Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out
There has for some years been a growing concern about participation in university-entrance level mathematics in England and across the developed world. Extensive statistical analyses present the decline but offer little to help us understand the causes. In this paper we explore a concern which cann...
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| Format: | Article |
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Taylor and Francis Group
2009
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27782/ |
| _version_ | 1848793437626695680 |
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| author | Noyes, Andrew Sealey, Paula |
| author_facet | Noyes, Andrew Sealey, Paula |
| author_sort | Noyes, Andrew |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | There has for some years been a growing concern about participation in university-entrance level mathematics in England and across the developed world. Extensive statistical analyses present the decline but offer little to help us understand the causes. In this paper we explore a concern which cannot be explored through national datasets, namely the retention of mathematics students on Advanced level mathematics courses. Drawing on survey data from fifteen secondary schools in the Midlands of England, we examine subject differences in decisions to study, withdraw from, and continue in a range of A level subjects. Not only is the rate of attrition from mathematics higher than most other subjects, but there are substantial differences between schools. In order to explore this high rate of attrition further we consider one school – Queensbury Park - in which a large proportion of students decided not to continue with their study of mathematics from year 12 to 13. Drawing on performance data and focus group interviews we explore some of the reasons for the students’ decisions. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:00:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-27782 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:00:17Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publisher | Taylor and Francis Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-277822020-05-04T16:28:44Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27782/ Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out Noyes, Andrew Sealey, Paula There has for some years been a growing concern about participation in university-entrance level mathematics in England and across the developed world. Extensive statistical analyses present the decline but offer little to help us understand the causes. In this paper we explore a concern which cannot be explored through national datasets, namely the retention of mathematics students on Advanced level mathematics courses. Drawing on survey data from fifteen secondary schools in the Midlands of England, we examine subject differences in decisions to study, withdraw from, and continue in a range of A level subjects. Not only is the rate of attrition from mathematics higher than most other subjects, but there are substantial differences between schools. In order to explore this high rate of attrition further we consider one school – Queensbury Park - in which a large proportion of students decided not to continue with their study of mathematics from year 12 to 13. Drawing on performance data and focus group interviews we explore some of the reasons for the students’ decisions. Taylor and Francis Group 2009-11-10 Article PeerReviewed Noyes, Andrew and Sealey, Paula (2009) Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out. Research Papers in Education, 27 (1). pp. 123-138. ISSN 1470-1146 mathematics education A-level participation mixed methods http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/02671520903288885 doi:10.1080/02671520903288885 doi:10.1080/02671520903288885 |
| spellingShingle | mathematics education A-level participation mixed methods Noyes, Andrew Sealey, Paula Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out |
| title | Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out |
| title_full | Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out |
| title_fullStr | Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out |
| title_short | Investigating participation in Advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out |
| title_sort | investigating participation in advanced level mathematics: a study of student drop out |
| topic | mathematics education A-level participation mixed methods |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27782/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27782/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27782/ |