The evolution of mathematics support: a literature review

ABSTRACT

Mathematics support, the provision of additional learning opportunities to, primarily, non-mathematics specialist undergraduates has grown significantly since the early 1990s, particularly in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Alongside the growth in volume of provision, there has been a marked increase in the amount of research and scholarship relating to mathematics support that has been carried out and disseminated. This paper reviews this literature and in doing so identifies areas in which mathematics support has evolved. This evolution has taken place in response to a range of crucial changes in the external policy and general environment and, in particular, in response to the changing nature of the so-called ‘Mathematics Problem’. Key themes that emerge from the literature review, which are explored in detail, are the characteristics of students who engage with mathematics support and reasons why others do not; the role of the mathematics support tutor, who undertakes the tutoring task and how they are trained; the positioning of mathematics support within higher education structures; and the evaluation of the effectiveness of mathematics support.

KEYWORDS:

• Mathematics support
• literature review
• impact
• evaluation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The GCE process refers to the qualifications taken by most students at that time immediately before entry to university, primarily Advanced levels also known as A-levels.

2 In the early 1990s, the majority of new undergraduates in England entered university having taken A-levels as their final qualification in school. A-levels were graded A-E (pass grades), N (narrow fail), U (unclassified).

3 Imperial College, London is one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the UK for the study of science and technology and, as such, able to recruit from amongst the best qualified students.

4 GCSE is the qualification taken at age 16 i.e. at the end of compulsory study of mathematics in England and is considerably below the level of the A-level qualification.

5 Source: Mathematics Education Innovation (MEI) http://mei.org.uk/files/pdf/MEI-media-release-level-3-qualifications-August-2018.pdf.

6 STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

7 National Student Survey – an annual Government-mandated student satisfaction survey.