Mathematics and Statistics Support Centres: Resources for training postgraduates and others who work in them

Abstract

This article provides a rationale for the focused training of postgraduates (and others) who work inmathematics and statistics support centres. It outlines a format for training that has been found towork well through workshop-style events run at universities around the country over the last fiveyears. Within any form of training there are important topics for discussion and a wealth of resourcesfreely available for those centre managers who wish to develop training for their own tutors. Tutorsare in the front line of tackling the lack of confidence and skill deficits of students who arrive atsupport centres looking for help; tutors who are well-briefed in terms of the challenges they are likelyto face and how they can best respond to students who are finding university mathematics andstatistics particularly difficult will help to ensure that the services offered genuinely contribute toenhancing the student experience. While training for new mathematics support tutors is important,of equal, if not greater importance is identifying tutors with the right skills and abilities to work inmathematics and statistics support. We conclude by considering the recruitment of postgraduatetutors and by undertaking a brief discussion about the value of training to the tutors themselvesincluding contribution to professional recognition that is gaining increased importance. Furthersources of information can be found within Croft and Grove (2011) which forms a training resourcepack, Croft, et al. (2013) and in the resources section of the sigma network website (2016) whichincludes PowerPoint slides and training activities that can be used in, or adapted for, workshops.