Student Transition to University Mathematics Education: Transformations of People, Tools and Practices

Abstract

In this article the concept of Feedback and Self-Regulated Learning has been used to investigate student ‘transition’ from upper secondary to university mathematics education. The findings are anchored in data from the TransMaths project (at the University of Manchester), more particularly the case of an ethnic minority student’s journey from his school to a university mathematics course taught at a large inner-city university in the UK. The results provide insights into (1) the different contexts students experience when transiting from school to university mathematics education; (2) the kinds of feedback students are likely to receive and which sources of feedback are beneficial for them in terms of independent learning; (3) ‘transformations’ which students experience and which they may need to go through in order to ‘survive’ in higher education mathematics courses. This has implications for policy makers who want to keep more students in mathematically demanding university programmes.