The transition from school to university mathematics: a crisis in context Seminar

Time:

12:00 - 13:00

Date:

2024-11-19 00:00:00

Venue:

Online

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Seminar details

This talk discusses patterns of differences in the transition from school to university mathematics across three European countries. Equating transition into university mathematics to a rite of passage, this study highlights the importance of the educational and social context in shaping students’ experiences of transition.

When reporting on the transition from school to university mathematics, seldom the educational context is considered as a factor that shapes students’ experiences. This talk reports findings of a study that involved first year students from Italy, the UK and Switzerland. The theoretical approach is that of Clark and Lovric (2008), who equate transition to university mathematics to a rite of passage. The research tool – an open-ended questionnaire - was written in Italian, translated into English and French, and administered to first year mathematics students during the first year of their mathematics degree. The data was analysed by thematic analysis and by statistical analysis of the codes’ distributions. This allowed us to compare the experiences of the students in the three countries as they transition to university mathematics. The seminar will discuss the differences and similarities found and the impact they may have on retention of students in degree courses.

Di Martino P., Gregorio F. and Iannone, P. (2022) The transition from school to university in mathematics education research: new trends and ideas from a systematic literature review. Educational Studies in Mathematics. 113, 7–34.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-022-10194-w

Di Martino P., Gregorio F. and Iannone, P. (2022) The transition from school to university mathematics in different contexts: affective and sociocultural issues in students’ crisis. Educational Studies in Mathematics. 113, 79–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-022-10179-9

Speaker information

Dr Paola Ianone is a Reader in the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh, and is head of the Technology Enhanced Mathematical Sciences Education Theme. Dr Ianone studied mathematics at la Sapienza  in Rome (Italy) and obtained a PhD in pure mathematics from the University of East Anglia (UEA). Dr Ianone become involved in educational research when tutoring in mathematics at UEA. Dr Ianone’s research interest has 3 strands: mathematical reasoning and the use of technology to teach/learn university mathematics (e.g., interactive theorem provers), the summative assessment of mathematics at university, and the transition into university mathematics.