Measuring the Success of Mathematics and Statistics Support Sessions at UWS

Andisheh Bakhshi, Wan Rinwi Mekwi, Kenneth Charles Nisbet, Alan James Walker

Abstract


Following a review of the provision of mathematics and statistics support across Scottish Higher Education Institutions, academics at the University of the West of Scotland initiated weekly mathematics and statistics support sessions. These sessions were open to all students and staff across the institution, but primarily aimed at the science and engineering students with a high degree of numerate work in their study programmes. After two years of operation, previous attendees and students within key demographics were canvassed on their knowledge of, and opinion of, these support sessions. Four key points were uncovered: advertising of the existence of the sessions should be increased; the use of PhD students overseeing the sessions should be investigated; the centralisation of the sessions should be investigated; and more formal tutorial engagement should be encouraged.


Keywords


mathematics support; statistics support.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Achor, E.E. and Ajai J.T., 2014. Understanding of usefulness of mathematics, perceptions on teacher's attitudes and mathematics as a male domain as predictors of students' confidence in mathematics. Benue State University Journal of Education, 14, pp.37-45. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2606380 [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Ahmed, S., Davidson, P., Durkacz, K., Macdonald, C., Richard, M.C. and Walker, A.J, 2018. The provision of mathematics and statistics support in Scottish higher education institutions (2017) - a comparative study by the Scottish Mathematics Support Network. MSOR Connections, 16, pp.5-19. Available at https://journals.gre.ac.uk/index.php/msor/article/view/798 [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Ahmed, S. and Love, L., 2010. Provision and evaluation of mathematics support at the University of Glasgow. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2010, pp.9-11. Available at http://www.sigma-network.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/CETL-MSOR-Proceedings2010.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Ashcraft, M.H., 2002. Math anxiety: Personal, educational, and cognitive consequences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(5), pp.181-185. Available at https://www.mccc.edu/~jenningh/Courses/documents/math_anxiety.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Bailey, I., Ferrier, C. and Smith, C., 2015. Curriculum and beyond: Mathematics support for first year life science students. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2015, pp.1-8. Available at https://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/CETL-MSOR2015-Conference-Proceedings-online.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Betz, N.E., 1978. Prevalence, distribution, and correlates of math anxiety in college students, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 25, pp.441-448. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.25.5.441

Breen, C., O'Sullivan, C. and Cox, D. 2015. Mathematics learning support across a multi-campus institution: A prototype of virtual support. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2015 pp.9-14. Available at https://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/CETL-MSOR2015-Conference-Proceedings-online.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Clancy, M., Breen, C., Cole, J., Cronin, A. and Ó Sé, D., 2015. Mathematics learning support in Ireland in 2015. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2015, pp.14-20. Available at https://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/CETL-MSOR2015-Conference-Proceedings-online.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Cronin, A., Cole, J., Clancy, M., Breen, C. and Ó Sé, D., 2017. An audit of mathematics learning support provision on the island of Ireland in 2015. National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Available at http://www.imlsn.ie/images/Documents/IMLSN_Report_2015.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Curley, N. and Meehan, M., 2015. Using qualitative data collected in a mathematics support centre to predict and provide “just-in-time" support for students. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2015, pp.33-36. Available at https://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/CETL-MSOR2015-Conference-Proceedings-online.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Dew, K.H., Galassi, J.P. and Galassi, M.D., 1984. Math anxiety: Relation with situational test anxiety, performance, physiological arousal, and math avoidance behavior. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31, pp.580-583. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.31.4.580

Gill, O., O'Donoghue, J. and Johnson, P., 2016. An audit of mathematics support provision in Irish third level institutions, Tech. Report, Regional Centre for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching and Learning and Irish Mathematics Learning Support Network.

Haynes, A.F., Mullins, A.G. and Stein, B.S., 2004. Differential models for math anxiety in male and female college students. Sociological Spectrum, 24, pp.293-318. https://doi.org/10.1080/02732170490431304

Jameson, M.M., 2020. Time, time, time: Perceptions of the causes of mathematics anxiety in highly maths anxious female adult learners. Adult Education Quarterly, 70, pp.223-239. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713619896324

Jaworski, B., Matthews, J., Robinson, C. and Croft, T., 2011. Engineering students understanding mathematics (ESUM). MSOR Connections, 11, pp. 47-48. Available at https://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/other/engineering-students-understanding-mathematics [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Lancaster, G., Francis, B. and Allen, R., 2009. Lancaster postgraduate statistics centre - creating enterprise and innovation in teaching statistics across disciplines. MSOR Connections, 9, pp.41-46. Available at https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/26963/1/9141_lancaster_g_etal_psc.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Lawson, D., 2015. Mathematics support - past, present and, most importantly, future. MSOR Connections, 14, pp.4-10. Available at https://journals.gre.ac.uk/index.php/msor/article/view/234/261 [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Lawson, D., Croft, T. and Waller, D., 2012. Mathematics support past, present and future. Innovation, Practice and Research in Engineering Education. Available at http://cede.lboro.ac.uk/ee2012/papers/ee2012_submission_179_gp.pdf [Accessed 6 May 2021]

Learning and Teaching Support Network, 2003. Maths for engineering and science. Tech. Report, Learning and Teaching Support Network. Available at https://www.sigma-network.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/engineering_science.pdf [Accessed 6 May 2021].

Macdonald, C., 2014. Maths support at Glasgow Caledonian University. Proceedings of the 6th Annual Scottish Maths Support Network Meeting.

Matthews, J., Croft, A.C., Lawson, D.A. and Waller, D., 2013. Evaluation of mathematics support centres: A literature review. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 32, pp.173-190. https://doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hrt013

Metje, N., Frank, H.L. and Croft, P., 2007. Can't do math - Understanding students' maths anxiety. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 2, pp.79-88. https://doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hrl023

Moodley, S., 2011. Maths Anxiety and Communication Apprehension as Barriers to Learning Mathematics. PhD thesis, University of Kwazulu-Natal. Available at https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/5807 [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Owen, A., Samuels, P., Wrightham, M., Leckenby, B. and Gilchrist, M., 2011. A pilot for a shared online statistics advisory service. MSOR Connections, 11, pp.35-36. Available at https://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/resources/uploaded/sharedsas.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Patel, C., Garcia De Jager, B. and Zou, L., 2010. Approaches to extra-curricular statistics support for non-statistics UG and PG: Facilitating the transition to higher education. 8th International Conference on Teaching Statistics. Available at https://iase-web.org/documents/papers/icots8/ICOTS8_2C1_PATEL.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Patel, C. and Little, J., 2006. Measuring maths study support. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 25, pp.131-138. https://doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hri031

Perkin, G. and Croft, T., 2011. Mathematics support centres - the extent of current provision. MSOR Connections, 4, pp.14-18.

Perkin, G., Croft, T. and Lawson, D., 2013. The extent of mathematics learning support in UK higher education - the 2012 survey. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 32, pp.165-172. https://doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hrt014

Perry, A.B., 2004. Decreasing math anxiety in college students. College Student Journal, 38(2), pp.321-324.

Pfeiffer, K., Cronin, A. and Mac an Bhaird, C., 2016. The key role of tutors in mathematics learning support – A report of the 10th annual IMLSN workshop. MSOR Connections, 15, pp.39-46. Available at https://journals.gre.ac.uk/index.php/msor/article/view/367 [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Samuels, P., 2006. Improving university-wide mathematics and statistics support. ELATE Conference, Coventry, 2006. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275030119_Improving_University-Wide_Mathematics_and_Statistics_Support [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Samuels, P. and Patel, C., 2010. Scholarship in mathematics support services. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 2, https://doi:10.47408/jldhe.v0i2.44.

Scottish Funding Council, 2019. Report on Widening Access 2017-18. Available at http://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications-statistics/statistical-publications/2019/SFCST072019.aspx [Accessed 7 September 2020].

Shaw, C.T. and Shaw, V.F., 1999. Attitudes of engineering students to mathematics - A comparison across universities. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 30, pp.47-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/002073999288102

Symonds, R., Lawson, D. and Robinson, C., 2008. Promoting student engagement with mathematics support, Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 27(3), pp.140-149. https://doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hrn011

Szatmari, E, 2015. Personal reflections on running a school wide mathematics and statistics support service solo. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2015, pp. 103-107. Available at https://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/CETL-MSOR2015-Conference-Proceedings-online.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

Tolley, H. and Mackenzie, H., 2015. Senior management perspectives on mathematics and statistics support in the HE sector in England. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2015, pp.105-109. Available at https://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/CETL-MSOR2015-Conference-Proceedings-online.pdf [Accessed 18 May 2021].

University of the West of Scotland, 2019. UWS Principal Welcomes SFC Widening Access Report. Available at https://www.uws.ac.uk/news/uws-principal-welcomes-sfc-widening-access-report/ [Accessed 7 September 2020].

van Veggel, N. and Amory, J., 2014. The impact of maths support tutorials on mathematics confidence and academic performance in a cohort of HE animal science students, PeerJ, 2(1), https://peerj.com/articles/463/

Zettle, R.D. and Raines, S.J., 2000. The relationship of trait and test anxiety with mathematics anxiety. College Student Journal, 34, pp.246-258.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.21100/msor.v19i2.1244

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.