progression of International Students to First Year Undergraduate Studies by Entry Route in an Irish Higher Education Institution: Part One - A Quantitative Study

Increasing international student numbers in higher education institutions has long been an educational priority internationally due to the cultural, educational and economic benefits it brings (Ireland’s International Education Strategy, 2010). Little research however has been conducted in the area of varying entry routes to higher education by international students and the potential benefits/disadvantages if any of pursuing one entry route over another (Terraschke & Wahid, 2011). This research examines the first year undergraduate progression rates of international students in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) in Ireland to determine if students who complete a one year International Foundation Programme (IFP) in DIT progress differently to direct entry international students to the same institution. Results show that there is no statistically significant difference in the progression rates of international students from both entry routes however international students as a whole were found to progress at a lower rate when compared to domestic students on a national level. This research highlights the effectiveness of the DIT IFP in bringing international students up to the required standard to enter their undergraduate studies and informs practitioners and policy makers of the disparities between international and domestic students in terms of progression rates

Progression of International Students through their Undergraduate Studies in an Irish Higher Education Institution: A Qualitative Study

The focus of this paper is on the progression of international students through their undergraduate studies in an Irish higher education institution. Despite the increasing presence of international students in higher education, their perspectives on progression through their undergraduate studies are not adequately explored. Research into the factors that influence international students’ progression is underdeveloped. The paper aims to provide new insights into international students’ perspectives of their progression through their undergraduate studies in an Irish context. This study addresses this gap by exploring what factors international students deem to be significant in terms of successful student progression through higher education in an Irish context. The research involved conducting semi-structured interviews with international students in TU Dublin in Ireland. Five students volunteered to participate in the study. The findings revealed factors that facilitate student progression such as the student’s motivation to study and learn new skills and partake in the class and college environment. The research also revealed factors found to impede progression such as issues relating to the college experience and environment. The results are considered in terms of implications for international student progression. This paper outlines the necessity for those involved in policy and practice to understand and act upon the challenges that international students encounter during their higher education journey

A situational analysis of the current level of lecturers’ engagement with internationalisation of the curriculum in Ireland’s first Technological University

The educational value of internationalisation in higher education is of critical importance for both domestic and international students. While national and institutional policies globally are increasingly prioritising internationalisation, the resultant consequences for the teaching and learning context are not adequately being explored. Understanding engagement with Internationalisation of the Curriculum from the lecturers’ perspective allows for a greater insight into the inherent implementation gap between the theory and practice of the process. This knowledge may then help inform strategies to address the gap. The present study details the current level of engagement between lecturers and Internationalisation of the Curriculum in Ireland’s first Technological University. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to all lecturers across the university to ascertain statistical evidence in an attempt to quantify the prevailing situation in the Irish higher education context. While there was an awareness and appreciation of the educational value of internationalisation, the findings demonstrate that those surveyed are at the early stages of the internationalisation process in their teaching and learning practice. The questionnaire findings are detailed here along with the implications of the findings for both internationalisation and educational policies and practice, which is of relevance to both national and international audiences