First-year undergraduate business students’ choice of different sources of learning support for assumed math skills

Anne Gleeson,Saib Dianati,Greg Fisher,Nicholas Smale

doi:10.1080/2331186x.2019.1616654

Anne Gleeson, Saib Dianati + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2019.1616654

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Abstract

This paper explores the choice of math skills learning support by an undergraduate student cohort of Commerce and Business students at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. A survey methodology...

Highlights

Over the past four decades, a key objective of higher education policy in Australia has been to expand access to students from a greater range of socio-economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Bradley, Noonan, Nugent, & Scales, 2008; Devlin, 2010, 2013; Gale & Parker, 2013, 2014)
The demographic responses to this survey paint a picture of a cohort with the majority student characteristics resembling traditional recent high school graduates, who would be expected to be competent at the math skills required for the subject
The traditional high school graduate entering university of a couple of decades ago may have had a higher level of math at Year 12, the math assumed in the subject has declined in sophistication since so any Year 12 math pass should certify adequate math skills for the subject

Summary

Introduction

Over the past four decades, a key objective of higher education policy in Australia has been to expand access to students from a greater range of socio-economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Bradley, Noonan, Nugent, & Scales, 2008; Devlin, 2010, 2013; Gale & Parker, 2013, 2014). Universities service a student community that has a broader range of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic class, and possess different levels of preparation for university study (Baik, Naylor, Arkoudis, & Dabrowski, 2017; Gale & Parker, 2013). Math skills are an integral part of success in many non-maths and science courses, and the lack of adequate math skills of commencing students has been discussed in a range of disciplines such as Nursing, Education, and Business (Croft, Harrison, & Robinson, 2009; Galligan, 2013; Galligan & Hobohm, 2015; MacGillivray, 2009; McClure & Sircar, 2008). Of concern to us is that basic high school math skills are assumed knowledge for undergraduate students commencing their study in tertiary Business and Accounting courses (Ballard & Johnson, 2004; Galligan & Hobohm, 2015)

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