Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications
Following sustained discussion regarding the relationship between advanced mathematics and science learning in England, the Government has pursued a reform agenda in which mathematics is embedded in national, high stakes A-level science qualifications and their assessments for 18-year-olds. For exam...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis
2017
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41984/ |
| _version_ | 1848796393126232064 |
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| author | McAlinden, Mary Noyes, Andrew |
| author_facet | McAlinden, Mary Noyes, Andrew |
| author_sort | McAlinden, Mary |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Following sustained discussion regarding the relationship between advanced mathematics and science learning in England, the Government has pursued a reform agenda in which mathematics is embedded in national, high stakes A-level science qualifications and their assessments for 18-year-olds. For example, A-level Chemistry must incorporate the assessment of relevant mathematics for at least 20% of the qualification. Other sciences have different mandated percentages. This embedding policy is running in parallel with an adding policy that is encouraging all young people to include the study of mathematics to 18. In this paper we present a detailed scrutiny of the published sample assessment materials in the new A-level Physics, Chemistry and Biology qualifications in order to consider what the impact of this policy move might be for the teaching and learning of mathematics, its applications in upper secondary school advanced science studies and the implications in the transition to mathematically-demanding undergraduate studies. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:47:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-41984 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:47:16Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-419842020-05-04T18:43:18Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41984/ Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications McAlinden, Mary Noyes, Andrew Following sustained discussion regarding the relationship between advanced mathematics and science learning in England, the Government has pursued a reform agenda in which mathematics is embedded in national, high stakes A-level science qualifications and their assessments for 18-year-olds. For example, A-level Chemistry must incorporate the assessment of relevant mathematics for at least 20% of the qualification. Other sciences have different mandated percentages. This embedding policy is running in parallel with an adding policy that is encouraging all young people to include the study of mathematics to 18. In this paper we present a detailed scrutiny of the published sample assessment materials in the new A-level Physics, Chemistry and Biology qualifications in order to consider what the impact of this policy move might be for the teaching and learning of mathematics, its applications in upper secondary school advanced science studies and the implications in the transition to mathematically-demanding undergraduate studies. Taylor & Francis 2017-04-28 Article PeerReviewed McAlinden, Mary and Noyes, Andrew (2017) Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications. Assessment in Education . ISSN 1465-329X Mathematics Science A-levels Assessment Qualifications Transition http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0969594X.2017.1321524 doi:10.1080/0969594X.2017.1321524 doi:10.1080/0969594X.2017.1321524 |
| spellingShingle | Mathematics Science A-levels Assessment Qualifications Transition McAlinden, Mary Noyes, Andrew Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications |
| title | Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications |
| title_full | Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications |
| title_fullStr | Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications |
| title_short | Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications |
| title_sort | assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications |
| topic | Mathematics Science A-levels Assessment Qualifications Transition |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41984/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41984/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41984/ |