A quantitative exploration of the statistical and mathematical knowledge of university entrants into a UK Management School

Abstract

Mathematical and statistical skills are increasingly important for securing fruitful employment in the modern world. Regardless of the increasing demand for such skills by employers, witnessed at present is a drop in the mathematics and statistics knowledge of university entrants. This paper uses a British university as a case study and exploits the induction week to collect primary data on the mathematical and statistical knowledge of entrants into two degree programmes. The data is then analysed using statistical techniques to identify the current patterns relating to the mathematics and statistics knowledge of students with a view to developing appropriate methods for enhancing their mathematical and statistical knowledge. Our findings indicate statistically significant differences in the mathematical and statistical knowledge of students entering this British university based on the chosen degree programme, gender and educational qualifications.